ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 233080
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| Date: | Thursday 10 March 1927 |
| Time: | 15:12 |
| Type: | Farman F.63bis Goliath |
| Owner/operator: | Air Union |
| Registration: | F-AEGP |
| MSN: | 9 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 2 miles from Tonbridge, Kent -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey (EGCR) |
| Le Bourget Airport, Paris (LFPB) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
On 10 March 1927 Farman F.63bis Goliath F-AEGP 'Flandre' of Air Union made a forced landing near Tonbridge, Kent following an engine failure.
The aircraft was owned and operated by The French Air Union, and was carrying cargo and the crew of two. After flying without event for over two hours, the port engine began to overheat and lose power, and a few minutes later it stopped. The pilot, Monsieur Santereau, sent a radio message to Croydon to the effect that he was going to land, and after continuing on course for another two miles he attempted to alight in a field about two miles from Tonbridge. The Goliath approached the field from the south at 15.12 hours and, just above some trees bordering the field, Santereau started a moderately sharp turn to port with the intention of using the full length of the field. Unfortunately the port wing struck a tree and F-AEGP crashed.
Both of the crew were unhurt although the Goliath was extensively damaged. When investigators stripped and examined the failed engine it was found that five of the nine pistons had seized due to lack of oil, with associated damage to the gudgeon pin bearings. There was a marked absence of oil in the whole engine, although the oil pumps were in full working order and the oilways free from obstruction. The oil tank itself was half full.
The cause of the crash was attributed mainly to the pilot making an error of judgement in attempting the turn on the field boundary, as approach from any direction would have given a full 400 yards of space in which to land. The contributory cause was, of course, the failure of the 280hp Salmson engine from oil starvation, the reason for which could not be found.
This wasn't the first time that this aeroplane had a contretemps with the Kent countryside. On 7 May 1923, as a Farman F.60 (c/no.64) it made a forced landing at Lympne aerodrome, was damaged but was repaired and rebuilt as a Farman F.63bis (c/no/9) and, to state the obvious, flew again.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farman_F.60_Goliath#Accidents_and_incidents
2. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=958.0
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_F-1.html
4. http://aerobernie.bplaced.net/Air%20Union.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Feb-2020 17:15 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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