Investigation Summary
The flight was a scheduled international service from Paris to Croydon with an intermediate stop at Berck. During the journey, the crew made an unscheduled precautionary landing at Lympne because the port engine was overheating due to a leak in the port radiator. After the mechanic executed a temporary repair and refilled the radiator, the aircraft departed Lympne. While cruising at approximately 1,500 to 2,000 feet near East Farleigh, the starboard engine failed suddenly and completely, and the propeller came to a standstill. The Farman Goliath was unable to maintain level flight on a single engine. The pilot attempted to reach Marden or Penshurst airfields for an emergency landing. To manage the descent and aircraft attitude, the pilot requested a weight shift. The mechanic instructed the four passengers in the nose to move to the rear. Two passengers moved to the back, and one stood by a seat, but the fourth passenger, suffering from airsickness, refused to leave his seat in the nose. This partial and uneven weight shift, combined with the pilot throttling down the remaining engine for landing, caused the tail to drop and the controls to become inoperative. The aircraft stalled, entered a spin, and crashed into the ground at East Malling.
Final Conclusions
The inquest held at the Ship Inn in East Malling concluded with a verdict of accidental death. Evidence indicated that the primary mechanical trigger was the failure of the starboard engine, but the immediate cause of the crash was the loss of control resulting from the shift in the center of gravity. While there were reports of passenger panic, survivors testified that the movement of the four passengers was done under the instruction of the mechanic, suggesting a breakdown in communication during the emergency.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Crew Experience
Pilot
Jean-Jacques Denneulin
Systems & Failure Modes
Starboard Engine
The primary mechanical failure involved the starboard engine, which ceased operation during the final leg of the flight.
Center of Gravity
The aircraft's stability was critically dependent on weight distribution; the movement of four passengers to the rear shifted the center of gravity enough to induce a stall and spin.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Farman F.60 Goliath, registration F-AECB, manufacturer serial number (MSN) 16.
- 02The Farman Goliath was unable to maintain level flight on a single engine.
- 03One passenger, Leslie Gunther of London, was killed in the accident.
- 04Among the survivors was the celebrated French actor Jean Murat.
- 05The aircraft was written off due to the severity of the impact, though no fire occurred.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Weight and Balance Communication
The accident highlighted the critical nature of center-of-gravity management in early airliners. The inquest and subsequent discussions emphasized the need for clear, unambiguous instructions from crew to passengers when weight shifts are required for trim during emergencies.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Passenger Panic vs. Crew Instruction
Reference ↗Initial reports suggested the weight shift was caused by passenger panic, but survivors at the inquest testified they moved to the rear specifically because the mechanic told them to do so.