Crash of a DH10 aircraft from Martlesham Heath, 1921

Updated 31.3.2016

I am creating this page to post a short report on a fatal accident involving an Airco DH10 being flown from RAF Martlesham Heath by Flying Officer Harold Gardner on 10 March 1921. I should be grateful to hear from anyone who might have further information.

Laurence Garey, l.garey@gmail.com


The initial reports

A very succinct report records:

10.3.21 D.H.10 F8423, Aeroplane Experimental Establishment. Spun and crashed on test flight, Hasketon, Suffolk. Fg Off Harold William Gardner (27) killed

http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1925.htm

but a little more detail is given by the Casualty Card at the RAF Museum.

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/gardner-h.w.-harold-william

which confirms the unit as the Aero Experimental Establishment, and the date and time as 10.3.21 at 11hrs. There is a link to a Secret file S.15072, but if we follow a “P.T.O.” in green ink, on the reverse we read:

Purpose of Flight. Practice flight on type of machine new to Pilot.

Finding of Court of Inquiry. The Aeroplane stalled after coming out of a left handed spin: there not being sufficient height for the Pilot to get control again. There is no evidence to show why the Aeroplane got into a spin.


The press

I found two newspaper reports, one from the Western Times of Exeter, dated 12.3.1921