Airwork - UK | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was completing a delivery flight from Germany to Bournemouth. On approach to runway 08 at Bournemouth-Hurn Airport, the four engine airplane developed a high sink rate. The captain selected full power but the aircraft continued to descent. So he cut the power when the undercarriage struck the ground just short of runway. Upon impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the airplane slid for 1,100 feet before coming to rest in flames on the runway. Both pilots were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A in Calcutta

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1957 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes

Operator:

Registration:

G-AKFP

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Blackbushe – Karachi – New Delhi – Calcutta – Singapore

MSN:

81/1

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The Hermes aircraft was on a non-scheduled passenger flight from Blackbushe Airport, England to Singapore with stops at Karachi, Delhi and Calcutta. While making a radar assisted approach to run way 01R at Dum Dum Airport, Calcutta, it collided (at 0000 hour GMT) with a Dakota aircraft which was lined up on runway 01L. The Dakota was destroyed and four members of the crew, the only occupants on board, were fatally injured. The Hermes sustained substantial damage but was not repaired. Two passengers were injured.

Probable cause:

An error on the part of the Commander of the Hermes aircraft in turning down the R/T during the final stage of the radar assisted approach and in deciding to continue the approach under conditions which did not enable him to identify positively the correct runway. This led him landing on runway 01L instead of 01R as granted by ATC.

Final Report:

Crash of a Vickers 627 Viking 1B in Blackbushe

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1954 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

G-AIXS

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Blackbushe – Nice

MSN:

234

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Ten minutes after takeoff from Blackbushe, at an altitude of 6,000 feet, an oil leak occurred on the right engine that was shot down and its propeller feathered. The crew received the permission to return to Blackbushe. On final approach, at a speed of 100 knots, the aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in a field located 135 yards short of runway 26 threshold. All 37 occupants evacuated the cabin and four of them were injured, two seriously. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of the captain allowing the aircraft to stall when making a single engine approach to land. A contributory factor was distraction of the captain's attention by the flickering of the undercarriage red indicator lights during a critical stage of the approach. The starboard engine was also damaged by fire and was removed for detailed examination by the Engine Division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd. Their report stated that the rear of the crankcase had been almost consumed by fire and that a number of cylinder barrels were severely burned. A detailed strip examination did not disclose any mechanical defect and no reason for the failure was established.

Final Report:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A off Trapani: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1952 at 0300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALDF

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Blackbushe – Luqa – Khartoum

MSN:

81/7

YOM:

1950

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft, engaged on a non-scheduled flight from Blackbushe, England to Wadi Seidna, Khartoum, via Malta, took off from Blackbushe Airport at 2025LT on August 24 with 51 passengers and 6 crew. The flight was normal until 0025GMT when the aircraft reached a position about 20 miles west of Trapani. At this time, No. 2 and No. 3 engines showed signs of abnormal functioning and were deliberately shut down and the propellers feathered. Without electrical power except from the batteries which were depleted of their charge by use of the radio equipment for emergency signals, Nos. 1 and 4 engines began to show signs of abnormal functioning. At approximately 00300LT, a ditching was carried out on the sea between the Port of Trapani and the island of Formica. Four passengers were drowned and two missing, one stewardess was also missing.

Probable cause:

The probable cause of the accident lay in a failure of one or both of the two inner engines number two and three. The reason for the failure was undetermined. The contributory causes were:
- State of mind arising from the knowledge of another accident, only a short time before, to an aircraft of the same type, which was proved to have been due to power-plant failure,
- Failure of electrical generators when number two and three engines stopped,
- Batteries inadequate for ensuring normal flight functions and not even sufficient for satisfactory transmission of distress messages,
- Limited experience of the crew and of the hostesses on this type of aircraft,
- Limited training of the crew,
- Emergency procedures not properly followed, particularly by the hostesses,
- Life rafts either missing or not used,
- Failure of lifebelts.

The Commission was of the opinion that only one of the two inner engines (Nos. 2 and 3) failed of its own accord and that the stoppage and failure of the other one was caused by an error of the flight engineer.

Final Report:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A in Pithiviers

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1952 at 2325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALDB

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Blackbushe – Luqa – Fāyid

MSN:

81/3

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a special flight from Blackbushe to Fāyid AFB in Egypt with an intermediate stop in Luqa, Malta, carrying 68 British soldiers and a crew of eight bound for Egypt to assist the troops after the coup done by General Nasser. For diplomatic reason, the aircraft was wearing the military WZ839 registration instead of the civil G-ALDB one. While flying south of Paris, the engine number four exploded. The propeller blades detached and hit the engine number three. In such conditions, the pilot-in-command reduced his altitude and attempted to divert to Pithiviers aerodrome for an emergency landing. Following a stable approach, the aircraft landed on a grassy runway and came to rest in flames. All 76 occupants were able to evacuate the cabin safely before the aircraft would be partially destroyed by fire. It is reported that some of the occupants were slightly injured.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the explosion on the engine number four could not be determined with certainty. However, it was reported that several components (among them the reduction gear pinion bearing) of the engine number four failed in flight, causing the propeller to detach and the engine to partially disintegrate.