Investigation Summary
The flight was a scheduled passenger and cargo service carrying 1,800 pounds of motor spares and furs. At 3:24 PM GMT, the pilot reported a routine status while passing over Tonbridge. Only three minutes later, the port upper engine ignited. The pilot attempted to divert to Penshurst Airfield for an emergency landing. During the descent, the aircraft exhibited unusual flight characteristics, described by witnesses as the tail sinking while the nose pitched up slightly. This was followed by a roll and a vertical dive. Upon impact at the Southwood estate, the wreckage was consumed by fire. During initial rescue attempts, a tank described in records as a petrol [oil] tank exploded, intensifying the blaze. The investigation noted that this was the second crash of a Blériot 155 in two months, effectively ending the type's service history as only two had been built.
Final Conclusions
The inquest held on 5 October 1926 at Hildenborough returned a verdict of accidental death. While the port upper engine fire was identified as the initiating event, the exact cause of the fire could not be determined. Major Cooper of the Air Ministry noted at the time that there had been no previous recorded case of an airliner catching fire in flight. The aircraft had been certified fit for flight by Bureau Veritas prior to departure.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Had been with Air Union since 1920 and completed 61 Paris-London return flights.
Systems & Failure Modes
Port Upper Engine
One of four engines on the Blériot 155; it was the site of the initial in-flight fire.
Airframe Structure
The fire spread from the engine to the wing, likely compromising the structural integrity or control surfaces, leading to the final roll and dive.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was carrying 1,800 pounds of cargo, including motor spares and furs.
- 02The pilot was highly experienced with over 2,000 flying hours and 61 return flights on the Paris-London route.
- 03This was the second of only two Blériot 155s built; the first had crashed two months earlier in August 1926.
- 04All five passengers were British citizens, while the two crew members were French.
- 05Approximately 6,000 sightseers visited the crash site the following day, causing significant congestion.