On April 21, 1930, a De Havilland DH.60 Moth (registration G-AALM) operated by Charles R. Parkerson was involved in an aviation accident near Arguel, France in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The crash occurred because the aircraft flew at an unsafe altitude while navigating through foggy conditions with poor visibility. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A solo pilot departed Croydon Airport for Australia but encountered fog over northern France. The aircraft flew too low, struck trees, and crashed, resulting in injuries.
What happened
The incident began with a solo departure from Croydon Airport during the morning hours. The intended destination was Australia, marking the start of a long-distance journey. While cruising over the Department of Somme in northern France, the pilot faced degraded visual conditions caused by fog.
Due to these poor visibility circumstances, the aircraft descended to an altitude that was too low for safe flight. Consequently, the airframe impacted trees and crashed into the terrain. The impact resulted in significant structural damage, rendering the aircraft beyond repair. The pilot sustained injuries during the accident.
Probable cause
The crash occurred because the aircraft flew at an unsafe altitude while navigating through foggy conditions with poor visibility.
An X-AIR HAWK ultralight crashed in Chonburi, Thailand, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger. The accident was caused by deteriorated wing fabric and…
A Challenger II Special ultralight aircraft (U-B23) landed off-runway at Pai Airport, Mae Hong Son, on September 17, 2024, due to a gust of wind. No injuries…
The Polish aviation safety authority is investigating a serious incident involving an AT-3R100 aircraft that occurred on September 2, 2024. The investigation…
A SZD-48-3 glider suffered damage when its left wing struck a ground obstacle during a low final approach at EPWK on June 20, 2025. The pilot was uninjured.
A 39-year-old skydiver died after a hard landing near Leszno on May 1, 2026. The PKBWL preliminary report indicates the fatal impact resulted from a late,…
A student pilot crashed an SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider into the airfield fence during a solo training flight on June 6, 2026. The pilot was uninjured, but the…