1935 SABENA Savoia-Marchetti S.73 crash
Encyclopedia
The 1935 SABENA Savoia-Marchetti S.73 crash occurred on 10 December 1935 when Savoia-Marchetti S.73
OO-AGN of Belgian airline SABENA
crashed at Tatsfield
, Surrey, United Kingdom whilst on an international scheduled flight from Brussels Airport, Belgium to Croydon Airport
, United Kingdom. All eleven passengers and crew were killed.
. Between 16:30 and 17:00 GMT
, the aircraft crashed into the garden of a house named Mosscroft, in Tatsfield
, located close to the Tatsfield Aerial Beacon. The aircraft crashed into the hillside at an elevation of about 500 feet (152.4 m) and some 140 feet (42.7 m) below the top of the hill. Witnesses who heard the aircraft in flight stated that the engines were not running smoothly. Other aircraft flying that night had encountered icing on their wings. The site of the crash was just over the border with Kent
. All eleven people on board were killed in the accident. Police and ambulances from Biggin Hill
, Oxted
and Tatsfield attended. It was the early hours of 11 December before all the victims' bodies had been recovered. A number of sightseers looted portions of the wreckage for souvenirs, which was criticised by Major Cooper, the Air Ministry
inspector in charge of the investigation into the accident. Evidence given at the inquest indicated that the aircraft had stalled, with the engines not at full power at the time of the accident. Carburettor icing was ruled out as a cause of the accident.
A temporary mortuary was set up in St Lawrence's Church, Caterham
. Identification of all victims was by means of passport
s and other identity papers they were carrying. The inquest into the deaths of the victims opened in Caterham
on 16 January 1936. Evidence was given that the pilot was experienced, having been employed by SABENA since 1927. No distress calls had been made by radio.Verdicts of "accidental death" were returned in all cases.
champion Florend Willems was scheduled to be on the flight. Instead, he decided to travel by boat. He was due to fight Jack Hyams in Stepney
on 11 December.
Savoia-Marchetti S.73
|-References:* Lembo, Daniele,SIAI 81 Pipistrello, Aerei nella Storia, n.33....
OO-AGN of Belgian airline SABENA
Sabena
SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
crashed at Tatsfield
Tatsfield
Tatsfield is a village of some 1800 inhabitants located in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England, and 16 miles south south-east of Charing Cross in London...
, Surrey, United Kingdom whilst on an international scheduled flight from Brussels Airport, Belgium to Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
, United Kingdom. All eleven passengers and crew were killed.
Aircraft
The accident aircraft was Savoia-Marchetti S.73 OO-AGN, c/n 30004. The aircraft had entered service on 6 May 1935.Accident
The aircraft was operating an international scheduled service from Brussels to CroydonCroydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
. Between 16:30 and 17:00 GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
, the aircraft crashed into the garden of a house named Mosscroft, in Tatsfield
Tatsfield
Tatsfield is a village of some 1800 inhabitants located in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England, and 16 miles south south-east of Charing Cross in London...
, located close to the Tatsfield Aerial Beacon. The aircraft crashed into the hillside at an elevation of about 500 feet (152.4 m) and some 140 feet (42.7 m) below the top of the hill. Witnesses who heard the aircraft in flight stated that the engines were not running smoothly. Other aircraft flying that night had encountered icing on their wings. The site of the crash was just over the border with Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. All eleven people on board were killed in the accident. Police and ambulances from Biggin Hill
Biggin Hill
Biggin Hill is an area and electoral ward in the outskirts of the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London, United Kingdom.-History:Historically the settlement was known as Aperfield and formed part of the parish of Cudham...
, Oxted
Oxted
Oxted is a commuter town in Surrey, England at the foot of the North Downs, north of East Grinstead and south-east of Croydon.- History :The town lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
and Tatsfield attended. It was the early hours of 11 December before all the victims' bodies had been recovered. A number of sightseers looted portions of the wreckage for souvenirs, which was criticised by Major Cooper, the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
inspector in charge of the investigation into the accident. Evidence given at the inquest indicated that the aircraft had stalled, with the engines not at full power at the time of the accident. Carburettor icing was ruled out as a cause of the accident.
A temporary mortuary was set up in St Lawrence's Church, Caterham
Caterham
Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs...
. Identification of all victims was by means of passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s and other identity papers they were carrying. The inquest into the deaths of the victims opened in Caterham
Caterham
Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs...
on 16 January 1936. Evidence was given that the pilot was experienced, having been employed by SABENA since 1927. No distress calls had been made by radio.Verdicts of "accidental death" were returned in all cases.
Casualties
Amongst the casualties was Sir John Carden, joint owner of aircraft manufacturer Carden-Baynes, and a director of Vickers-Armstrongs. Dutch middleweight boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion Florend Willems was scheduled to be on the flight. Instead, he decided to travel by boat. He was due to fight Jack Hyams in Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
on 11 December.
| Nationality | Crew | Passengers | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 BelgianBelgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
2 | 7 | 9 |
 English |
– | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 2 | 9 | 11 |
Investigation
The final report into the accident concluded that pilot error was the main cause, with weather a contributory factor. The pilot had become lost and stalled whilst trying to execute a sharp turn, possibly in an effort to avoid flying into terrain. When the aircraft stalled, the passengers would have been thrown forwards, which would have made recovery from the stall harder.External links
- Contemporary newspaper cutting showing a photograph of the wreckage. Text in French.
- Photo of a Savoia-Marchetti S.73
