On 7th September 1917 this aircraft suffered structural failure whilst on a flight over the Redcar area, the wings broke off in a dive and the aircraft crashed near Redcar fatally injuring the pilot. His death is registered in Middlesbrough suggesting he was taken to hospital there and died there.
Pilot - Probationary F/O John Marshall Dawson RNAS. Aged 20. Of ? Buried Coatham Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Nothing is known about the pilot other than he entered the RNAS in
the rank of Temporary Probationary F/O on 4th May 1917.
Curtiss JN3 8392 was built by Curtiss in Toronto, this specific aircraft was the prototype JN3 which first flew at Long Branch, Toronto, Canada on 14th July 1915. From then the aircraft was dismantled and shipped to the UK where
it arrived at AAP Hendon on 20th October 1915 for assembly. It was then issued to RNAS Chingford on 3rd November 1915. On 3rd March 1915 it was sent to Fairey's factory for repair and conversion to JN3 (Improved), after which it was sent back
to AAP Hendon on 28th August 1916 before being issused to RNAS Redcar on 11th November 1916. It sustained damage on the delivery flight when it force landed near Sleaford on 11th November 1916. It eventually arrived at Redcar on the
following day and was to serve with the Flying School there. On 8th December 1916 it was damaged in an accident at Redcar (detailed on this website) and was repaired. It continued in it's role at Redcar until the incident detailed above occured on 15th September 1917, from this incident it was not repaired and was deleted from stock on 15th September 1917 as deemed beyond economic repair.