1951 Ringway Dakota crash

Last updated

1951 Ringway Dakota accident
DC3 Dakota (14195139929).jpg
A Douglas Dakota similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date27 March 1951
SummaryIcing leading to mechanical failure
Site Ringway Airport, Manchester, England
53°21′47″N2°15′43″W / 53.363°N 2.262°W / 53.363; -2.262
Aircraft type Douglas Dakota 3
Operator Air Transport Charter [1]
Registration G-AJVZ
Flight origin Ringway, Manchester, England
Destination Nutts Corner Airport, Antrim, Northern Ireland
Passengers0
Crew3
Fatalities2
Injuries1
Survivors1

On 27 March 1951 a Douglas Dakota 3 cargo aircraft registered G-AJVZ operated by Air Transport Charter en route from Ringway Airport, Manchester, England, to Nutts Corner Airport, Antrim, Northern Ireland, crashed shortly after takeoff following the failure of the aircraft to gain height. There were two fatalities amongst the crew on board.

Contents

Accident

The wreckage of C-47A G-AJVZ at Heyhead on the morning of 27 March 1951. Douglas C-47A G-AJVZ Air Tpt Charter RWY 27.03.51.jpg
The wreckage of C-47A G-AJVZ at Heyhead on the morning of 27 March 1951.

The Dakota was operating a flight carrying newspapers from Ringway to Nutts Corner. During the takeoff run, there was no evidence of any problem, but the aircraft did not become airborne until near the end of the runway, which was 1,400 yards (1,300 m) long. [2] On takeoff from Runway 06 in freezing conditions and falling snow, it swung to port, failed to climb, and struck the top of a tree in Woodhouse Lane, close to the hamlet of Heyhead, half a mile from the end of the runway. Both pilots were killed. [3]

Conclusion

It was snowing heavily at the time of the flight and before taking off, the pilot did not take any action to clear accumulated snow from the aircraft. [2] A post-crash investigation of the wreckage found soot deposits that were consistent with engine backfiring that could have been caused by an incorrect fuel-air mixture. [2] Investigators also found that the carburetor intake screens in each engine were distorted in the same way that indicated that frozen snow or ice had packed the intakes, causing a serious loss of power in the engines. [2] They concluded that the captain had failed to make use of the heat controls that would have diverted hot air into the carburetors, melting the ice. [2] [3] This failure caused the aircraft to lose a significant amount of engine power. [2] [3] The extended undercarriage and the presence of snow on the wings may have also been contributory factors. [3] [4]

References

  1. ↑ "ATDB.aero aerotransport.org AeroTransport Data Bank". aerotransport.org. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Air Transport (Charter) (Co 1) Ltd., Dakota aircraft, G-AJVZ; crashed following take-off near Ringway Airport, Manchester on 27 March 1951, MCA Civil Aircraft Accident Report MCAP 96" (PDF). ICAO Circular 24-AN/21. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Civil Aviation: The Ringway Dakota Accident". Flight : 575–576. 2 November 1951.
  4. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-75-DL Dakota 3 G-AJVZ Manchester-Ringway Airport (MAN)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
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.