Paris - Croydon

On August 18, 1926 at 02:30 PM, Paris - Croydon experienced a crash involving Blériot 155, operated by Air Union France, with the event recorded near Ashford Kent.

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

15 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 12 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 20.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 13, passenger fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1240LT bound for Croydon with a crew of two and 13 passengers on board. The crew made a radio control arriving over the Channel and its overflight was uneventful. While reaching the British coast, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. Due to poor visibility, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in Romney Marsh but his altitude was too low. The noise of all four engines suddenly ceased and the machine descended in a gliding turn to port as if the pilot was manoeuvring to land. When passing over some farm buildings on the borders of a large field, the four engines aircraft hit the roof of a barn and crashed into some hayricks. The pilot and two passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured, 10 seriously. Crew: Pierre Delisle, pilot, † Gabriel Ducos, mechanic. Passengers: R. Blaney, † H. Rizzi, † Mr. R. McAdam, Mr. S. Hazzard, Miss S. Hazzard, Miss H. Awes, Miss E. Fearn, Miss M. Varden, Miss V. Varden, Mr. L. Stroh, Miss E. Bennett, Lord Norreys, Mrs. Grant. Source: Kent & Sussex History Forum

Aircraft reference details include registration F-AIEB, MSN 02, year of manufacture 1926.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.4330°, -0.4620°.