Heston - Heston

On March 3, 1940 at 02:40 PM, Heston - Heston experienced a crash involving Lockheed L-414 Hudson, operated by Royal Air Force - RAF, with the event recorded near Meopham Kent.

The flight was categorized as aerial photography and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 75.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The aircraft was tasked with an operation to photograph RAF airfields as part of the recently formed Photographic Development Unit (PDU). The aircraft used for the mission was the first of a number of recently acquired American built Lockheed Hudson twin-engine and twin-rudder airplanes installed with a camera and with the rear gun turret not fitted. It was painted with a camouflage marking scheme that was different to the usual RAF pattern which would have dire consequences for the four man crew. While cruising over the region of Gravesend, the twin engine aircraft was attacked and shot down by the pilots of three RAF Hawker Hurricane, engulfed in flames and dove into the ground. During the descent, the copilot was able to bail out before the aircraft crashed in a field near Meopham. All three other occupants were killed. Crew: F/O Sydney Dennis Slocum, pilot, † Sgt J. A. W. Reid, copilot, LAC John Ambrose Butcher, wireless operator & photographer, † LAC Ronald Arno Mutton. †

Aircraft reference details include registration N7334.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.3602°, 0.3639°.