What happened
On 28 February 1931, a privately owned aircraft was en route to Paris for delivery. The pilot had arrived in the city to take possession of the machine before proceeding to its final destination. The intended flight path required the aircraft to transit via Croydon and Brooklands, though the immediate context of the disappearance involved a crossing over the English Channel.
During the flight, the pilot encountered severe weather conditions, specifically a snowstorm, while cruising over the waterway. Following this encounter with bad weather, the aircraft vanished from observation. Extensive search efforts failed to locate any wreckage or debris associated with the machine. Consequently, no physical evidence of the accident site was ever recovered, and the fate of the pilot remained unknown.
Findings
The investigation into the disappearance yielded no definitive conclusions regarding the specific mechanical failure or operational error that led to the loss. The primary factor cited in the circumstances was the presence of a snowstorm during the crossing of the Channel. Due to the lack of recovered wreckage or bodies, the exact cause of the accident could not be established with certainty.