1939 Brighton Audax crash

Aviation accident in England May 2025 May 2025 1939 Brighton Audax crash Freshfield Road plane crash.jpeg The aftermath of the crash Accident 1939 02 1 y Controlled flight into terrain due to fog Brighton, England 50.8267 -0.1196 type:event inline,title 4 1 3 1 Hawker Audax Airports Ltd K7459 Gatwick Airport RAF Tangmere 1 1 1 0 On 11 February 1939, a Hawker Audax aircraft, registered K7459 of the No. 19 E&RFTS, en route from Gatwick Airport near Crawley to RAF Tangmere in Tangmere crashed into a house in Brighton, England. There were four fatalities in total: the pilot, who was the sole crew member, and a mother and her two children in the house. Incident K7459, a Hawker Audax I of the No. 19 E&RFTS from Gatwick Airport encountered dense fog;Hancock Terry N. August 2018 Aircraft crashes in the South Eastern counties (Sussex, Kent, Surrey and London [south of the Thames] 1914-2009 https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_the_South_East.pdf 23 May 2025 Air-Britain 29 it was en route to RAF Tangmere. Its pilot became lost in the low visibility and was far off course, failing any low-flying attempts to identify local landmarks. Local residents reported hearing "the sound of a plane flying far too low".Trimingham Adam 8 August 2011 Tragedy strikes https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9172714.tragedy-strikes/ 23 May 2025 The Argus He flew over Whitehawk Hill seeking a landing place and was within 50 ft of safety when he saw a group of Wolf Cub Scouts exercising there, so he continued to fly in order to avoid descending upon them. As he flew on he damaged some gardens, striking a greenhouse and the corner of a shed, and shaving a thick hedge's upper branches.13 February 1939 Airman Killed 4 In Saving Boys https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19390213/000/0009 24 May 2025 News Chronicle London 9 British Newspaper Archive subscription The aircraft also struck a tree and lost one of its wheels after striking a wireless (radio antenna) mast.13 February 1939 Four Killed In R.A.F. Crash On House https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188011892 25 May 2025 The Telegraph Brisbane 6 Trove Shortly before 3 p.m., the pilot crashed into the outer wall of a house on Freshfield Road in the Hanover area of Brighton. It smashed into the kitchen of one of four flats within the house and had its fuel tank torn out by the force of the impact. Bricks were scattered across the street and within seconds the tank exploded and inundated the building with flames. Emergency services were at the scene promptly, but the intense heat hampered firefighting efforts and it took an hour before the fire was controlled. A policeman was injured when a part of the roof fell and struck him.12 February 1939 Block Of Flats Plane Crash https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004941/19390212/000/0001 24 May 2025 Sunday Express London 1 British Newspaper Archive 1050 subscription Once the fire had been extinguished, an inspector found the body of 28-year-old Dorothy Baigent underneath an overturned stove; the bodies of her two daughters, Audrey and Gwendoline, aged 3 and 2, were lying nearby. The burnt remains of toys which the children had been playing with were found beside their bodies. It took five hours for the pilot's body to be identified as 22-year-old William Edward Brun. The plane's engine was found embedded in the kitchen wall, having been displaced by the force of the impact. The bedridden occupant of an adjoining flat, Mrs Cook, watched the whole crash in her bedroom mirror before being rescued. She was one of ten people rescued from the building uninjured.13 February 1939 Plane Strikes Flats https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17555469 25 May 2025 The Sydney Morning Herald 12 Trove When the bodies were brought out of the house, a nun was seen praying on her knees in the road. Following the crash, experts reconstructed the crash and found that the plane struck within 2 ft cm -1 of a window that Baigent and her daughter, Gwendoline, were looking out of. The plane's landing gear was torn off and its fuselage drove through the wall, causing the roof to collapse. The pair were thrown against an electric stove as the fire tore through the room; however, it is believed that falling debris killed all of the victims instantly as they all had severe head injuries. Aftermath Reactions Residents of Brighton sympathized with the crash victims, with large crowds attending the Baigents' funeral six days later on 17 February. As the funerals started, an aircraft flew overhead in salute, and the procession route to the cemetery was lined by thousands of people. Police diverted the route up Elm Grove rather than using the customary Lewes Road route due to an estimated crowd of more than 6,000. Brun was buried the following day in Wallington, Surrey. See also 1938 Royal Air Force Hawker Audax crash Brighton Blitz References Category:1939 disasters in the United Kingdom Category:1939 in England Category:20th century in Brighton and Hove Category:Accidents and incidents involving Royal Air Force aircraft Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1939 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in England Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving fog Category:Building and structure fires in England Category:February 1939 in the United Kingdom Category:Residential building fires in the United Kingdom category:Brighton