August 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash
Encyclopedia
The August 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash occurred on 27 August 1923 when a Farman F.60 Goliath
of Air Union
crashed at East Malling, Kent, United Kingdom following an engine failure and reported panic amongst the passengers. One person was killed and nine were injured.
F-AECB, c/n 4. The aircraft had entered service in April 1922 with Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes
, passing to Air Union in January 1923.
, Surrey, United Kingdom, via Berck, Pas-de-Calais, France. The aircraft departed from Le Bourget at about 12:30 local time
(11:30 GMT
) with two crew and eight passengers on board. A scheduled stop was made at Berck, where another three passengers boarded. Due to weather conditions, a precautionary landing was made at Lympne
, Kent, where a leak in the port radiator was attended to by the mechanic.
, the starboard engine failed. The aircraft was then flying at about 65 knots (127.4 km/h) at an altitude of just under 2000 feet (609.6 m). The pilot altered course, intending to land at either Marden
or Penshurst
. As the Farman Goliath was incapable of maintaining level flight with only one engine operating, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing. He asked the mechanic to ask two passengers to move towards the rear of the aircraft. This instruction was apparently misunderstood by the passengers, as four of them moved towards the rear of the aircraft. This affected the centre of gravity of the aircraft, which then entered into a spin. It crashed at East Malling at about 17:30 GMT
, but there was no fire. The aircraft was written off in the accident.
Villagers went to the assistance of the victims, and extricated them from the wreckage. One passenger was killed. Six people were taken to the West Kent Hospital, Maidstone
for treatment. Two ambulances from Maidstone Ambulance Brigade attended. Three less seriously injured people were treated at a house in East Malling. An inquest opened on 30 August at the Ship Inn, East Malling. A survivor of the accident denied that there had been any panic amongst the passengers following the failure of the starboard engine, and that the moving of four passengers from the front cabin to the rear of the aircraft was on the instructions of the mechanic. The inquest was adjourned until 11 September to allow other victims to recover sufficiently to be able to give evidence. At the resumed inquest, the pilot gave evidence. The Coroner decided that nothing was to be gained from delaying the inquest further, and the jury returned a verdict of "accidental death" on the victim.
Farman F.60 Goliath
The Farman F.60 Goliath was an airliner produced by the Farman Aviation Works from 1919. It was instrumental in the creation of early airlines and commercial routes in Europe after World War I.-Design and development:...
of Air Union
Air Union
Air Union was a French airline established 1 January 1923 as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens...
crashed at East Malling, Kent, United Kingdom following an engine failure and reported panic amongst the passengers. One person was killed and nine were injured.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was Farman F.60 GoliathFarman F.60 Goliath
The Farman F.60 Goliath was an airliner produced by the Farman Aviation Works from 1919. It was instrumental in the creation of early airlines and commercial routes in Europe after World War I.-Design and development:...
F-AECB, c/n 4. The aircraft had entered service in April 1922 with Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes
Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes
Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes was a pioneering French airline which was in operation form 1919 - 23, when it was merged with Grands Express Aériens to form Air Union.-History:...
, passing to Air Union in January 1923.
Flight
The aircraft was operating a scheduled international flight from Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France to Croydon AirportCroydon 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...
, Surrey, United Kingdom, via Berck, Pas-de-Calais, France. The aircraft departed from Le Bourget at about 12:30 local time
UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
(11:30 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...
) with two crew and eight passengers on board. A scheduled stop was made at Berck, where another three passengers boarded. Due to weather conditions, a precautionary landing was made at Lympne
Lympne Airport
Lympne Airport , , was a military and later civil airfield at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France during the First World War...
, Kent, where a leak in the port radiator was attended to by the mechanic.
Accident
After a delay in excess of half an hour, the aircraft departed from Lympne for Croydon. About 45 minutes after take-off from Lympne, as the aircraft flew over East FarleighEast Farleigh
East Farleigh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Maidstone, Kent, England. The village is located on the south side of the River Medway about two miles upstream of the town of Maidstone...
, the starboard engine failed. The aircraft was then flying at about 65 knots (127.4 km/h) at an altitude of just under 2000 feet (609.6 m). The pilot altered course, intending to land at either Marden
Marden Airfield
Marden Airfield was an airfield in Marden, Kent, United Kingdom. It was operation from 1917 to 1935. Initially a Royal Flying Corps airfield during World War I it was used post-war as an Emergency Landing Strip, RAF Marden by the Royal Air Force. It was also known as Pagehurst Emergency Landing...
or Penshurst
Penshurst Airfield
Penshurst Airfield was an airfield in operation between 1916–36 and 1940–46. Initially a military airfield, after the First World War it was used as an alternate destination to Croydon Airport, with some civil flying taking place...
. As the Farman Goliath was incapable of maintaining level flight with only one engine operating, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing. He asked the mechanic to ask two passengers to move towards the rear of the aircraft. This instruction was apparently misunderstood by the passengers, as four of them moved towards the rear of the aircraft. This affected the centre of gravity of the aircraft, which then entered into a spin. It crashed at East Malling at about 17:30 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...
, but there was no fire. The aircraft was written off in the accident.
Villagers went to the assistance of the victims, and extricated them from the wreckage. One passenger was killed. Six people were taken to the West Kent Hospital, Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
for treatment. Two ambulances from Maidstone Ambulance Brigade attended. Three less seriously injured people were treated at a house in East Malling. An inquest opened on 30 August at the Ship Inn, East Malling. A survivor of the accident denied that there had been any panic amongst the passengers following the failure of the starboard engine, and that the moving of four passengers from the front cabin to the rear of the aircraft was on the instructions of the mechanic. The inquest was adjourned until 11 September to allow other victims to recover sufficiently to be able to give evidence. At the resumed inquest, the pilot gave evidence. The Coroner decided that nothing was to be gained from delaying the inquest further, and the jury returned a verdict of "accidental death" on the victim.