On 3rd November 1917 this RNAS Flying School aeroplane had been flown twice by the same pilot and he had experienced engine trouble on two previous flights, following the first he remarked in his logbook that he had to descend owing to the engine mis-firing. Later in the day he remarked in his logbook that he "could not get more that 1030rpm" from the engine. On the third flight the induction pipe and carburettor fell off the engine while around 100 feet above the ground over Redcar. He had had to stall the aeroplane to avoid flying into telegraph wires, then land heavily in a cornfield which broke off the right wheel. It was repaired on site that day but was not properly set up and as it was leaving the ground to fly back to the aerodrome the left wing was felt to be heavy. The pilot had to jam the control lever to the right to fly level and he remarked that it would only make left turns because of this. He made a successful landing at RNAS Redcar.
Pilot - FSL Eric Henry Platt Bailey RNAS.
Eric Bailey was born on 25th March 1898 in Enfield, Middlesex and was the son of James Henry and Esther Bailey. He attended Hitchin Grammar School and joined the RNAS in 1916 at the bottom. He was granted commission in the RNAS on 22nd April 1917. He trained at RNAS Redcar Flying School between 8th September 1917 and 10th November 1917 but gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate (Cert.No.5603) on 30th January 1918 at RNAS Cranwell. While at Redcar he crashed Longhorn N5334 on 14th October 1917 and Avro 504 1487 on 3rd November 1917. After further training at the Manston DH-4 School from 26th February 1918 he was posted to Dunkerque on 13th March 1918. He arrived at No.6 Squadron from 24th March 1918 (Naval 6). This unit became 206 Squadron RAF from 1st April 1918 and he transferred from the RNAS to the RAF on its formation the same month. He was hospitalised at St.Omer on 27th April 1918 suffering from scabies and was posted back to 206 Squadron on 23rd July 1918. On 11th August 1918 he was flying at the Front when his aeroplane, DH-9 C2199, was shot down in the area to the north of Lille. He is buried Lincelles Communal Cemetary, Lille, France and was twenty years old. He is commemorated on a family grave at Weaver Methodist Church Cemetery, Cheshire.
Avro 504 1487 was built by Brush EE Co Ltd of Loughborough. It was delivered to RNAS Redcar on 13th March 1916 where it was accepted following a test flight on 31st March 1916. It joined the RNAS Flying School. Following an accident on 14th July 1916 at Redcar it was repaired and returned to service. It sustained further damage at Redcar on 3rd November 1917 and was again repaired on site the same day and was flown out by the same pilot. It was finally deleted from stock in February 1918, although this is not thought to have been as a result of an accident but probably through obsoleteness by this date.