ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 71839
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| Date: | Thursday 18 June 1931 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Blackburn L.1B Bluebird III |
| Owner/operator: | Miss Sicele O'Brien and Mrs Gordon Gallien |
| Registration: | G-AABF |
| MSN: | 1450/5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Hatfield, Hertfordshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Hatfield, Hertfordshire |
| Hanworth, Middlesex | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
First registered 7.9.28 as G-AABF to Suffolk & Eastern Counties Aero Club. With the closure of the Cambridge branch of the club, one of the remaining Bluebirds (G-AABF) was surplus to requirements and the Blackburn Company agreed to take this aeroplane off the club's hands for £300 to further reduce the club's outstanding account with the Company. Consequently, on 26.3.30, G-AABF was flown to Brough for onward resale.
Sold on (and re-registered to) H.R. Law, Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey. Finally sold on (and re-registered to) Mrs G Gallien & Miss S O'Brien, Hanworth on 10.6.31.
Written off (destroyed by fire) 18.6.31 when crashed and burst out in a flying accident at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("The Times" newspaper 19 June 1931):
"It is with extreme regret that we have to announce the death, as the result of a flying accident on June 18th, of Miss Sicele O'Brien and Mrs Gordon Gallien. They had arrived at Hatfield aerodrome from Brough, in a Blackburn "Bluebird", en route for Hanworth and had just taken-off to resume the journey, when the machine was seen to nose-dive in a spin. It crashed into a hayfield outside the aerodrome and immediately burst into flames. The machine was completely destroyed within a few minutes and it was impossible to rescue the unfortunate occupants. The bodies were charred beyond recognition."
Registration G-AABF cancelled by the Air Ministry by/on 30.6.31 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawl from use of aircraft"
Sources:
British Civil Aircraft Registers 1919-1999
Compiled by Michael Austen
Air Britain (Historians) Ltd 1999
ISBN 0 85130 281 5
1. "The Times" newspaper 19 June 1931
2. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/474603-bluebird-crashes-hatfield-airport-herefordshire-uk-1931-a.html
3. https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AABF.pdf
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A.html
5. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/15-aeroplanes/75-register-gb-g-aa
6. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Sicele_O%27Brien
7. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/474603-bluebird-crashes-hatfield-airport-herefordshire-uk-1931-a.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Jan-2010 10:49 | John Baker | Added |
| 30-Oct-2012 08:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Dec-2014 13:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 02-Nov-2017 20:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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