Imperial Airways - Accidents and Incidents

Accidents and Incidents

• On 24 December 1924, de Havilland DH.34 G-EBBX crashed and caught fire shortly after take-off from Croydon Airport, killing the pilot and all seven passengers.
• On 21 October 1926, Handley Page W.10 G-EBMS ditched in the English Channel 18 nautical miles (33 km) off the English coast. All 12 people on board were rescued by FV Invicta.
• On 13 July 1928, Vickers Vulcan G-EBLB crashed at Purley whilst on a test flight, killing four of the six people on board.
• On 17 June 1929, Handley Page W.10 G-EBMT City of Ottawa ditched in the English Channel whilst on a flight from Croydon to Paris with the loss of seven lives.
• On 8 August 1931, Handley Page H.P.42 G-AAGX Hannibal was operating an international scheduled passenger flight from Croydon to Paris when the port lower engine failed. Flying debris from the failed engine struck the propeller of the port upper engine causing it to vibrate so severely that it had to be shut down. A forced landing was made at Five Oak Green, Kent where the aircraft suffered further damage to a wing and another propeller and the tail was ripped off against a tree stump. There were no injuries amongst the 20 passengers and crew. The aircraft was dismantled and taken to Croydon by road for rebuild.
• On 28 March 1933, Armstrong Whitworth Argosy G-AACI City of Liverpool crashed at Dixmude, Belgium following an in-flight fire. This is suspected to be the first case of sabotage in the air. All fifteen people on board were killed.
• On 30 December 1933, Avro Ten G-ABLU Apollo collided with a radio mast at Ruysselede, Belgium and crashed. All ten people on board were killed.
• On 31 May 1937, Handley Page H.P.45 G-AAXE Hengist was destroyed in a hangar fire at Karachi, India.
• On 1 Mar 1940, HP42 "Hannibal", crashed in the Gulf of Oman killing everyone aboard. The plane was travelling between Jiwani, in Baluchistan to Sharjah