Short S.45 Solent

Aquila Airways

At approximately 2246LT the aircraft took-off from Southampton Water on a scheduled flight to Lisbon, en route for Madeira, with 50 passengers and a crew of 8. It made a normal climb and three minutes later passed a routine departure message to Southern Air Traffic Control Centre, London. At 2254LT however, the radio officer called the Aquila base at Southampton and transmitted this message: "No. 4 engine feathered. Coming back in a hurry." Approximately one minute later the aircraft crashed into the face of a quarry between Chessell and Brook on the Isle of Wight. The wreckage caught fire and, despite the efforts of people who quickly came to the scene, none of the crew and only fifteen of the passengers survived.

Trans Oceanic Airways - TOA

The takeoff procedure from the Brisbane River was completed by night. After liftoff, while climbing to a height of 5 meters at a speed of 110 knots, the seaplane hit a davit on the stern of a moored dredge, causing the right wing to be cut off for about 6.7 meters in line with the float. The fuselage was also badly damaged in different points. The crew abandon the takeoff and was able to park the airplane on the beach. All four crew members were unhurt but the aircraft was later considered as damaged beyond repair. Crew: Cpt K. H. Goddard, Cpt P. H. Mathieson, F/O J. Cole, F/O R. Bush, flight engineer.

Trans Oceanic Airways - TOA

The Solent left England to be delivered to Australia and had a dual registration VH-TOA and G-AKNO. Shortly after takeoff from the Marsaxlokk Bay in Malta, the aircraft stalled, hit the water surface, overturned and sank. A passenger was killed while all other occupants were rescued. The aircraft was lost.

British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC

The aircraft was carrying 11 people (five engineers from Short Brothers and six BOAC crew members) who were performing a test flight. Upon landing in the Solent, just prior to touchdown, the seaplane was caught by strong winds, hit the water surface and sank off Netley, southeast of Southampton, Hampshire. All 11 occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft was lost.