What happened
The incident involved a night mail flight operating from London-Gatwick Airport to Hamburg. The aircraft was carrying four crew members at the time of the accident. Following takeoff, while in the climb phase, the pilot-in-command initiated a 180-degree turn, apparently with the intention of returning to the departure airport. During this maneuver, the airplane lost altitude and struck trees before crashing.
Findings
The official investigation concluded that there was no indication of mechanical failure contributing to the accident. However, it was noted that the rudder control may have been accidentally interfered with at a critical moment shortly after takeoff. The crash resulted in three fatalities and one injury among the crew members.