The 1935 SABENA Savoia-Marchetti S.73 crash occurred on 10 December 1935 when Savoia-Marchetti S.73 OO-AGN of Belgian airline SABENA crashed at Tatsfield, Surrey, England, while on an international scheduled flight from Brussels Airport Haren, Belgium to Croydon Airport, United Kingdom.
Between 16:30 and 17:00 GMT, the aircraft crashed into the large garden of a house Mosscroft, Kemsley Road, Tatsfield, close to its aerial beacon and north of the village towards Biggin Hill.
[2] A number of sightseers looted portions of the wreckage for souvenirs, which was criticised by Major Cooper, the Air Ministry inspector in charge of the investigation into the accident.
[3] Among the casualties was British engineer and tank designer Sir John Carden, joint owner of aircraft manufacturer Carden-Baynes,[6] and a director of Vickers-Armstrongs.
[5] The final report into the accident concluded that pilot error was the main cause, with weather a contributory factor.
The pilot had become lost and stalled while trying to execute a sharp climbing turn, possibly in an effort to avoid flying into terrain.