As reported in The Times - 18th August 1952.
CRASH DURING AEROBATIC PRACTICE
INQUEST ON FLYING INSTRUCTOR
A verdict-of Accidental Death was returned at an inquest at Feltwell, Norfolk, on Saturday on Flight Lieutenant Eric Martin, aged 31, a flying instructor of No. 3 Flying Training School, R.A.F., Felt well, who was killed when his aircraft dived into an airfield on Friday after a collision with another aircraft.
Flight Lieutenant Edwin Warren Adams said, he was leading a formation acrobatic team of three Harvard aircraft practising for a Battle of Britain display in September. On completing the practice he led the formation in for a break-up and on approaching the airfield gave orders for this by radio telephone. He carried out a slow roll after turning through 30deg. and on looking round for the rest of his formation saw some wreckage on the airfield. “I cannot see any logical reason why it should have happened, he said. “As far as we were concerned every eventuality had been covered.”
Flight Lieutenant Erazn Wardzinski, aged 32, said that Adams and Martin were flying in echelon formation to port, Adams in front, Martin behind and to the left, and he (witness) behind and to the left again. “Just before I reached a level position I felt an impact and my aircraft dropped a wing to the right,” he said. “I lost control for a moment, then thought of baling out, but on regaining control I found the aircraft responded “ Wardzinski said he swerved to the right and on looking down saw an aircraft going down vertically with no tail unit attached. He was able to land his damaged aircraft.
Flight Lieutenant William George Wallace, the air traffic controller, who watched the aircraft, said that in his opinion the cause of the accident was Martin’s failure to carry out a 15deg. turn to the right that he (witness) had heard ordered by the leader.