Skua L3026 at Brough airfield / Brize Norton.
On 20th September 1939 this aircraft was taking off for its delivery flight to 6 MU when it struck with a parked contractor’s car on the airfield at Brough. The contractor, Mr Hutson of Melton Brickyard, North Ferriby was undertaking drainage and ditching work on the airfield and had parked his car close to the area where the work was being done. The Skua was one of four that were to be flown to 6 M.U. at Brize Norton and it was the final one to take off. The pilot did not feel the collision which appears to have been with the port undercarriage leg and climbed away as normal, when he tried to raise the undercarriage the port side did not retract properly but the aircraft was flown to Brize Norton. On the flight down he tried to lower and raise the leg by the automatic and manual systems but neither had any effect on lowering the port leg correctly. The pilot then landed at Brize Norton with the weight on the starboard leg, as it slowed it came to rest on the port leg and this then collapsed causing the aircraft to skid to a halt. An investigation found that the car was not badly or incorrectly parked and was allowed within the landing area while the drainage work was being carried out.
Pilot - P/O James Campbell Campbell RAF (41345), of Lakeside, Quebec, Canada.
P/O Campbell was killed on 7th November 1939, almost certainly piloting Hart K4439 which flew into high ground on Rabbitt Hill, Ewelme Park, to the north east of Benson, near Henley. P/O Campbell was twenty years old and is buried at Benson Churchyard Extension.
Skua L3026 was built to contract 534298/36 by Blackburn Aircraft Co. Ltd at Brough and has been allotted to 6 MU Brize Norton on the day it suffered this incident at Brough. Cat.R/GA damage was recorded and after assessment, which took some considerable time, it was dismantled and transported to Scottish Aviation Ltd for repair although the location is not known.
On completion of repair, which again took a considerable time, it was issued to RNAS Worthy Down on 15th August 1940 where the it was stored until allocated to 757 Squadron at
Worthy Down in February 1941. It transferred to RNARY (Royal Navy Aircraft Repair Yard) at Fleetlands in October 1941 where it suffered a flying accident on 28th April 1942. Naval accident damage coding was different to RAF codes, the pilot on this occasion being Lt. A R Dinock and the aircraft damage was given as "Cat.X". After repair it was tested at RNAS Gosport on 20th June 1942 and issued to 771 Squadron at RNAS Twatt in July 1942. It was Cat.Z/FA on 27th August 1942 when it spun into the ground from 300 feet following a step turn and crashed at Howton Head, Orkney with Sub Lt Nias and L/A Fletcher being killed on this occasion.