2 fatalities

Mid-air collision between training aircraft and RAF Hawker Hind near Deal (G-ABJZ)

Tilmanstone, United KingdomFlight

On July 21, 1939, a De Havilland DH.60 Moth (registration G-ABJZ) operated by Kent Flying Club was involved in an aviation accident near Tilmanstone, United Kingdom in flight. 2 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot and instructor on a training flight collided mid-air with an RAF Hawker Hind near Tilmanstone, resulting in the deaths of all three occupants.

What happened

The incident involved two aircraft operating in close proximity to each other. A student pilot accompanied by an instructor departed from Bekesbourne Airfield for a routine training exercise. While en route, their airplane collided with a Royal Air Force Hawker Hind, which carried the registration K5418 and was occupied by a single pilot.

Following the impact, both aircraft lost control and descended rapidly to the ground. They crashed into a pasture situated in Tilmanstone, located west of Deal. The force of the collision and subsequent impact resulted in fatal injuries for everyone on board. All three occupants were killed in the accident.