An Airspeed Courier, similar to the accident aircraft. |
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 September 1934. |
| Type | Pilot error (loss of control due to disorientation in cloud) |
| Site | Tiverton Bottom, Shoreham, Kent, United Kingdom. |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Injuries | 2 (on ground) |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Airspeed Courier. |
| Operator | London, Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd. |
| Tail number | G-ACSY |
| Flight origin | Heston Aerodrome, Middlesex, United Kingdom. |
| Destination | Le Bourget Airport, Paris France. |
On 29 September 1934, an Airspeed Courier of London, Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd crashed at Tiverton Bottom, Shoreham, Kent, United Kingdom. The aircraft was on a scheduled international passenger flight from Heston Aerodrome, Middlesex, United Kingdom to Le Bourget Airport, Paris France. All four people on board were killed. Two people were injured by flying débris.
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The accident aircraft was Airspeed Courier G-ACSY, c/n 16. The aircraft had been registered on 17 May 1934,[1] The aircraft was on loan from Airspeed.[2]
The aircraft took off from Hounslow Aerodrome at around 17:00 on a scheduled international passenger flight to Le Bourget Airport, Paris France.[3] It flew into an isolated storm over north west Kent.[4] An eyewitness reported seeing the aircraft emerge from the clouds in a vertical dive. The cloudbase was at an altitude of 1,200 feet (370 m) and the hills around Shoreham reached an elevation of 600 feet (180 m). The aircraft crashed at Tiverton Bottom, between Shoreham and Chelsfield. All four people on board were killed,[3] Two women walking in the vicinity of the accident were injured when they were struck by flying débris.[4] some parts of the aircraft were found 66 feet (20 m) to the south west and 100 feet (30 m) west of the main wreckage.[5] An eyewitness stated that he thought the pilot may have stalled trying to avoid high tension power lines.[6]
An inquest into the accident was held at Sevenoaks on 2 October. The victims were identified by documentation and personal belongings as they had received injuries which made visual identification "extremely difficult, if not impossible". Evidence was given that the aircraft was not operating anywhere near its maximum take-off weight of 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) and that it had been airworthy on departure from Heston. The pilot was experienced. He was a former Royal Air Force pilot and had 1,500 hours flying time, of which 150 hours were on the Heston-Paris route.[5]
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