What happened
The incident involved a five-engine seaplane that had been prepared at Felixstowe for an upcoming long-distance journey to South Africa. The aircraft was scheduled to depart on August 12 with a route via Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria, Khartoum, Victoria Nyanza, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Nyassa, and Beira. Prior to this main voyage, a local test flight was conducted from Felixstowe with seven crew members on board.
Shortly after takeoff, while the aircraft was climbing at a speed of 145 km/h, it stalled and crashed into the sea approximately 500 metres offshore. Emergency services rescued six of the seven individuals on board. One person was killed in the crash. The crew included two pilots, a chief engineer, a wireless operator, an office manager, and two mechanics.
Findings
Investigations indicated that the aircraft may have been loaded incorrectly. It is believed that the pilot left the water surface before reaching the safe flying speed. With insufficient power available to recover from this situation, the aircraft stalled and crashed.