No fatalities

Seaplane Delivery Flight Crashes Off St Leonards-on-Sea (N125)

Hastings, United KingdomFlight

On March 15, 1922, a Vickers Valentia (registration N125) operated by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd was involved in an aviation accident near Hastings, United Kingdom in flight. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 6 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A seaplane crashed into the sea off St Leonards-on-Sea during a delivery flight from Cowes to the Isle of Grain. All three crew members were rescued, and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

What happened

The incident involved a seaplane operating on a delivery route. The aircraft departed from Cowes, located on the Isle of Wight, with the intended destination being the Isle of Grain. At the time of departure, three crew members were aboard the machine.

During the transit phase of the flight, the aircraft encountered difficulties and subsequently crashed into the sea. The impact occurred in waters off St Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings. Following the crash, emergency response teams located the survivors. All three individuals on board were successfully rescued from the water. Post-incident assessments determined that the airframe sustained severe damage, rendering it beyond repair.