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2 seater Hawker Hart (Audax Variant)
Dunholme Road, Edmonton air crash

I was just 6 years old on the afternoon the crash occurred in the afternoon of Sunday 4 September 1938. I was in our garden less than a mile away in Winchmore Hill with my parents and I can remember seeing an aircraft in the sky above above Edmonton
Cemetery to the east of us. The engine was initially running normally, then started making a strange spluttering noise and cut out. The aircraft then fell rapidly away towards the main Cambridge Road to the east and my father said "It is going to crash". I think we heard the the engine restart, as some on the ground witnesses stated, and I seem to recall the noise of the impact as it hit the council houses.

I was quite upset at the time thus that particular event in my early childhood has remained in my mind.

A Times article of 26 September 1938 quoted the Air Ministry as saying the cause of the crash was the pilot's wilful disobedience to standing orders, regarding low flying and aerobatics over a built up area. Furthermore he was only authorised to fly within a 3 mile radius of Hatfield airfield, Edmonton was 13 miles direct flight from Hatfield. He appeared to have throttled back his engine at a height of about 1,000 and executed a dive "The carrying out of this manoeuvre was also contrary to regulations". The article goes on to say the pilot flattened out at the end of the dive and flew in level flight for some distance, before allowing the nose of the aircraft to drop. From that I assume that indicates the engine was operating normally just before the crash. Some eye witnesses near the scene of the crash, suggested that the pilot was frantically waving to warn people he was going to crash.

The general regulations as to aerobatics and flying at low levels over built up areas is then listed in the Air Ministry statement, with the comment "Strong disciplinary action" would be taken against pilots who transgressed flying regulations.

I understand the subsequent inquest resulted in the jury returning a verdict of "Accidental death" as directed by the Coroner apparently. I believe one member of the jury tried to have the inquest adjourned to await the result of the official RAF Board of Enquiry, but that attempt was brushed aside on the grounds that the details of such enquiries were never divulged.

It appears that Sergeant Morris had over-flown Highgate in North London on the morning of the very same day, contrary to instructions and his flight plan. He seems to have displayed a distinct lack of basic flying discipline, and acted irresponsibly with careless disregard for the safety of others. Idle gossip at the time intimated he was showing off to friends or a girlfriend. Whatever the loss of life on the ground was considerable, and probably attributable to it being a Sunday with people at home from work and school.

This recent article, see link below, is in error on some very minor details. Morris had over 100 hours of flying experience according to the Air Ministry, and joined the Royal Auxiliary Air force in 1937.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/w...c_plane_crash/

British Pathe archives has stills and a video download of their 1938 news film of this truly tragic event.
http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnai...hword=Edmonton