ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 82731
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| Date: | Saturday 24 July 1965 |
| Time: | 17:25 |
| Type: | Miles M.38 Messenger 4A |
| Owner/operator: | Neville Morgan Browning |
| Registration: | G-AKZX |
| MSN: | RH424 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near M2 Motorway, Maidstone Road, Chatham, Rochester, Kent -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Rochester Airport, Rochester, Kent (EGTO) |
| Stapleford Tawney, Essex (EGSG) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
RH424: M.38 Messenger Mk.l (145 hp DH Gypsy Major ID) built at Banbridge, Northern Ireland in 1946; first flown from Long Kesh. 'Airframe No' 8855-121877 quoted on the history card. Delivered to No 51 MU RAF Lichfield for storage 29.3.46; to HQ Technical Training Command Communications Flight, RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire 4.7.47; returned to No 51 MU RAF Lichfield for storage 16.1.48.
Struck off charge when sold to Raymond John Collins 2.6.48; registered G-AKZX as a Messenger Mk.4A on 21.5.48 c/no. "RH424" to Raymond John Collins, London SW.1 with C of R No.12358/1; re-registered 31.8.48 to Neville Morgan Browning, Broxboume, Hertfordshire, and C of A 10166 issued 31.12.48; Neville Morgan Browning, Broxbourne, later moved to Stanford Rivers strip in Ongar, Essex. New C of A A.1884 issued, along with new C of R R 1884/2
Destroyed in take off accident near M2 Motorway, Maidstone Road, Chatham, Rochester, Kent 24/7/1965. At 17:25 on 24 July 1965 G-AKZX took off from Rochester Airfield bound for Stapleford Tawney in Essex. It did not get far into that flight. Indeed it does not seem to have got off the ground - or, if it did so, it did not gain height. It ploughed through bushes, beyond the end of the Rochester runway, before cartwheeling into trees between the western boundary of the airfield and the M2 motorway. Miraculously, having regard to what are said to have been the circumstances of the accident, neither the pilot nor his three passengers were injured.
According to a contemporary newspaper report ("The Sunday People" - Sunday 25 July 1965):
"CRASH FLIERS TRY AGAIN
A PLANE with four men aboard crash-landed beside the M2 motorway a few seconds after taking off from Rochester Airport, Kent, yesterday. The men scrambled unhurt from the plane, a Miles Messenger, walked back to the airport and took off again in other planes for Stapleford, Essex.
They had been giving a flying display at the airport. As they took off, the plane touched some trees and ploughed into a wood beside the M2".
The wreckage was abandoned at Rochester and broken up over Easter 1966; the complete tail unit was seen at Rochester 5.5.68. Registration G-AKZX cancelled by the CAA on 18.3.67 as "P.W.F.U." ("Permanently Withdrawn From Use")
Footnote: There are claims that G-AKZX made an appearance in the 1964 film "633 Squadron"...although this is disputed by the owner of G-AKBO, who claims that it was has Messenger that was the film star (see links #8 & #9)
Sources:
1. The Sunday People Sunday 25 July 1965
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AKZX.pdf
3. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1323426
4. http://www.ukserials.com/losses_civil.htm
5. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15739.0
6. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1099977
7. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1476607
8. https://www.key.aero/comment/1964389#comment-1964389
9. https://www.key.aero/comment/1964390#comment-1964390
10. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17265-Miles-Messenger-did-it-serve-in-RAF-Squadron-use
11. https://www.oldreigate.com/index.php?r=1&width=1366&height=768&goto=picture_3821
12. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_2001.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Nov-2010 03:57 | VHKDK | Added |
| 08-Sep-2012 17:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 05-Mar-2020 00:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Mar-2020 00:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 11-Jun-2021 21:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Jul-2022 22:48 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Narrative, Category] |
| 27-Sep-2022 20:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
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