Date:	Friday 13 March 1964
Time:	16:36
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Southern Aero Club/G.H.M. Motors (Brighton) Ltd
Registration:	G-AKXO
MSN:	83548
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	71 Buckingham Road, Shoreham, West Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Shoreham Airport West Sussex (EGKA)
Destination airport:	Shoreham Airport, West Sussex (EGKA)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 83548' Built by Morris Motors at Cowley, Oxford. Taken on charge by the RAF as T7121 at 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Chipenham, Wiltshire 17.7.40. To RAF Norwich 25.9.40. To RAF Manby 17.12.40. Returbed to 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire 24.4.41. To 10 OTU RAF Abingdon, Oxfordshire 12.6.41. To Lundy & Atlantic Coast 20.12.41 for repairs and overhaul. To 140 Squadron, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 10.2.42. To 101 [Glider] OTU, RAF Kidlington, Oxfordshire 4.4.42. To 268 Squadron, Weston Zoyland [undated, but presumed some time in 1942]. To 1 EFTS RAF Holwell Hyde (Panshanger, Hertfordahire) 26.7.42. Withdrawn from service for Maintenance and repairs 20.9.42; to Lundy & Atlantic Coast 26.9.42. To 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire 13.10.42. To 10 Flying Instructors School, RAF Woodley, Reading, Berkshire 4.2.43. To 7 FIS (Flying Instructors School) Central Flying School, RAF South Cerney, Gloucestershire 7.5.46 coded "FDL-P". Damaged 25.9.47; to 8 MU RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire 30.10.47 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 8.4.48 to Midland Aero Club Ltd, Elmdon, Birmingham. UK civil registered as G-AKXO (CofR 12300/1) 5.4.48 to The Midland Aero Club Ltd, Elmdon. CofA 10093 issued 16.7.49. New CofR R640 issued 1950. Badly damaged on landing at Elmdon. Birmingham 18.7.52. Registration cancelled/lapsed 7.9.55 and re-registered (C of R 12300/2) 26.9.55 to GHM Motors (Brighton) Ltd; operated by Southern Aero Club Ltd, Shoreham, Sussex

The first accident in the history of the Southern Aero Club happened on 13 March 1964. Aircraft hit the top branches of a tree and crashed in to the front garden of 71 Buckingham Road, Shoreham. The 23 year old pilot and the passenger were killed. Aircraft destroyed. The two fatalities were named in the AIB report as

Colin Derek Barrett of 132 Sackville Rd, Hove. Died 13.3.1964 on the way to Southlands Hospital, Shoreham.
Harold Peter Ginn of 40 Golden Lane, Brighton. Died 13.3.1964 at Buckingham Rd, Shoreham by Sea (in other words, died at the crash scene)

According to en eyewitness report from the ATCO (Air Traffic Control Officer) at Shoreham Airport, which was presented to the AIB report, and the inquest into the deaths of the two persons on board:

"MRS. JILL GOSS
THE OLD COTTAGE
EAST KINGSTON
NR. ANGMERING

Occupation:- A.T.C.O. at Shoreham Airport.

States:- On Friday 13th March 1964 I was on duty in the control tower at Shoreham Airport. I watched Tiger Moth G-AKXO taxy across the grass in readiness to take off on the S.E. runway. It took off perfectly normally at 1635 hrs. and climbed away towards Shoreham and had just commenced a shallow turn to the left at about 500 feet when I ceased to watch it as there was another aircraft about to roll. About a minute or so later I noticed some smoke coming up from amongst the houses to the N.E. of the airfield, I did not at that moment connect it with an accident. Shortly after this I received a phone call from the drawing office asking whether the Tiger Moth was all right as it had been seen diving down towards the houses, I replied that I didn't know but I couldn't see it when I looked out of the Window, which was unusual because they normally stay close to the circuit and in any case it would not have got far in about two minutes since it got airborne. At this point I requested an aircraft G-ARNP also on a local flight to see if he could see anything of the Tiger Moth. When he got to the area he said that he could not identify the aircraft but could see fire engines concentrated at a point on the ground. I then rang the Shoreham Police who had no details at all, I asked them to let me have details as soon as possible. In the meantime I phoned the Watch Supervisor at S.A.T.C.C. and gave him preliminary details of the accident, an also the occupants of the aircraft which I obtained from the Southern Aero Club. Shortly after this the police phoned to say that the aircraft had crashed at No. 71 Buckingham Road and that both occupants were dead. I passed this additional information to S.A.T.C.C.

The weather at the time of the accident from my own observation was:-

Surface Wind 140°/7 kts, No low cloud,
visibility 4 miles with slight haze.
The sun was shining through about 4/8 medium cloud.

(Signed) J. Goss.
14 Mar. 64
1115 hrs."

A further Extract from the AIB report into the accident hints that the pilot may have been "drinking and flying". The post mortem report discovered:

"It was established that the pilot's blood contained an alcohol concentration amounting to 110 mgs. per 100 ml. The effect of alcohol varies from person to person but research into the effect of small amounts on skills resembling those required for driving a motor car has shown that there is a measurable decrease in performance at levels as low as 40 mgs. per 100 ml...This research has led to expert opinion that a concentration as high as 110 mgs. per 100 ml. is likely to result in diminution of attention and a significant reduction in both judgment and efficiency in performance tests. It is considered that the skills referred to are comparable with flying skills.

There is also evidence that the pilot was accustomed to alcohol in small amounts, generally "a beer or two" and it has been submitted that he was therefore less likely to be affected by the amount he had taken on the day of the accident than a person unused to drinking. In addition, witnesses who saw him at the aerodrome before he took off have said that it did not appear that he was affected by alcohol. However, the possibility cannot be overlooked that in this case there may have been some lack of attention to instruments and impairment of efficiency, factors that could lead to a stall or temporary loss of control."

Registration G-AKXO cancelled 12.5.64 as "Destroyed"

1. Shoreham Airport Sussex - The Story of Britain's Oldest Licensed Airfield.
Compiled by T M A Webb and Dennis L Bird.
Pub. Cirrus Associates, 1996
ISBN 0 9515598 2 6
page 84
2. Brighton Evening Argus Friday 13th March 1964
3. "Crash...Two Hours After Family Move Out": Daily Mail Saturday 14 March 1964
4. "Harold P. Ginn, known professionally as Harold Peters, resident pianist and deputy leader at Butlin's Ocean Hotel, Saltdean": The Stage - Thursday 19 March 1964
5. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=1818.0
6. http://www.shorehambysea.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2980
7. G-AKXO in September 1953: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1017553/
8. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 101/360 to AVIA/101/363 inclusive: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5070370
9. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AKXO.pdf
10. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
11. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p835.html
12. G-AKXO in September 1963: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1515880
13. G-AKXO on 17 May 1952: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1645465
14. https://www.doogal.co.uk/ShowMap.php?postcode=BN43%205UD

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jul-2009 02:42	VHKDK	Added
15-Oct-2009 10:41	andrewaircraft	Updated
22-Jan-2010 13:18	John Baker	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
01-Oct-2013 21:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
19-Sep-2015 19:30	ChrisBryant	Updated [Narrative]
19-Sep-2015 19:31	harro	Updated [Narrative]
22-Feb-2020 20:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Feb-2020 20:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Phase, Source]
24-Dec-2021 00:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category]
24-Dec-2021 01:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
24-Dec-2021 01:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
24-Dec-2021 01:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
19-Sep-2022 12:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]