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12 fatalities

Douglas DC-3 accident at Croydon, United Kingdom, 25 Jan 1947 (VP-YFD)

Croydon, United KingdomTakeoff (climb)

On January 25, 1947, a Douglas DC-3 (registration VP-YFD) operated by Spencer Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Croydon, United Kingdom during takeoff. 12 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: On rotation, the aircraft was in stall conditions due to the combination of several factors such as heavy weight, fuselage, wings and empennage covered by snow, poor techniques on part of the pilot, poor judgement and fatigue on part of the crew. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Source recordUpdated 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

On rotation, the aircraft was in stall conditions due to the combination of several factors such as heavy weight, fuselage, wings and empennage covered by snow, poor techniques on part of the pilot, poor judgement and fatigue on part of the crew. The Ministry of Civil Aviation instituted "an inspection of Certificates of Airworthiness, Certificates of Safety and crew licences" at airfields under their control to ensure these documents were in order. The aircraft did not have a CofA, nor a valid Certificate of Safety, and no member of crew held a Navigators licence nor a licence to sign a Certificate of Safety.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

Shortly after takeoff from runway 12, while climbing to a height of some 100 feet in snow falls, the aircraft banked right, stalled and crashed on a parked CSA C-47 registered OK-WDB. Two technicians were working on the Czech C-47 for a maintenance control. Both aircraft were destroyed by fire. While both technicians were slightly injured, 11 people on board the VP-YFD were injured while 12 others were killed, among them the captain, Edward Spencer, founder and owner of this company based in Salisbury, Rhodesia. The aircraft was still registered NC32975.

Probable cause (official findings): On rotation, the aircraft was in stall conditions due to the combination of several factors such as heavy weight, fuselage, wings and empennage covered by snow, poor techniques on part of the pilot, poor judgement and fatigue on part of the crew. The Ministry of Civil Aviation instituted "an inspection of Certificates of Airworthiness, Certificates of Safety and crew licences" at airfields under their control to ensure these documents were in order. The aircraft did not have a CofA, nor a valid Certificate of Safety, and no member of crew held a Navigators licence nor a licence to sign a Certificate of Safety.

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