ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 302275
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| Date: | Saturday 19 July 1947 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Bristol Brigand TF Mk 1 |
| Owner/operator: | Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE |
| Registration: | RH742 |
| MSN: | 126372 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Sea, off Lyme Bay, off Lyme Regis, Dorset, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Boscombe Down, Wiltshire (EGDM) |
Built by the Bristol Aircraft Company at Filton to contract Acft/4628, MSN 12632, as one of the first production batch of thirteen Bristol Type 164 Brigands, RH742–RH754, equipped as TF.1 torpedo-fighters,
The first fatal crash of a Bristol Brigand occurred on July 19th 1947 when F/Lt (48008) Thomas William George Morren (Pilot) RAF flew in RH742, assigned to the A&AEE, for a firing exercise in the Lyme Bay area off the Dorset coast. The aircraft was seen to pull out of its firing dive whereupon it entered a slow roll and lost speed whilst inverted, before commencing a spiral dive which was halted just prior to the aircraft striking the sea, killing both crew members on board. Several splashes were seen upon impact and it was thought that the aircraft had suffered structural failure resulting in the malfunction of the dive brakes.
At the time it was thought that ejected cases from the fixed forward cannons had jammed in the tail control surfaces. The crew had no chance to escape. Apparently, this was a known issue with the Brigand. There were several similar accidents before the problem was resolved. It was eventually ascertained that a build-up of gases in the long cannon blast tubes, which ran under the cockpit, were igniting through use of high-explosive shells. This in turn severed hydraulic lines, which would burn. In effect the Brigands were shooting themselves down. This was cured by drastically reducing the ammunition loads and using only ball rounds.
The other fatality on board Brigand RH744 was F/Lt (111978) Ian John HARTLEY (ROp) RAFVR: killed
Sources:
1. https://brigandboys.org.uk/index.php/bristol-brigand-background-information
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1077188/thomas-william-george-morren/
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1799580/ian-john-hartley/
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=RH752
5. https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/brigand/brigand-rh742-4/
6. https://www.airteamimages.com/bristol-brigand_RH742_uk---royal-air-force_112887_large.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Brigand
8. https://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/MY/MY77-5/6-4.jpg
9. https://www.northlincsweb.net/576Sqn/html/t_morren_crew_576_sqn.html
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_Bay
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-May-2023 21:03 | Dr. John Smith | Updated |
| 21-May-2023 08:16 | Nepa | Updated |
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