On November 4, 1938, a De Havilland DH.86 Express (registration G-ACZN) operated by Jersey Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Jersey, United Kingdom during takeoff. 14 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot allowed the aircraft to enter a sideslip while climbing through low cloud cover at an altitude too low to recover from the resulting stall. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A twin-engine aircraft named 'Saint Catherines Bay' crashed shortly after takeoff from Jersey-States Airport, killing all 13 occupants and one person on the ground.
What happened
The incident occurred less than a minute after departure from Jersey-States Airport. While climbing to an altitude of approximately 120 feet, the twin-engine aircraft named 'Saint Catherines Bay' entered low cloud cover. The pilot initiated a left turn during this phase, causing the airframe to slide and subsequently stall. The aircraft impacted an open field located roughly 500 yards from the airport perimeter. Upon striking the ground, the plane slid across the terrain until it collided with a solid earth bank, which triggered a fire that consumed the wreckage. All 13 occupants aboard were killed in the accident, along with a farmer who was working in the field at the time of impact.
Findings
Investigations indicated that the pilot allowed the aircraft to enter a sideslip while climbing through a low overcast layer. This maneuver occurred at an altitude insufficient for the pilot to regain control before the stall developed. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft emerge from the cloud base at around 120 feet before plunging to the earth.
Probable cause
The pilot allowed the aircraft to enter a sideslip while climbing through low cloud cover at an altitude too low to recover from the resulting stall.
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