On 31st December 1917 this brand new aeroplane was being flown on a training flight with the RNAS Flying School when it crashed at RNAS Redcar aerodrome at 15.15hrs. The pilot was seriously injured and died just after midnight the following day.
Pilot - Probationary F/O Francis Michael Anderson RNAS, aged 18. Died of injuries 1st January 1918. Buried Coatham Churchyard, Redcar, Yorkshire.
Francis Anderson was born on 26th September 1899 in Surrey and was the son of Charles and Anne Anderson. He enlisted for RNAS service on 7th October 1917 being granted a commission in the RNAS. He was posted to RNAS Redcar Flying School on 25th November 1917. I have filed this incident in the 1917 section because of the date of the accident, rather than 1918 for the date of the pilot's death.
Airco DH-6 B2727 was built by Airco for the Royal Flying Corps but was transferred to the RNAS before it was completed. It was delivered to RNAS Redcar on 29th December 1917, two days prior to the crash and it joined the Flying School. It crashed near Redcar on 31st December 1917 was deleted from stock after inspection on 18th January 1918.