Tiger Moth (G-AKXO) crash, Shoreham, March 1964

[John]

Friday 13th March 1964 - an unlucky day for the pilot and passenger of Tiger Moth G-AKXO, but a very lucky day for the people who had moved out of a house a few hours before the aircraft crashed.

Newspaper report from the Evening Argus attached..

[pomme homme]

If my memory serves me correctly, this accident subsequently attracted a certain amount of notoriety. A post at http://www.shorehambysea.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2980 suggests that my memory may not be completely unreliable. However as the AIB report is filed at Kew (AVIA 101 ref. 79909), no doubt John will consult that, on his next visit there, and it will be interesting to learn what conclusions the investigators drew as to the cause of or the circumstances contributing to this accident.

[John]

Already got the report    just got to get around to actually reading it. There are some clear photo's of the wreck in it, plus witness statements etc.

[John]

Firemen stand around the wreckage of G-AKXO.

[John]

Another photograph showing firemen at the scene. This picture is a bit larger than normal..

[John]

Fire officers inspect part of the wreckage while a crowd of onlookers, and one lady in particular, show a keen interest in the site. If this was modern times, just think how many photographs would be available with all the cameras, mobiles etc carried today.

[John]

And here's the last photograph that I managed to locate.

[John]

Mr. RICHARD TUGNETT
49 STONEY LANE
SHOREHAM
AGE 14 YRS

Schoolboy - an aircraft spotter.

States: On Friday 13th March 1964, I was standing on the high ground half way along Willmott Road I saw the Tiger Moth climbing away in my general direction after taking off from the aerodrome. I estimate that it was just about over Buckingham Road when it did an aerobatic sort of turn to the left.
N.B. From the description it appears to have been a stall turn.

It appeared to do about one turn of a spiral dive then level out pointing towards the north, and almost immediately the nose dropped, the engine noise cut out and a cloud of smoke came from the front of the aeroplane, and it went into another spiral dive also to the left and completed one and a bit turns then dived down in a direction heading towards the aerodrome. From where I was watching it looked like a vertical dive because I was directly in line with it facing the west. In my opinion it never recovered from this dive but carried on straight into the house. I did not see it hit the house as it was out of my vision, in any case I was so certain that it was going to crash that I was already on my bike heading for the aerodrome. I did see the plume of smoke come up just after the aeroplane went out of my sight. I cycled around to Buckingham Road first of all and then over to the aerodrome.

After the engine noise cut out I did not hear it come on again. I am reasonably certain that it did not start up again. I did not notice whether the propeller had stopped rotating or not it was a bit too far from me for me to distinguish it. I did not see anything fall from the aeroplane while it was in my sight.

There was definitely one other aeroplane and probably another around at the time.

(Signed) R. Tugnett.

1412
14 Mar. 64.

[John]

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 be could not identify the ircraft 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 thaat 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.

[John]

Extract from the AIB report into the accident..
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 measureable 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.

[John]

C. L. PASHLEY M.B.E., A.F.C
23 OXEN AVENUE
SHOREHAM BY SEA
AGE 72 YEARS

Chief Flying Instructor of Southern Aero Club Ltd. Shoreham Airport

States:- Mr. Colin Barrett had completed a pilots course with the club and had obtained his Private Pilots Licence. I produce herewith his training record with the club, as far as I know his flying log book would be in his own possession. In my opinion he was a good average pilot. I have had to reprimand him for wanting to fly in unsuitable weather on several occasions. Regarding his flying discipline - when he flew with me his discipline was quite correct, but because I did have some suspicions I did from time to time give him a pep talk. Like many Eastern pupils he did have a conceited tendency.

He has had no previous accidents or incidents with us. As far as Mr. Ginn was concerned he was a pupil pilot and was getting close to the qualifying stage. He was flying as a passenger in the aircraft and would have been in the front passenger seat. The control column from the front had been removed in
accordance with the club rule.

I authorised Barrett for this flight and agreed Mr. Ginn going only as passenger. I told Barrett that he couldn't have the aircraft for long as I wanted it for another dual flight, he said he was only going to do a few circuits. The weather at the time was perfect. I did not see the aircraft flying as I was flying in another aircraft at the same time.

With regard to the possibility of the aircraft having got into a spin, part of the take-off drill is to unlock the slots. With the slots free the Tiger Moth is very unlikely to spin inadvertently; it is far more likely to go into a semi-controlled spiral.

One can only surmise that the aircraft may have got into a semi-controlled spiral and because of some form of panic the pilot was unable to regain control.
The piiot after all was not by normal standards very experienced.

The aircraft had flown on two occasions earlier in the day, and I had myself been flying it, there was as far as I was concerned nothing wrong with the aircraft at all. I produce herewith the Certificate of Registration, the engine and airframe log books for G-AKXD.

(Signed) C. L. Pashley.
1230 hrs.
14 Mar.64