1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash

Last updated

1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash
G-ARMV Avro 748 Srs 1 Skyways B-Hill 04MAY63 (5944627856).jpg
G-ARMV, the accident aircraft
Accident
Date11 July 1965
SummaryDefective infrastructure, pilot error
Site Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom
51°05′N1°01′E / 51.083°N 1.017°E / 51.083; 1.017
Aircraft
Aircraft type Avro 748-101 Series 1
Operator Skyways Coach-Air
Registration G-ARMV
Flight origin Beauvais Airport, Oise, France
DestinationLympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom
Passengers48
Crew4
Fatalities0
Injuries3+
Survivors52

The 1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash occurred on 11 July 1965 when Avro 748-101 Series 1 G-ARMV, flown during a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France, crashed on landing at its intended destination of Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom. The accident was due to the grass runway being unable to support the weight of the aircraft during a heavy landing. This caused the nose wheels to dig in and the aircraft to overturn, losing both wings and the starboard tailplane in the process. All 52 people on board survived. This was the first accident involving the Avro 748/HS 748 that resulted in a write-off. A concrete runway was later installed at Lympne.

Contents

Aircraft

The accident aircraft was Avro 748-101 Series 1 G-ARMV, c/n 1536. The aircraft was manufactured in 1961 and had flown 3,432 hours at the time of the accident. [1]

Accident

The aircraft was deployed as a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France to Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom. [1] This flight was part of Skyways Coach Air's coach-air service, in which passengers were taken by coach from Paris to Beauvais, flown to Lympne and then taken by coach to London. [2]

The aircraft departed Beauvais at 15:51 UTC (16:51 local time) carrying 4 crew and 48 passengers. The weather at Lympne at the time the aircraft departed Beauvais indicated that visibility was 2,000 metres (2,200 yd), with wind at 18 knots (33 km/h) from 220° and a cloudbase of 250 feet (76 m). After passing Abbeville, an updated weather report was sent to the aircraft which showed a visibility of 1,000 metres (1,100 yd) in drizzle, cloudbase 250 feet (76 m) and winds of 18 knots (33 km/h) from 220°, gusting to 26 knots (48 km/h). The visibility was below the minimum requirement of 1,100 metres (1,200 yd) for landing, although the captain was later informed that visibility had "improved slightly".

At 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) from touchdown, an IFR approach was initiated under the guidance of the radar controller at Lympne. When the aircraft was 0.5 nautical miles (0.93 km) from the airport, it was at an altitude of 220 feet (67 m) above airport level. The captain reported that he could see the end of Runway 20 through the drizzle. At 0.25 nautical miles (0.46 km) from touchdown, the aircraft ran into severe turbulence and drifted to the right of the runway centre-line. Full flap was applied and power was reduced. The aircraft crossed the airfield boundary at 92 knots (170 km/h), reducing to 88 knots (163 km/h) as the landing flare was begun at a height of 40 feet (12 m). As the throttles were closed, the starboard wing dropped and the rate of descent of the aircraft increased. The captain attempted to keep the aircraft level, with the result that it landed heavily. [1] The nose wheel dug into the grass runway, flipping the aircraft onto its back, as the aircraft spun through 180° and ended up facing in the direction from which it had approached; [1] the upside-down aircraft then slid for 400 yards (370 m), ripping off both wings and the starboard tailplane, and crushing the tail. [3]

Wreckage of G-ARMV HS748 G-ARMV crash, 1965. Nose-on view..jpg
Wreckage of G-ARMV

The passengers were left hanging upside-down in their seats. One mother was holding a baby that was not strapped in. All on board escaped from the aircraft, with three people needing to be treated in hospital suffering from shock. A number of passengers were also treated at Lympne. Thirty-six of the passengers continued their journey to London, some with fuel-soaked clothing. [4] The aircraft, with a replacement cost of £250,000, was written off. [5] This was the first Avro 748/HS 748 to be written off in an accident. [6] Skyways Coach-Air leased an Avro 748 from LIAT for two years in 1968 to replace the aircraft lost. [7]

The grass runway at Lympne had previously suffered from waterlogging, leading to the closure of the airport in December 1951, [8] and again in February 1953. [9] A new 4,500 feet (1,400 m) concrete runway was constructed in early 1968, coming into use on 11 April. [10]

Investigation

An investigation into the accident was opened by the Accidents Investigation Branch. [4] The probable cause of the accident was stated to be "a heavy landing following an incomplete flare from a steeper than normal approach." [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawker Siddeley HS 748</span> Airliner family by Hawker Siddeley, later British Aerospace

The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed and initially produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro. It was the last aircraft to be developed by Avro prior to its absorption into Hawker Siddeley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Airlines</span> Defunct airline of India (1953–2011)

Indian Airlines was a state-owned airline in India that later became a division of Air India Limited before ultimately ceasing operations. It was based in Delhi and focused primarily on domestic routes, along with several international services to neighbouring countries in Asia and limited flights to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. It was a division of Air India Limited after the merger of eight pre-Independence domestic airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crossair Flight 3597</span> 2001 aviation accident in Switzerland

Crossair Flight 3597 was a scheduled flight from Berlin Tegel Airport, Germany, to Zürich Airport, Switzerland. On 24 November 2001, the Crossair Avro RJ100 operating the route, registered as HB-IXM, crashed into a wooded range of hills near Bassersdorf and caught fire. Out of the 33 occupants, nine survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohawk Airlines Flight 411</span> 1969 aviation accident

Mohawk Airlines Flight 411, a Fairchild FH-227B twin-engine turboprop, registered N7811M, was a scheduled domestic passenger service operated by Mohawk Airlines, between Albany and Glens Falls, New York. On November 19, 1969, it crashed into Pilot Knob Mountain, killing all 14 passengers and crew on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TAP Flight 425</span> 1977 aviation accident

TAP Flight 425 was a regular flight from Brussels, Belgium, to Santa Catarina Airport, Portugal, with an intermediate scheduled stop in Lisbon. On 19 November 1977, the Boeing 727 operating the service overran the airport's runway before crashing onto the nearby beach and exploding, killing 131 of the 164 people on board.

Lympne Airport was a military and later civil airfield, at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. The airfield was built out of necessity in the First World War. During the First World War RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France but was later designated as a First Class Landing Ground, RAF Lympne. It became a civil airfield in 1919 and saw the operation of early air mail services after the 1918 armistice. It was one of the first four airfields in the United Kingdom with customs facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkish Airlines Flight 634</span> 2003 aviation accident

Turkish Airlines Flight 634 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Istanbul Atatürk Airport to Diyarbakır Airport in southeastern Turkey. On 8 January 2003 at 20:19 EET, the aircraft operating the flight, a British Aerospace Avro RJ100, struck the ground on final approach approximately 900 metres (3,000 ft) short of the runway threshold during inclement weather conditions. In the following collision with a slope, a post-crash fire broke out, killing 75 of the 80 occupants, including the entire crew. This is the deadliest aviation accident to involve the BAe 146.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Airlines</span> Defunct Scottish airline, 1945–1961

Scottish Airlines (Prestwick) Limited was formed in 1946 as a subsidiary of Scottish Aviation Limited. The airline commenced worldwide passenger and cargo charter flights from bases at Prestwick and Stansted. It also participated in the Berlin Airlift, became a trooping carrier for the British Armed Forces, and began contract flights on behalf of Air France, British European Airways (BEA), Compagnie Belge des Transports Aériens, Iceland Airways and KLM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Air Lines Flight 611</span>

Southwest Air Lines Flight 611 was a scheduled flight from Naha to Ishigaki. On 26 August 1982, the Boeing 737-200 overran the runway while attempting to land. The aircraft caught fire and was destroyed, but none of the 133 passengers and 5 crew died in the accident although two crew and one passenger were seriously injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 708</span> 1967 aviation accident

Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 708 (GA708/GIA708) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight in Indonesia by Garuda Indonesian Airways from Jakarta to Manado, with stopovers in Surabaya and Makassar. On 16 February 1967, while operating the last segment of the flight from Makassar to Manado, the Lockheed L-188C Electra airliner crashed on landing at Mapanget Airport in Manado, killing 22 out of 84 passengers and eight crew on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 Heathrow BEA Vickers Viking crash</span>

The 1950 Heathrow BEA Vickers Viking crash occurred on 31 October 1950 when a Vickers Viking operated by British European Airways (BEA) crashed at London Airport in heavy fog. The aircraft was on a scheduled flight between Paris and London's Northolt airport and 28 of the 30 passengers and crew on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss International Air Lines Flight 850</span> 2002 aviation accident

Swiss International Air Lines Flight 850 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Basel, Switzerland, to Hamburg, Germany. On 10 July 2002, the flight was unable to land at Fuhlsbüttel Airport due to weather. Attempts were made to divert to other airports at Berlin and Eberswalde before the crew decided to land at Werneuchen. On landing, the aircraft struck an earth bank which ripped off all three undercarriage legs, and came to rest on its belly with an engine on fire. One of the sixteen passengers suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was written off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 1926 Air Union Blériot 155 crash</span>

The August 1926 Air Union Blériot 155 crash happened on 18 August 1926 at Hurst, Kent when Blériot 155 F-AIEB of Air Union hit a barn and crashed whilst attempting to make a forced landing in bad weather. Two passengers were killed in the accident, and the pilot died a day later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash</span>

The August 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash occurred on 27 August 1923 when a Farman F.60 Goliath of Air Union crashed at East Malling, Kent, United Kingdom following an engine failure and reported panic amongst the passengers. One person was killed and nine were injured, including celebrated French actor Jean Murat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgian Airways Flight 834</span> 2011 aviation accident in Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 4 April 2011, Georgian Airways Flight 834, a Bombardier CRJ100 passenger jet of Georgian Airways operating a domestic flight from Kisangani to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crashed while attempting to land at Kinshasa Airport. The aircraft, which was chartered by the United Nations, was trying to land during a thunderstorm. Of the 33 people on board, only one person survived. The incident remains as the United Nations' deadliest aviation disaster. It is also the third-deadliest air disaster involving the CRJ100/200, behind Comair Flight 5191 and China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyways Coach-Air Limited</span>

Skyways Coach-Air Limited was the world's first low-cost airline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 London Heathrow Avro Vulcan crash</span> Military aviation incident at Heathrow Airport, London, England

The 1956 London Heathrow Avro Vulcan crash was a military aviation accident that occurred at Heathrow Airport on 1 October 1956 when Avro Vulcan B.1 XA897 crashed while attempting to land in poor weather. The captain and co-pilot ejected safely but the remaining three crew and one passenger were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancashire Aircraft Corporation</span> Defunct British charter and scheduled airline and engineering company

Lancashire Aircraft Corporation was a major British charter airline after World War II. Its founding father was Eric Rylands. It played an important role in the Berlin Airlift. It also flew scheduled routes and was important in the development of Coach-air services, leading to the founding of Skyways Coach Air and the start of the Inclusive Tour (IT) industry. Its major subsidiary, Samlesbury Engineering, supported its operations and converted many military aircraft for commercial use, also founding Lancashire Aircraft Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska Airlines Flight 60</span> 1976 aviation accident

The crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 60 was an accident involving a Boeing 727-81 of the American airline Alaska Airlines at Ketchikan International Airport in Ketchikan, Alaska, United States, on April 5, 1976, resulting in the death of a passenger with 32 serious and 17 minor injured survivors among the initial 50 passengers and crew on board.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "G-ARMV Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  2. "Paris Show Preview". Flight International (16 March 1967): 415.
  3. Collyer 1992, pp. 152–53.
  4. 1 2 "51 Escape When Aircraft Is Wrecked". The Times. No. 56371. London. 12 July 1965. col F, p. 10.
  5. "London Cover For Skyways Plane". The Times. No. 56372. London. 13 July 1965. col F, p. 18.
  6. Denham 1996, p. 86.
  7. Collyer 1992, p. 151.
  8. "Brevities". Flight (11 January 1952): 52.
  9. "Complaints about Lympne". Flight (20 February 1953): 235.
  10. "New Name for Lympne". Flight (25 April 1968): 605.

Sources