1965 British European Airways Vickers Vanguard crash

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Revision as of 14:03, 10 August 2024 by TheLongTone (talk | contribs) (→Circumstances: ce)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) 1965 aviation incident in London This article is about the 1965 crash. For the 1971 crash, see British European Airways Flight 706 (1971).

British European Airways Flight 706
Accident
A Vickers Vanguard 951 of British European Airways
Date	27 October 1965 (1965-10-27)
Summary	Crashed due to pilot error in low visibility during landing approach
Site	London Heathrow Airport, London 51°28′39″N 0°27′41″W / 51.4775°N 0.461389°W / 51.4775; -0.461389
Total fatalities	36
Total injuries	0
Total survivors	0
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Vickers Vanguard 951
Operator	United Kingdom British European Airways
Registration	G-APEE
Flight origin	United Kingdom Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh
Destination	United Kingdom Heathrow Airport, London
Occupants	36
Passengers	30
Crew	6
Fatalities	36
Injuries	0
Survivors	0

The 1965 British European Airways Flight 706 was a domestic flight operated by a Vickers Vanguard 951 aircraft of British European Airways (BEA). On Wednesday, 27 October 1965, the aircraft crashed during landing at London Heathrow Airport, causing the deaths of all 36 people on board. At the time It was one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the United Kingdom.

Aircraft

The Vickers Vanguard 951, registered as G-APEE, was a turboprop airliner built in 1959. It was designed for short- and medium-range flights and was then one of the fastest turboprop airliners.

Circumstances

The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Edinburgh Turnhouse Airport to Heathrow. The flight departed from Edinburgh at 23:17 on 26 October. The flight was uneventful until the aircraft approached London when, during the final approach to runway 28R, the aircraft encountered fog, with reports indicating visibility was less than 50 metres. Making an ILS approach with ATC talking it down through Precision Approach Radar, the aircraft overshot the runway twice and then entered hold. On hearing another Vanguard had made its landing, the pilot made another attempt but on its final approach to runway 28R, the crew decided to overshoot, taking the nose up and reducing flaps. However the aircraft crashed 2,600 feet from the threshold at around 01:23 and burst into flames, killing everyone on board.

Investigation and findings

The investigation into the crash revealed several key factors:

The visibility at the time of the crash was significantly below the required minimum for landing. Despite this, there was no evidence that the pilot was operating below the prescribed limits set by BEA for such conditions.

The investigation attributed the crash to pilot error. Contributing factors included low visibility, incorrect information given to the pilot, pilot fatigue, anxiety, lack of experience in landing in fog, and a series of procedural errors during the landing attempts. The aircraft had performed two missed approaches before the crash, and the final approach was marked by an incorrect flap selection and a misjudged descent rate, leading to a steep dive into the runway.

Memorial

A memorial plaque was installed at Edinburgh Airport to honour the victims of the crash. The tragic event is remembered as one of the significant accidents in BEA's history, contributing to advancements in aviation safety and maintenance protocols.

References

"Crash of a Vickers 951 Vanguard in London: 36 killed". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
ICAO Circular p70, 72-73
^ "Edinburgh plane crash victims remembered 50 years on". Edinburgh Evening News. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
"Aviation Safety Network". flightsafety.org. Retrieved 2024-08-06. citing ICAO Circular 88-AN/74 Volume III (70-82)
"Edinburgh Airport tribute to victims of 1965 crash". Daily Express. Retrieved 2024-08-06.

"ICAO Circular 88-AN/74 Volume III" (PDF). p. 70-82.

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 1965 (1965)
Jan 4 Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20Jan 16 USAF KC-135 Wichita crashFeb 6 LAN-Chile Flight 107Feb 8 Eastern Air Lines Flight 663Mar 7 Aeroflot Flight 542Mar 8 Aeroflot Flight 513Apr 14 British United Airways Flight 1030XMay 5 Iberia Flight 401May 20 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705Jun 28 Pan Am Flight 843Jul 1 Continental Airlines Flight 12Jul 6 Little Baldon Hastings crashJul 8 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21Jul 10 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748Jul 20 Cambrian Airways Liverpool crashJul 23 Allegheny Airlines Flight 604Aug 16 United Air Lines Flight 389Aug 24 Hong Kong US Marines KC-130F CrashSep 17 Pan Am Flight 292Sep 19 Gujarat Beechcraft incidentOct 20 Philippine Air Lines Flight 741Oct 27 British European Airways Vickers Vanguard crashNov 2 Argentine Air Force C-54 disappearanceNov 8 American Airlines Flight 383Nov 11 United Air Lines Flight 227Nov 11 Aeroflot Flight 99Dec 4 Carmel mid-air collisionDec 5 Philippine Sea A-4 incident
1964 ◄ ► 1966

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1965 (1965)

Jan 4 Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20Jan 16 USAF KC-135 Wichita crashFeb 6 LAN-Chile Flight 107Feb 8 Eastern Air Lines Flight 663Mar 7 Aeroflot Flight 542Mar 8 Aeroflot Flight 513Apr 14 British United Airways Flight 1030XMay 5 Iberia Flight 401May 20 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705Jun 28 Pan Am Flight 843Jul 1 Continental Airlines Flight 12Jul 6 Little Baldon Hastings crashJul 8 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21Jul 10 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748Jul 20 Cambrian Airways Liverpool crashJul 23 Allegheny Airlines Flight 604Aug 16 United Air Lines Flight 389Aug 24 Hong Kong US Marines KC-130F CrashSep 17 Pan Am Flight 292Sep 19 Gujarat Beechcraft incidentOct 20 Philippine Air Lines Flight 741Oct 27 British European Airways Vickers Vanguard crashNov 2 Argentine Air Force C-54 disappearanceNov 8 American Airlines Flight 383Nov 11 United Air Lines Flight 227Nov 11 Aeroflot Flight 99Dec 4 Carmel mid-air collisionDec 5 Philippine Sea A-4 incident

1964 ◄ ► 1966

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