Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet glider near Sutton Bank.
On Monday, 16th August 1937 this glider had been launched at Sutton Bank during the annual Yorkshire Gliding Club Open Championship for what was the pilots first solo glider flight. While an experienced aeroplane pilot he was a novice glider pilot. During the launch the glider flipped over, made a loop and dived into the middle of the gliding site from around twenty feet killing its pilot. At the resulting inquest it was stated that the dead pilot and another pilot, Robert Bevington, had earlier disconnected the flying controls to make adjustments without the instructors knowledge and after the glider was inspected and passed servicable for flight. After the crash the control rods and wires were found to have been assembled the wrong way round which would result in the glider crashing if operated in the normal way as would have been expected. It was assumed that the controls had then been reconnected the wrong way round during this unauthorised work although Bevington stated that he removed the first control cable, adjusted it and reconnected it prior to disconnecting the second. The rudder pedals were set to operate the ailerons and the control stick was connected to operate the rudder control. His death was the ninth to occur in British gliding.
At the time the Yorkshire Gliding Club had two T.3 Primary gliders; BGA.234 that was received in October 1935 and BGA.313 that was received in July 1937.
Pilot - Mr Eric Loudon Maule, of Felixstowe, Suffolk. Killed. Aged 25. Burial location unknown.
Eric Maule was born in Leytonstone, London on 30th June 1912. His civilian occupation was an optician. He was granted a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate after training at the
Eastern Counties Aeroplane Club on 7th August 1935 (Cert.No.13061). At the time of his death in 1937 as he was a Club Secretary at Ipswich Aerodrome.
