Roll of Honor
Incident
The light aircraft Edgeley Optica G-KATY was operated by the Hampshire Constabulary Air Support Unit and on the morning of 15th May 1985 it was piloted by PC Spencer, who had a Private Pilot Licence and a CAA exemption, from their base at Lee-on-Solent Airfield to Ringwood.
It was market day in Ringwood and DC Malcolm James Victor Wiltshire was authorised to take aerial photographs of traffic congestion in the town, from an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet. For that purpose it was orbiting the town. It had made three or four such orbits, on the last of which it dropped from its previous operating height to only 100 to 150 feet. At this height it crossed the A31 road and made a banked turn to starboard.
Almost immediately the angle of bank increased, from about 45º to about 90º, and the nose of the Optica dropped and it spun in, hitting trees at an angle of 70º nose down and 110º to the horizontal, coming to rest eleven metres further on. On first impact, the starboard wing tip was torn off the Optica. Then the leading edge of that wing was torn away, exposing the fuel tank therein. Next the cabin struck a tree and was extensively damaged while the port wing struck another tree, exposing the fuel tank in that wing.
Finally the remains of the Optica came to rest. The pierced fuel tanks spilt their contents on the ground and some twenty to thirty seconds later the fuel ignited. The intensity of the subsequent fire was such that it destroyed the forward fuselage of the Optica.
Both officers were killed on first impact.
Further information: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/151375
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- April 8, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Constable Spencer served with the Hampshire Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Constable Spencer.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Constable Gerald William Spencer is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In ENG, 1,349 of 2,827 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 47.7% of this state's fallen. That is 16.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Hampshire Constabulary, 14 of 18 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 77.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gerald William Spencer's cause is highlighted.
How Gerald William Spencer Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Gerald William Spencer is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
17 officers from Hampshire Constabulary are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
