1924 Imperial Airways de Havilland DH.34 crash

The 1924 Imperial Airways de Havilland DH.34 crash occurred on 24 December 1924 when de Havilland DH.34 G-EBBX of Imperial Airways crashed at Purley, Surrey, United Kingdom killing all eight people on board. The aircraft was operating a scheduled international flight from Croydon, Surrey, to Paris, France. It was the first fatal accident suffered by Imperial Airways and led to the first public inquiry into a civil aviation accident in the United Kingdom. As a result of issues brought up during the Public Inquiry, Croydon Airport was expanded, absorbing most of Beddington Aerodrome.

The aircraft involved was de Havilland DH.34 G-EBBX, c/n 35. The aircraft had been in service since 6 March 1922. It was owned by the Air Council and had been leased to Daimler Hire Ltd, passing to Imperial Airways when that airline was formed in March 1924. It had been manufactured in 1922, and the first certificate of airworthiness had been issued on 19 September. In April 1924, a new set of wings had been fitted to the aircraft. These wings were of a different type to the standard wings. A new certificate of airworthiness had been issued on 29 April. On 12 May, the aircraft was involved in a ground collision with a searchlight at an unnamed airfield, damaging the wings. The aircraft was subsequently refitted with standard wings, and a new certificate of airworthiness was issued on 24 November.

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