1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash
Encyclopedia
The 1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash occurred on 10 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.
, c/n 1536. The aircraft was manufactured in 1961 and had flown 3,432 hours at the time of the accident.
, Kent, United Kingdom. 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.
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 2000 metres (2,187.2 yd), with wind at 18 knots (35.3 km/h) from 220° and a cloudbase of 250 feet (76.2 m). After passing Abbeville
an updated weather report was sent to the aircraft which showed a visibility of 1000 metres (1,093.6 yd) in drizzle, cloudbase 250 feet (76.2 m) and winds of 18 knots (35.3 km/h) from 220°, gusting to 26 knots (51 km/h). The visibility was below the minimum requirement of 1100 metres (1,203 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 mile (0.926 km) from the airport, it was at an altitude of 220 feet (67.1 m) above airport level. The captain reported that he could see the end of Runway 20 through the drizzle. At 0.25 nautical mile (0.463 km) from touchdown, the aircraft ran into severe turbulence and drifted to the right of the runway centreline. Full flap was applied and power was reduced. The aircraft crossed the airfield boundary at 92 knots (180.3 km/h), reducing to 88 knots (172.5 km/h) as the flare was begun at a height of 40 feet (12.2 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. The nose wheel dug in, flipping the aircraft onto its back. The aircraft slid upside down for 400 yards (365.8 m), ripping off both wings and the starboard tailplane. The tail was also crushed. The aircraft spun through 180°, ending up facing in the direction it had approached from.
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. The aircraft, with a replacement cost of £250,000
, was written off. This was the first Avro 748/HS 748 to be written off in an accident. Skyways Coach-Air leased an Avro 748 from LIAT for two years in 1968 to replace the aircraft lost.
The grass runway at Lympne had previously suffered from waterlogging, leading to the closure of the airport in December 1951, and again in February 1953. A new 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) concrete runway was constructed in early 1968, coming into use on 11 April.
Avro 748
The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated...
G-ARMV, flown during a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France, crashed on landing at its intended destination of Lympne Airport
Lympne Airport
Lympne Airport , , was a military and later civil airfield at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France during the First World War...
, 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.
Aircraft
The accident aircraft was Avro 748-101 Series 1 G-ARMVAircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
, c/n 1536. The aircraft was manufactured in 1961 and had flown 3,432 hours at the time of the accident.
Accident
The aircraft was deployed as a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France to Lympne AirportLympne Airport
Lympne Airport , , was a military and later civil airfield at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France during the First World War...
, Kent, United Kingdom. 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.
The aircraft departed Beauvais at 15:51 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
(16:51 local time
UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
) carrying 4 crew and 48 passengers. The weather at Lympne at the time the aircraft departed Beauvais indicated that visibility was 2000 metres (2,187.2 yd), with wind at 18 knots (35.3 km/h) from 220° and a cloudbase of 250 feet (76.2 m). After passing Abbeville
Abbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
an updated weather report was sent to the aircraft which showed a visibility of 1000 metres (1,093.6 yd) in drizzle, cloudbase 250 feet (76.2 m) and winds of 18 knots (35.3 km/h) from 220°, gusting to 26 knots (51 km/h). The visibility was below the minimum requirement of 1100 metres (1,203 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
Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
approach was initiated under the guidance of the radar controller at Lympne. When the aircraft was 0.5 nautical mile (0.926 km) from the airport, it was at an altitude of 220 feet (67.1 m) above airport level. The captain reported that he could see the end of Runway 20 through the drizzle. At 0.25 nautical mile (0.463 km) from touchdown, the aircraft ran into severe turbulence and drifted to the right of the runway centreline. Full flap was applied and power was reduced. The aircraft crossed the airfield boundary at 92 knots (180.3 km/h), reducing to 88 knots (172.5 km/h) as the flare was begun at a height of 40 feet (12.2 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. The nose wheel dug in, flipping the aircraft onto its back. The aircraft slid upside down for 400 yards (365.8 m), ripping off both wings and the starboard tailplane. The tail was also crushed. The aircraft spun through 180°, ending up facing in the direction it had approached from.
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
Acute stress reaction
Acute stress reaction is a psychological condition arising in response to a terrifying or traumatic event...
. A number of passengers were also treated at Lympne. Thirty-six of the passengers continued their journey to London, some with fuel-soaked clothing. The aircraft, with a replacement cost of £250,000
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
, was written off. This was the first Avro 748/HS 748 to be written off in an accident. Skyways Coach-Air leased an Avro 748 from LIAT for two years in 1968 to replace the aircraft lost.
The grass runway at Lympne had previously suffered from waterlogging, leading to the closure of the airport in December 1951, and again in February 1953. A new 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) concrete runway was constructed in early 1968, coming into use on 11 April.