On 17th August 1971 the pilot of this aircraft was taking off from the Sutton Bank site with a BBC cameraman as a passenger with the intention of flying to Leeds. Because of an uphill gradient and a light tailwind the aircraft appeared slow to accelerate during take off. The aircraft became airborne at the end of the grass strip but the tail wheel clipped a ruined dry stone wall hidden in heather. The pilot abandoned the take off and put the aircraft down, as it came to a halt it slowly nosed over until it was upside down. Those on board escaped with minor injuries but the aircraft was substantially damaged.

The reason for the BBC cameraman being in the area was that possibly the worst tragedy ever to hit the nearby market town of Helmsley had just occurred earlier in the day and he had filmed the scene. A bus from York carrying a group of elderly ladies who were members of the Clifton Darby and Joan Club was in the process of making a tourist visit to the North Yorkshire Moors when the bus suffered from having it's brakes fail down the hill the leading from Sproxton. Out of control the bus struck Rye Bridge and then a car before ploughing into a cottage on Ryegate in Helmsley. In all eight people were killed in this accident and many others received serious injuries. Mrs Amy Moyser, Mrs Elizabeth Simpson, Miss Emma Morley, Miss Elsie Lindley, Mrs Alice Taylor, Mrs Annie Walker were all killed on the bus. Mr Michael Hall Wass and his wife Diana were in the car that was struck by the bus and also died, their two year old daughter Emma survived.

Pilot - Name unknown. Minor injuries. He was a commerical pilot having 5830 flying hours at the time of this mishap, 2000 being on the Cessna type.

Passenger - Mr Tony Jewers, aged 35, of Shadwell, Leeds, Yorkshire. Minor injuries.