Such is the primitive nature of both aircraft and training, that instruction remains nearly as danger out as enemy action. Today, the RNAS training school at Redcar suffered a series of mishaps as trainee pilots crashed four aircraft. Fortunately, none of them were seriously injured.
The wrecked Avro
Flight Sub-Lieutenant Norman Black crashed an Avro 504 (2930), collapsing the undercarriage, damaging the propeller, engine and bottom wing. The aircraft was written off.
Probationary Flying Officer Melvin Henderson Rattray then crashed a Curtis JN3 (8402) wrecking its fuselage, though not enough to write it off.
Louis Weil
Acting Flight Lieutenant Louis Marcus Basil Weil and Flight Sub-Lieutenant Harold L’Estrange Tyndale-Briscoe were taxiing in a Farman Longhorn (N5037) when they crashed damaging it’s top wing and propeller.
Harold Tyndale-Biscoe
Norman Black
Following his earlier crash, Flight Sub-Lieutenant Black made himself very unpopular with his instructors by crashing another aircraft, this time a Bleriot XI-2 (3947).
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