Shanklin Auster Aristocrat crash - August 1947
On 29 August 1947 three people were killed when an Auster Aristocrat aircraft crashed into the sea off Shanklin, Isle of Wight.
An Auster Aristocrat from Somerton Airfield was being piloted by a newly qualified pilot, Mr. R. W. Bacon, with two friends as passengers, Miss Joan Adelaide Hall and Mrs. Sandra Wilson, was seen to make a number of low turns, dives and passes over the sea off Sandown and Shanklin. The sea was calm and the area was crowded with small boats, motor launches and speed boats. The beaches were also crowded with holiday-makers.
From the witnesses on the beach and boats, it appeared that on the last dive the pilot had misjudged his height and was unable to pull up the aircraft in time and it crashed into the sea about 300 yards off Hope Road killing all three people on board.
The inquest returned a verdict of accidental deaths caused by an error of judgement on the part of the pilot.[1]
Mr. Bacon and Miss Hall were the sole directors of the Newport Construction Company Ltd., of Bedford Row, Newport - following their deaths, a Receiver was appointed to the company in January 1948.[2]
