Airspeed Courier G-ACSZ near Doncaster.
On 29th May 1937 Empire Air Day was held at RAF stations across the UK to enable the public to visit, to see RAF aircraft doing their everyday work. This Courier was a civilian aircraft and was operating short air experience passenger trips on the day around the Doncaster area at the event at Doncaster. While making a final low pass near the control tower, this aircraft rolled over and crashed inverted on the edge of Doncaster airfield and killed four people on board. This was a bad day for flying accidents, at least thirteen people died in various crashes around the UK that were being flown on Empire Air Day.
Pilot - Mr Idwal ap Ieuan Jones, aged 31, of Talysarn, Wales. Buried Talysarn Churchyard, Wales.
Passenger - Mr Felix Burns, aged 29, probably born Durham. Burial location unknown.
Passenger - Mr Arthur Joseph Henman, aged 36, born Chesterfield. Burial location unknown .
Passenger - Mstr Henry Betts, aged 10, probably born Doncaster. Burial location unknown.
Passenger - Mr Ronald Batty. Injured.
Passenger - Mr Eric Reaney. Injured.
This aircraft was first registered on the UK civilian register on 30th May 1934 to Airspeed Ltd, Portsmouth. In 1936 it was one of a number of aircraft that were to be flown to Spain to be used in the Spanish Civil War after they had been purchased by a republican agent but the export of the aircraft was blocked. One of the fleet was effectively stolen by ground staff with no flying experience who intended on flying it to Spain but it crashed and after this the whole scheme was cancelled. A further Spanish republian and Austrian sale in 1936 was also blocked. On 15th December 1936 it was registered to the Union Founders Trust Ltd at Portsmouth but on 2nd February 1937 it was registered to North Eastern Airways Ltd at Croydon. It was then used by London, Scottish and Provincial Airways Ltd who operated the aircraft on a commercial England to France passenger route and was also one of four aircraft used on an Edinburgh - Woolsington - Doncaster - Croydon route by North Eastern Airways.