London – Cairo – Mombasa – Dar es-Salaam – Lumbo – Maputo – Johannesburg
Flight / Schedule
London – Cairo – Mombasa – Dar es-Salaam – Lumbo – Maputo – Johannesburg
Aircraft
Short S.23 Empire Flying BoatRegistration
G-ADVD
MSN
S.821
Year of Manufacture
1935
Operator
Imperial AirwaysDate
May 1, 1939 at 12:00 AM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Crash Location
Lumbo Nampula
Region
Africa • Mozambique
Coordinates
-15.0193°, 40.6676°
Narrative Report
On May 1, 1939 at 12:00 AM, London – Cairo – Mombasa – Dar es-Salaam – Lumbo – Maputo – Johannesburg experienced a crash involving Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat, operated by Imperial Airways, with the event recorded near Lumbo Nampula.
The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.
6 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 4 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 33.3%.
Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 2, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.
The crew was forced to abandon a first landing attempt off Lumbo for unknown reason. While on the second attempt, the seaplane christened 'Challenger' hit the water and came to rest off the Ilha de Mocambique Island. Two crew members, the radio officer Tom Webb and the flight clerc George Knight were killed while all four other occupants were injured. The cockpit separated from the fuselage on impact.
Aircraft reference details include registration G-ADVD, MSN S.821, year of manufacture 1935.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -15.0193°, 40.6676°.
Fatalities
Total
2
Crew
2
Passengers
0
Other
0
Crash Summary
The crew was forced to abandon a first landing attempt off Lumbo for unknown reason. While on the second attempt, the seaplane christened 'Challenger' hit the water and came to rest off the Ilha de Mocambique Island. Two crew members, the radio officer Tom Webb and the flight clerc George Knight were killed while all four other occupants were injured. The cockpit separated from the fuselage on impact.
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
4
Passengers On Board
2
Estimated Survivors
4
Fatality Rate
33.3%
Known people on board: 6
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
London – Cairo – Mombasa – Dar es-Salaam – Lumbo – Maputo – Johannesburg
Operator
Imperial AirwaysFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Region / Country
Africa • Mozambique
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
Imperial Airways
De Havilland DH.34
Crashed on takeoff for unknown reasons. All occupants escaped unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed.
Imperial Airways
De Havilland DH.34
Shortly after takeoff from Croydon Airport, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All seven occupants evacuated with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Imperial Airways
De Havilland DH.34
Shortly after takeoff from Croydon Airport, while climbing to a height of 300 feet, the aircraft suffered a technical problem, stalled and crashed in an open field located in Purley, some 2,4 km south of the airport, bursting into flames. SAR arrived quickly on the scene but it was impossible to rescue the eight occupants who were prisoner of the fire. The pilot and five passengers were British citizens, another was Brazilian and the last was a Chilean.
Imperial Airways
De Havilland DH.34
The aircraft was performing a special flight from Croydon to Newcastle to follow the 'King's Cup Air Race'. En route, while cruising over Durham County, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility due to fog. As the pilot was unable to localize the destination, he decided to attempt an emergency landing in an open field when the aircraft impacted a ditch and came to rest against trees. While all seven occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Imperial Airways
Handley Page H.P.30
Named 'Prince Henry', the aircraft departed Croydon Airport at 1245LT on a regular schedule service to Paris-Le Bourget. While overflying The Channel, the right engine lost power. The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing in the sea some 33 km off the British coast. In a slight nose-up attitude, the aircraft ditched into sea at 1315LT. All 12 occupants took refuge on the roof and the tail and were later rescued by the crew of two fishing vessels, one of them named 'Invicta'. Mail and cargo (platinum) were salvaged and bring back to Folkestone. The only casualty was a Pommeranian dog belonging to one of the women passengers.
Imperial Airways
Handley Page H.P.26
En route from Croydon to Paris, while approaching Abbeville, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted a precautionary landing. Unfortunately, the manoeuvre was eventful and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. All occupants evacuated safely.