Date:	Thursday 3 January 1957
Time:	11:36
Type:	De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Surrey Aviation Ltd t/a Surrey Flying Club
Registration:	G-ANRY
MSN:	85240
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Purley Way, outside the Aerodrome Hotel, Croydon Airport, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey (EGCR)
Destination airport:	Croydon Airport, Surrey (EGCR)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 85240; Taken on charge as DE170 at 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire 12.12.41. To 28 EFTS RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 23.8.42, coded “26”. To 25 RFS (Reserve Flying School) RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 26.6.47 coded “RCW-C”. To 9 MU RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 10.2.53; delivered 13.2.53 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 4.11.53 to W.A. Rollason Ltd, Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey. First civilian registered (C of R R4615/1) as G-ANRY on 25.5.54 to W.A. Rollason Ltd., Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey. Registration cancelled/lapsed 1.7.54 upon sale.

Sold on and re-registered (C of R R4615/2) on 9.7.54 to the Trustees of the Surrey Flying Club (a consortium of two Surrey-based joint owners of G-ANRY). Registration cancelled/lapsed 22.2.55 upon sale.

Sold on and re-registered (C of R R4615/3) on 23.3.55 to Surrey Aviation Ltd., Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 3.1.57 when crashed at 11:36 (local time) shortly after take off from Croydon Airport. The Tiger Moth developed engine trouble shortly after take-off from Croydon. Seemingly, it turned back to the aerodrome but did not have sufficient altitude, as, on its approach, it snagged the trolley bus overhead power lines, and crashed into the aerodrome's boundary fence at Purley Way, outside the Aerodrome Hotel. A pair of contemporary local newspapers add further details:

"Shields Daily News - Thursday 3 January 1957

Light plane crashes: 2 unhurt
A LIGHT aircraft that overshot the runway at Croydon Airport today crashed in Purley Way, outside the Aerodrome Hotel, bringing down telephone wires. The pilot and passengers were unhurt. Traffic was diverted.

The aircraft was a Tiger Moth of Surrey Flying Club, based at Croydon, and took off at 11.33 am. It gained about 1,000 feet to the east of the airfield and attempted a forced landing through engine failure at 11.36 a.m. It came down inside the airport boundary on the road north of the main gate. There was no fire, but the aircraft was completely unserviceable."

Liverpool Echo - Thursday 3 January 1957

PLANE IN ROAD
Two Occupants Escape Injury
A light aircraft crashed in Purley Way, Croydon, near the aerodrome hotel, to-day, bringing down telephone wires. The occupants, Mrs. Mavis Marriott and Mr. W. V. Fitzmaurice, were uninjured.

A Ministry of Civil Aviation spokesman said: "The aircraft was a Tiger Moth of Surrey Flying Club, based at Croydon, and took off at 11.33 a.m. It gained about 1,000 feet to the east of the airfield and attempted a forced landing through engine failure at 11.36 a.m. It came down inside the airport boundary on the roadside 200 yards north of the main gate. There was no fire, but the aircraft was completely unserviceable."

Registration G-ANRY cancelled by the Secretary of State, Air Ministry 5.2.57 as "destroyed"

1. Shields Daily News - Thursday 3 January 1957
2. Liverpool Echo - Thursday 3 January 1957
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft DA100-DZ999 (Jams J. Halley, Air Britain 1987 p.10)
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ANRY.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p852.html
6. Photos of G-ANRY (including photos of the crash): https://aflyinghistory.com/search-aeroplane-photographs?query=G-ANRY
7. G-ANRY at Croydon in 1956: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1057476
8. http://www.ukserials.com/losses_civil.htm
9. https://www.flickr.com/photos/37210624@N03/5453109113/
10. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=16736.0
11. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon_Airport#Post-war_developments_and_final_closure

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Mar-2020 00:36	Dr. John Smith	Added
29-Mar-2020 00:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
29-Mar-2020 00:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
15-Jul-2020 23:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
07-Nov-2021 20:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
07-Nov-2021 20:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
18-Aug-2023 17:41	Nepa	Updated [[Narrative]]