Investigation Summary
The flight was a charter operation returning from Le Touquet to Croydon. While cruising at approximately 14:35 local time, the aircraft encountered cloud conditions that likely led to an unusual flight attitude. The investigation determined that the aircraft suffered from a phenomenon known as 'buffeting', where air eddies created by the thick center section of the low-wing monoplane design caused violent oscillations in the tailplane. This structural resonance led to the failure of the port tailplane, followed by the starboard tailplane. As the aircraft entered a high-speed dive and reached a stalling attitude, the port wing collapsed upwards and detached, followed by the separation of the engine due to extreme angular acceleration. The passengers and co-pilot were thrown from the fuselage during the breakup.
Final Conclusions
The Accidents Investigation sub-committee of the Aeronautical Research Committee concluded in January 1931 that the primary cause was the failure of the tailplane under severe buffeting. This buffeting was produced by air eddies from the wing center section when the aircraft approached a stalling attitude, likely triggered by the pilot's attempts to recover from an unusual attitude encountered while flying in clouds. The committee dismissed nine other potential causes, including engine failure or sabotage.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Tailplane (Horizontal Stabilizer)
The horizontal stabilizer failed due to 'buffeting', a structural vibration caused by turbulent wake from the main wing.
Port Wing
The port wing collapsed upwards and detached from the fuselage during the high-speed descent following the tail failure.
Engine Mounts
The engine separated from the airframe due to rapid angular acceleration during the mid-air breakup.
Interesting Facts
- 01This was the first aircraft accident report ever made public in the United Kingdom.
- 02The aircraft had only flown approximately 100 hours since new at the time of the crash.
- 03All occupants except the pilot fell from the aircraft and were found in a nearby orchard.
- 04The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Royal Aircraft Establishment and German experts from Junkers and the DVL.
- 05Souvenir hunters hampered the investigation by removing parts of the wreckage before they could be examined.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Public Disclosure of Accident Reports
Following pressure from the public and media (notably Flight magazine), the Air Ministry established the precedent of publishing accident investigation results to improve aviation safety transparency.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
German Dissent on Cause
Reference ↗German investigators from Junkers and the DVL reportedly discounted the British 'buffeting' theory, suggesting instead that the crash was primarily due to pilot error or weather conditions.