The 1929 Luft Hansa Junkers G.24 crash occurred on 6 November 1929 when a

Junkers G 24 The Junkers G 24 was a German three-engine, all-metal low-wing monoplane passenger aircraft manufactured by Junkers from 1925. Junkers F 24 was the designation for single-engine versions of the same aircraft. Design and development The increas ...

of Luft Hansa crashed at

Godstone Godstone is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Surrey, England, east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 road, A22 and A25 road, A25 roads, near the M25 motorway and the North Downs. Godstone railway station is separate ...

, Surrey, United Kingdom while on an international scheduled flight from Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom to

Amsterdam-Schiphol Municipal Airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport ( nl, Luchthaven Schiphol, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province ...

, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Of the eight people on board,

Glen Kidston George Pearson Glen Kidston (23 January 1899 – 5 May 1931) was an English record-breaking aviator and motor racing driver. He was one of the "Bentley Boys" Career His father, Archibald Glen Kidston, was a grandson of the original A.G. Kidston ...

was the only survivor.

Aircraft

The accident aircraft was

D-903 ''Oberschlesien'', c/n 911.

Accident

On 6 November 1929, the aircraft was operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Croydon to Amsterdam. The aircraft departed at 09:54. The weather at the time was poor. It was reported that the pilot may have been attempting to return to Croydon when the aircraft crashed into some trees at Marden Park, Godstone in thick fog. The aircraft burst into flames; three of the crew and three of the four passengers were killed in the crash. Passenger

escaped from the wreckage on fire, and extinguished the flames himself by rolling in the grass, sustaining minor injuries. Second pilot

Prince Eugen of Schaumburg-Lippe , house =House of Lippe , father = Prince Maximilian of Schaumburg-Lippe , mother = Princess Olga of Württemberg , birth_date = , birth_place =Hannover, Germany , death_date = , death_place = Caterham, Surrey Pr ...

also escaped from the wreckage, but he was seriously injured. Kidston raised the alarm and reported the accident to Croydon Airport. He was treated at Caterham Cottage Hospital. The fire was eventually extinguished by firemen from Caterham. Personnel from RAF Kenley assisted the local police in collecting the remains of the deceased and transporting them to a mortuary in Caterham. Von Schaumburg-Lippe died the day after the accident from injuries sustained in the crash. After being treated for his injuries, Kidston returned to Croydon where he made a short flight, before returning home to

Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was developed for fashionable re ...

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...

, London. An inquest was opened at Caterham on 8 November. After hearing identification evidence, it was adjourned until 22 November, when it was hoped that Kidston would be fit enough to give evidence. The inquest resumed as scheduled. Evidence was given that the aircraft was flying at an altitude of before descending to an altitude of above ground level. At the time of the crash, the aircraft was flying in a northerly direction. Von Schaumburg-Lippe had been thrown clear of the aircraft in the crash. A verdict of "accidental death" was returned in all cases.

Casualties

The nationalities of the victims were-

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luft Hansa Junkers G 24 crash Aviation accidents and incidents in 1929 Lufthansa accidents and incidents 1929 in the United Kingdom Aviation accidents and incidents in England Disasters in Surrey Tandridge Airliner accidents and incidents with an unknown cause 1929 disasters in the United Kingdom Airliner accidents and incidents in the United Kingdom November 1929 events