The aircraft G-AHOA.
On 25th May 1950 the pilot of this aircraft was flying to Thornaby from the Derby area when the aircraft crashed on high ground on Out Moor, between Littondale and Wharfedale at around 18.00hrs in poor weather and poor visibility. The pilot managed to get out of the wreckage and walk away from the crash site. He was eventually found two hours later wearing only one shoe though he was not seriously injured but was taken to Skipton Hospital with bruises, cuts and suffering from shock. Looking into the aircraft's history it would appear that the aircraft was only registered to this pilot the day prior to this incident. He de-registered it on 31st May 1950.
A pregnant other half and I attempted to locate this crash site in Spring 2017 but failed to locate any remains of it, should there be anyone who can assist me with a better description of the location I would be pleased to hear from you.
Pilot - Mr Thomas William Hayhow, aged 43. Injured.
Thomas Hayhow was born in Holham, Norfolk on 26th November 1906 and through searching the marriage index he probably married in Hendon in 1942. He was a Royal Aero Club certificate holder (Cert.No.25027) gained at the Darlington and District Aero Club on 22nd September 1948 and at that time listed his occupation as being a marine engineer. He was a pilot of some high regard having made a number of record breaking flights prior to his death in the Alps in April 1953 in a flying accident while attempting another record. In Auster Aiglet G-AMOS "Liege Lady" was attempting a flight from London to Belgrade on 10th April 1953 when the aircraft was reported as missing in the Alps. The aircraft was sighted by skiers on 25th May 1953 on it's back on a mountain at 6,000ft above sea level between the Grosse and Kleiner Breitstein peaks south of Salzburg, Austria. The crash site was later found upside down in snow and was not badly damaged, Tom Hayhow's body was found some distance away and it was assumed that he had survived the crash but had died of exposure whilst trying to make his way down the mountain. His aircraft had probably ran into poor weather and he had attempted to return to Salzburg but the aircraft ran out of fuel before clearing the mountains and crashed. His body was recovered from the mountain by US Army personnel and returned to the UK for burial. Within the last year before his death he had made a series of 28 solo record flights between London and various European capital cities. He was 46 years old. At the time of his accident in the Yorkshire Dales he was managing director of the Stockton Shipping and Salvage Company based at Thornaby, the company broke up and scrapped old ships.
