On 2nd August 1936 a Hawker Hart aircraft, serial no K6483 was on map reading and navigation exercises and flying at about 2,000 feet over the Castleside and Muggleswick area. The engine cut out and the plane dived to earth but the pilot regained control and landed without loss of life. He was Pilot Officer H.J. Williams but I have not been able to identify the navigator.
Unfortunately, during the landing one wing clipped a hayrick and the Hart somersaulted and landed upside down but the pilot and navigator suffered only minor cuts and bruises. Later, two aircraft from RAF Thornaby circled the scene but were unable to land. The men were driven back to the aerodrome at Thornaby on Tees and a tender was sent the next day to pick up the damaged plane. It was repaired and returned to 608 Squadron where it continued in service for a few years.
As a post script to the story this plane had another accident in 1940 when it burst a tyre on landing at its home base. Once again it was repaired and put back into service.
This aircraft was designed by Sidney Camm who later redesigned it as a monoplane - which gave a much higher speed capability and much greater manouvrability. The new design became famous in World War II and was used to great effect in defeating the Luftwaffe. By this time it was renamed the Hawker Hurricane
