Central Centaur IV G-EABI near Clayton West.
On Good Friday, 18th April 1919 this aircraft was being flown from Northolt to Brighouse toward where one of the two flying in it lived. During the flight and while flying between Hull and Barnsley the aeroplane is reported to have been involved in a flying accident near Clayton West when it struck a tree at Emley Old Hall. This impact saw the aeroplane turned over and fall into a second tree. The aeroplane was damaged but the two flying in it appear to have escaped injury. The damage to the aeroplane was not serious and it was later repaired. The named pilot worked as a test pilot before becoming the chief flying instructor for the Central Aircraft Company who owned the aeroplane at the time of this incident. He would probably have been flying it and the second person may have been flying with him to later return the aeroplane to Northolt after leaving the other man at Brighouse.
Pilot - Mr Herbert Sykes OBE.
Pilot - Name unknown.
G-EABI was the prototype central Centaur IV and was first registered to the Central Aircraft Company at Kilburn as K-108. It does not appear to have been registered on the civilian register when the mishap at Clayton West occurred, although it may just be that the publically available modern CAA paperwork is not complete. Following the damage sustained on 18th April 1919 it was transported to the works factory where it was repaired. On paper the aeroplane was officially registered at G-EABI on 22nd July 1919. The Central Aircraft Company closed in May 1926 so G-EABI was sold to what was then the Gnat Aero and Motor Company Ltd (later re-named Gnat Aero Company at Shoreham. The registration was cancelled in April 1930 which probably saw it scrapped soon after.