1954 Swissair Convair CV-240 crash
Encyclopedia
The 1954 Swissair Convair CV-240 crash occurred on 19 June 1954 when a Swissair
Convair CV-240 ditched in the English Channel
off Folkestone
, Kent having run out of fuel. Although all on board survived the ditching of the aircraft, three people drowned, as they could not swim and there were no lifejackets carried on board the aircraft. At the time of the accident, these were not required to be carried on flights where the time over water was less than 30 minutes flying time.
, the aircraft had entered service with KLM and was sold to Swissair on 28 November 1953 for CHF
2,270,000.
at an altitude of 12000 feet (3,657.6 m), the pilot noticed that the gauges were indicating low quantities of fuel. The port engine then stopped and the propeller was feathered. The pilot initiated a diversion to RAF Manston
.
The starboard engine then stopped too. A successful ditching was made 1½ miles (2.4 km) off Folkestone
, Kent at about 11 pm.
The crash was heard by a crane
driver at , who reported the fact to the berthing master. Four British Railways staff rowed a boat out to the scene of the accident, which they reached in about 30 minutes. Five survivors were picked up and transferred to the , which had gone to assist. Lifeboats
from Dover
and Dungeness and helicopters from RAF Manston and also searched for survivors. A sixth survivor was rescued by Southern Queen, with the other five being transferred to her. They were landed in Folkestone and taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital. Three of the passengers survived the ditching, but later drowned.
The body of one of the victims was discovered at St Margaret's Bay on 27 June. Another victim's body was washed up in the Netherlands
. The body of the third victim had not been found by the time an inquest was held in August 1954 at Ashford, Kent
. A verdict of "misadventure" was returned in the case of the two victims whose bodies had been recovered. Although the skill of the pilot in effecting the ditching was praised by the Coroner, he also criticized both flight crew for not going to the assistance of the passengers after the ditching.
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
Convair CV-240 ditched in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
off Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, Kent having run out of fuel. Although all on board survived the ditching of the aircraft, three people drowned, as they could not swim and there were no lifejackets carried on board the aircraft. At the time of the accident, these were not required to be carried on flights where the time over water was less than 30 minutes flying time.
Aircraft
The accident aircraft was Convair CV-240 HB-IRW, c/n 61. The aircraft had first flown in 1948. Named TicinoTicino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
, the aircraft had entered service with KLM and was sold to Swissair on 28 November 1953 for CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
2,270,000.
Accident
The accident flight was a scheduled international passenger flight from Cointrin Airport, Geneva, Switzerland to Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom. Prior to performing the accident flight, the aircraft had operated a flight from London to Geneva. Whilst crossing the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at an altitude of 12000 feet (3,657.6 m), the pilot noticed that the gauges were indicating low quantities of fuel. The port engine then stopped and the propeller was feathered. The pilot initiated a diversion to RAF Manston
RAF Manston
RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long...
.
The starboard engine then stopped too. A successful ditching was made 1½ miles (2.4 km) off Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, Kent at about 11 pm.
The crash was heard by a crane
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
driver at , who reported the fact to the berthing master. Four British Railways staff rowed a boat out to the scene of the accident, which they reached in about 30 minutes. Five survivors were picked up and transferred to the , which had gone to assist. Lifeboats
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
from Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
and Dungeness and helicopters from RAF Manston and also searched for survivors. A sixth survivor was rescued by Southern Queen, with the other five being transferred to her. They were landed in Folkestone and taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital. Three of the passengers survived the ditching, but later drowned.
The body of one of the victims was discovered at St Margaret's Bay on 27 June. Another victim's body was washed up in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The body of the third victim had not been found by the time an inquest was held in August 1954 at Ashford, Kent
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
. A verdict of "misadventure" was returned in the case of the two victims whose bodies had been recovered. Although the skill of the pilot in effecting the ditching was praised by the Coroner, he also criticized both flight crew for not going to the assistance of the passengers after the ditching.
Investigation
The accident was investigated by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. It was discovered that the aircraft had not been refuelled at Geneva before departing for London. The aircraft held 700 gallons (3,182.3 l) of fuel, but departed from Geneva with what was left of this quantity after the previous flight from London had been performed. The fuel had been ordered, but was not delivered to the aircraft. The captain apparently did not notice any discrepancy in the gauges on departure from Geneva.Consequences
Both flight crew were suspended by Swissair following the accident. After the cause of the accident was established, they were dismissed. As a result of the accident, Swissair subsequently carried lifesaving equipment on all cross-Channel flights, even though regulations then in force did not require this. Lifesaving equipment only needed to be carried on flights where the time over water exceeded 30 minutes.Casualties
The nationalities of the casualties were -| Nationality | Crew | Passengers | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 English |
– | 5 | 3 | 2 |
 SwissSwitzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
4 | – | – | 4 |
| Total | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 |