ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 94976
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| Date: | Thursday 10 October 1940 |
| Time: | 14:15 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 312 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L1547 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | River Mersey, off Oglett, nr RAF Speke, Lancashire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Speke, Lancashire |
On the 10th October 1940, Sgt (787697) Otto HANZLÍČEK of 312 (Cs) Sqn took off from RAF Station Speke, Liverpool in Hawker Hurricane Mk I L1547 along with P/O Dvořák on practice enemy aircraft attacks in the Liverpool area.
At 1415 hours the engine of his aircraft caught fire and he was forced to abandon his aircraft near Oglett, but the wind blew him out over the River Mersey, and after problems with his parachute due to bailing out too low (?), he fell down into the River Mersey, some 300 - 400 yards from the edge of the river and was drowned.
He was seen to fall into the water on the north side of the river by a farmer near Oglett, but when he arrived at the river bank 10 minutes later there was nothing to be seen. The aircraft came down in the river off the end of runway 08 and had been seen to be emitting smoke over the river just opposite the airfield by personnel at the station. His body was found 5 miles to the east of Speke, at Widnes, on the 1st November 1940.
L1547 is noteworthy as being the first production Hurricane and first flew on the 12th October, 1937 at Hawker’s Brooklands factory. It was flown by Phillip Lucas, Flight Lieutenant P.W.S. Bulman’s assistant test pilot, and subsequently was used for flying performance and engineering trials at various establishments before entering Squadron service.
Up until the 1970's aircraft wreckage, believed to be from this Hurricane, could be seen at low tide, but has now disappeared into the ever-shifting deep mud, and it is thought that the remains are now buried under the ballast of a light gantry for the airport.
A few pieces of the aircraft were recovered in the 1960's when a couple of spars were showing about 50 yards out and these are now at the War Plane Wreck Museum at Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton. The canopy was apparently found on Cartwright’s farm and went to No 7F Squadron, Air Training Corps in Liverpool. However, although aware of the story, they don’t have possession of the canopy any more
Sources:
1. http://laituk.org/Hurricane%20L1547.htm
2. https://themerseysidefew.com/pilots/otto-hanzlicek/additional/_
3. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=225
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Mar-2011 03:57 | angels one five | Added |
| 04-Sep-2011 01:17 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Nov-2011 10:21 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Jan-2012 22:46 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 20-May-2014 02:34 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Sep-2014 20:11 | Quentin | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 27-Mar-2015 08:21 | angels one five | Updated [Operator] |
| 28-Mar-2015 08:37 | Dandy | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 30-Apr-2015 05:56 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 09-May-2015 08:25 | Angel dot comma | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport] |
| 09-May-2015 12:52 | Dandy | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 09-Jun-2015 16:26 | Angel dick one | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 07-Aug-2019 23:19 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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