1954 BOAC Lockheed Constellation crash

Last updated

1954 BOAC Lockheed Constellation crash
Lockheed L749A G-ANUV BOAC BLA 10.09.55 edited-2.jpg
A BOAC Lockheed L-749A Constellation similar to the accident aircraft in landing configuration in 1955
Accident
Date13 March 1954
Summary Pilot error
Site Kallang Airport
01°18′26.68″N103°52′24.16″E / 1.3074111°N 103.8733778°E / 1.3074111; 103.8733778
Aircraft
Aircraft type Lockheed L-749A Constellation
Aircraft nameBelfast
Operator British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)
Registration G-ALAM
Flight origin Sydney
1st stopover Darwin, Australia
2nd stopover Jakarta, Indonesia
3rd stopover Kallang
Destination London
Passengers31
Crew9
Fatalities33
Survivors7

A British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Lockheed L-749A Constellation crashed and caught fire as it attempted to land at Kallang Airport on 13 March 1954, killing 33 of the 40 passengers and crew. The accident occurred when the aircraft struck a seawall on approach to the runway. The inquiry attributed this to crew tiredness, noting that the captain had been on duty for over 21 hours. It also criticised the response of the airport fire unit. This is the highest death toll of any aviation accident in Singapore. [1]

Contents

Flight

The aircraft was operating a joint Qantas – BOAC scheduled passenger flight from Sydney, Australia, to London, England. Following a stopover at Jakarta, Indonesia, it crashed while landing at Kallang Airport. [2] Captain Trevor Hoyle was the pilot. [3] The aircraft was a Lockheed L-749A Constellation, a low-wing monoplane airliner with four Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radial engines. It had first flown in the United States in 1947. Originally part of an order by Eastern Air Lines it was re-allocated to the Irish airline Aerlínte Éireann and delivered on 16 September 1947. [4] It was sold in 1948 by Aerlínte Éireann, along with five other Constellations, to British Overseas Airways Corporation. It had been registered as G-ALAM [5] and named Belfast. [4]

Accident

The accident occurred when the aircraft struck a seawall on approach to Runway 06 at Kallang, damaging the undercarriage and causing a leak from the number three wing fuel tank. As the aircraft touched down a second time, on the runway, the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft slid until the starboard wing broke off. The remainder of the aircraft rolled to the right, coming to rest upside down with the fuselage in two pieces, and one of the engines carried on for another 100 yd (91 m). [2] [6] The aircraft was already on fire when it came to rest. [7] The weather was clear at 2:35 p.m. when the accident occurred. [8]

Five crew members escaped from the cockpit through a 14-by-10-inch clear vision panel, and two more through a gash in the fuselage in the crew compartment, the sole survivors of the accident. Holes were cut in the fuselage through which a stewardess and two passengers were removed, but the latter died before reaching a hospital, and the stewardess died later of her injuries. [9] No attempt was made to use the emergency exits, and the main cabin door was jammed; at the inquiry a fire expert attached to the RAF stated that the door of the Constellation was the most difficult he had had to open in his 24-year firefighting career. [7] [8] [10]

All 31 passengers died, along with 2 crew members (the other crew fatality being a steward). [3] [7] [8] It is the highest death toll of any aviation accident ever to take place in Singapore. [11] [12] Among the victims was Ami Chandra, a noted Fijian educator and president of the Fiji Industrial Workers Congress. [13]

Public inquiry

The Singapore government held a public inquiry into the accident under Justice Knight from 31 May to 16 August. [7] The accident was attributed to poor execution of the approach due to crew tiredness, which exacerbated the pilot's decision to touch down near the end of the runway. [6] The inquiry determined that, at the time of arrival in Singapore, Captain Hoyle had been on duty for 21½ hours since the flight departed Sydney. [14]

Christopher Shawcross, senior counsel for BOAC, stated that "the crash would not have happened had it not been for the condition which existed at that end of the runway on the day of the crash", referring to the wall struck by the plane. [15]

The inquiry criticised the airport fire unit's lack of equipment and the efforts it made to rescue the passengers in the six- to eight-minute period after the aircraft came to rest, when many were probably still alive. It did not censure the aircraft crew but did not commend their actions either, noting they were suffering from shock and the darkness and fumes. [7]

After studying the public report on the crash, the Singapore coroner recorded verdicts of 'death by misadventure'. The coroner also said that Captain Hoyle had made an error of judgement but that no one was criminally responsible for the crash. [16]

Aftermath

Twenty-four of the victims, including fourteen who were not identified, were buried together in a communal grave at Bidadari Cemetery. [17] Two crash victims were mistaken for one another and received funeral rites of the other's religion. [18]

BOAC based four captains in Sydney so the Sydney–Darwin and Darwin–Jakarta routes could be flown by separate captains. [14]

Related Research Articles

Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major American airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Britannia</span> British four-engined turboprop airliner, 1952

The Bristol Type 175 Britannia is a retired British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the Commonwealth. During development two prototypes were lost and the turboprop engines proved susceptible to inlet icing, which delayed entry into service while solutions were sought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing 377 Stratocruiser</span> US airliner with 4 piston engines, 1947

The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was a large long-range airliner developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter military transport, itself a derivative of the B-29 Superfortress. The Stratocruiser's first flight was on July 8, 1947. Its design was advanced for its day; its relatively innovative features included two passenger decks and a pressurized cabin. It could carry up to 100 passengers on the main deck plus 14 in the lower deck lounge; typical seating was for 63 or 84 passengers or 28 berthed and five seated passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gander International Airport</span> Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Gander International Airport is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is operated by the Gander International Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport. The airport is sometimes referred to as the "Crossroads of the World", and is classified as an international airport by Transport Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 New York mid-air collision</span> 1960 aviation disaster in New York City, United States

On December 16, 1960, a United Airlines Douglas DC-8 bound for Idlewild Airport in New York City collided in midair with a TWA Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation descending toward LaGuardia Airport. The Constellation crashed on Miller Field in Staten Island and the DC-8 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, killing all 128 aboard the two aircraft and six people on the ground. The accident was the world's deadliest aviation disaster at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kallang Airport</span> Former airport of Singapore (1937—1955)

Kallang Airport was the first purpose-built civil international airport in Singapore, opened officially on 12 June 1937 and ceased operations in 1955, when it was relocated to Paya Lebar. Situated on the eastern shore of the Kallang Basin, the Kallang Airport spanned the modern planning areas of Kallang and Geylang at its greatest extent. The conserved complex, including the airport's terminal building, is located wholly within Kallang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Ceylon</span>

Air Ceylon was the former flag carrier airline of Ceylon. The airline discontinued flights to Europe in early 1978 and finally ceased all local services on 31 August 1979, when it was replaced by Air Lanka and then rebranded to SriLankan Airlines later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BOAC Flight 781</span> 1954 plane crash near Elba Island, Italy

BOAC Flight 781 (BA781/BOA781) was a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) passenger flight from Singapore to London. On 10 January 1954, a de Havilland Comet passenger jet operating the flight suffered an explosive decompression at altitude and crashed, killing all 35 people on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Airways Flight 201</span> 1954 aviation accident

South African Airways Flight 201 (SA201), a de Havilland Comet 1, took off at 18:32 UTC on 8 April 1954 from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy, en route to Cairo, Egypt, on the second stage of its flight from London, England to Johannesburg, South Africa. The flight crashed at around 19:07 UTC, killing all on board. The flight was operated as a charter by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) using the aircraft G-ALYY, with a South African crew of seven, and carrying fourteen passengers.

Skyways Limited was an early post-World War II British airline formed in 1946 that soon became well-established as the biggest operator of non-scheduled air services in Europe.

Air France has been in operation since 1933. Its aircraft have been involved in a number of major accidents and incidents. The deadliest accident of the airline occurred on June 1, 2009, when Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330-203, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 fatalities. A selected list of the most noteworthy of these events is given below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avianca Flight 671</span> 1960 aviation accident

Avianca Flight 671, registration HK-177, was a Lockheed Constellation that crashed and burned on landing at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 21 January 1960. It was and remains the worst accident in Jamaican aviation history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 (November 1956)</span> 1956 aviation accident

Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Idlewild International Airport, New York to Caracas International Airport in Caracas, Venezuela. During the November 27, 1956 operation of the flight, by a Lockheed L-749 Constellation, registration YV-C-AMA and named Jose Marti, the aircraft, piloted by French captain Marcel Combalbert, crashed into a mountain near Caracas, Venezuela. All 25 passengers and crew on board were killed. This occurred just five months after another operation of this flight, with a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, ended with a fatal crash as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 Prestwick air disaster</span> Aviation incident that occurred on Christmas Day, 1954

The 1954 Prestwick air disaster occurred in the early morning of Christmas Day, 1954. A British Overseas Airways Corporation Boeing 377 Stratocruiser crashed on landing at Prestwick Airport, Scotland; 28 of the 36 on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air France Flight 178</span> 1953 aviation accident

On 1 September 1953, an Air France Lockheed L-749 Constellation, registered in France as F-BAZZ, flying Flight 178, a scheduled flight from Paris to Nice, crashed into the Pelat Massif in the French Alps near Barcelonnette on the first stage of the flight, between Orly Airport and Nice Airport. All 42 on board were killed, nine crew and 33 passengers including the French violinist Jacques Thibaud and the French pianist René Herbin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Overseas Airways Corporation</span> Defunct state-owned airline of the United Kingdom (1939—1974)

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state-owned airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II. After the passing of the Civil Aviation Act 1946, European and South American services passed to two further state-owned airlines, British European Airways (BEA) and British South American Airways (BSAA). BOAC absorbed BSAA in 1949, but BEA continued to operate British domestic and European routes for the next quarter century. The Civil Aviation Act 1971 merged BOAC and BEA, effective 31 March 1974, forming today's British Airways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air France Flight 152</span> 1953 aviation accident

Air France Flight 152 (AF152) was a scheduled international passenger flight which made an emergency water landing in the Mediterranean Sea, off Fethiye, South-Western Turkey on 3 August 1953. The aircraft sank over an hour after ditching. Four passengers died, out of 8 crew and 34 passengers.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "All Singapore | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Airliner Death Roll 33 – No survivors from passengers". The Times. No. 52880. London. 15 March 1954. p. 6.
  3. 1 2 "32 Killed as British Plane Crashes, Burns". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . United Press. 14 March 1954. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 Eastwood/Roach 1991, p. 232
  5. ↑ "Ministry of Civil Aviation Form 113: Nationality and Registration Marks – G-ALAM" (PDF). United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Lockheed L-749A Constellation G-ALAM Singapore-Kallang airport". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Kallang Inquiry", Flight: 754, 19 November 1954
  8. 1 2 3 "Singapore Crash Toll Now 33". The Age . Melbourne. 15 March 1954. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Her 'last trip'". The Argus . 16 March 1954. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Door 'kept victims in blazing plane'". The Argus . 9 July 1954. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Singapore". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Accident Synopsis – 03131954". Airdisaster.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ↑ "Prominent Fiji Indian in Singapore Constellation crash", Pacific Islands Monthly, March 1954, p.16
  14. 1 2 "Brevities" (PDF), Flight: 849, 10 December 1954
  15. ↑ "'No error' in plane smash, says counsel", The Argus , 14 August 1954, retrieved 30 January 2014
  16. ↑ "Pilot's Mistake Caused Crash". The Glasgow Herald . 18 December 1954. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "Common Grave for 24 of Airliner's Dead". The Times. No. 52881. London. 16 March 1954. p. 6.
  18. ↑ "Bodies of Plane Crash Victims Mixed in Rites". The Palm Beach Post . 22 March 1954. Retrieved 30 January 2014.[ permanent dead link ]

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.