Brussels - Croydon

On January 8, 1931 at 11:45 PM, Brussels - Croydon experienced a crash involving Sabca F7, operated by SABENA - Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne, with the event recorded near Melle West Flanders.

The flight was categorized as postal (mail) and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was performing a night mail flight from Brussels to Croydon and departed Brussels-Haren Airport at 2327LT. Some 15 minutes later, the crew encountered foggy conditions and decided to return to Brussels after he contacted his base. Apparently to maintain a visual contact with the ground, the pilot reduced his altitude when the right wing hit the ground. The aircraft crashed in a field and was destroyed. Both occupants were killed. Crew: Gabriel Dery, pilot, Pierre De Ceuster, flight engineer.

Aircraft reference details include registration OO-AIL.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 50.8636°, 3.2209°.