Unidentified Auster / Parachute accident at Clifton airfield.

During the evening of Sunday, 19th August 1951 an Auster belonging to the Yorkshire Aviation Services Country Club Ltd was taken into the air from the aerodrome at Clifton, York by one of the club's pilots with a member of the Territorial Army so that he could make a practice parachute jump. He attempted to make what was described as a practice delayed drop, having jumped from the aeroplane at 2,000 feet, he delayed opening the parachute until he had free-fallen to 1,000 feet but it failed to open and he was sadly killed when he fell onto the airfield.

Pilot - Name unknown.

Parachutist - Mr Leonard William King. Aged 35. From Wayland Rise, Adel, Leeds. Burial location unknown.

Leonard King had served in the Army during the Second World War and newspaper reports that mentioned the accident at York stated that it was believed that he had dropped into Arnhem by parachute. After the war he joined A-Company, 12th Yorkshire Parachute Battalion, of the Terratorial Army who was based at Thornbury, Bradford. He alongside Lt Peter Kingsbury Reyner Raynor, of Harrogate formed an aero-parachute team to undertake demonstration jumps over fetes and air displays. He was undertaking practice when his death occurred. He was married with a five year old son.

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