British United Airways Flight 1030X
Encyclopedia
British United Airways Flight 1030X crashed on 14 April 1965 in Jersey
in the Channel Islands
. Poor visibility and low cloud cover led to an aborted landing attempt, leading to a second attempt which resulted in the Douglas C-47B hitting an outermost pole before crashing into a field and catching fire. The crash killed all 23 passengers and 3 of the crew on board; only 1 flight attendant survived the accident.
on a scheduled flight to Jersey Airport
with 28 passengers and crew on board. Low cloud cover at Jersey made it hard for the pilots to see the runway, leading to an aborted
first landing attempt. On the second landing attempt, the aircraft's starboard wing hit an outermost pole of the approach lighting system
, at a height of 51 ft (15.6 m) and 3,000 ft (900 m) short of the runway threshold. The impact severed the starboard wing with the aircraft rolling upside-down and crashing into the ground. The flight deck
of the aircraft was crushed and the cabin engulfed in fire. All 23 passengers and three of the four crew members were killed. The only survivor was a flight attendant
who was sitting in the rear of the cabin which had separated from the remainder of the fuselage following the impact. She was badly injured, with two broken legs.
masts, to avoid the catatrophic consequences of impact that occurred in this occasion, and recommended a re-consideration of the regulations for operating in poor weather.
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. Poor visibility and low cloud cover led to an aborted landing attempt, leading to a second attempt which resulted in the Douglas C-47B hitting an outermost pole before crashing into a field and catching fire. The crash killed all 23 passengers and 3 of the crew on board; only 1 flight attendant survived the accident.
The Aircraft
The aircraft was a Douglas C-47B-20-DK registration: G-ANTB and had its first flight in 1945 with total of 18544 flying hours before the accident.Accident
British United Airways Flight 1030X took off from Paris-Orly Airport in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on a scheduled flight to Jersey Airport
Jersey Airport
-Busiest routes:Some airlines offer services between Jersey and other destinations with an intermediate stop at Guernsey. There are also periodic charter flights to European holiday destinations, Madeira and ski destinations operated by airlines such as Aurigny Air Services, Europe Airpost, Palmair...
with 28 passengers and crew on board. Low cloud cover at Jersey made it hard for the pilots to see the runway, leading to an aborted
Overshoot (aviation)
In aviation, an overshoot is an aborted landing. See: Go-around and Runway safety area.In air combat maneuvering, also called dogfighting, an overshoot can refer to three different situations. The first is referred to as a wingline overshoot...
first landing attempt. On the second landing attempt, the aircraft's starboard wing hit an outermost pole of the approach lighting system
Approach Lighting System
An approach lighting system, or ALS, is a lighting system installed on the approach end of an airport runway and consisting of a series of lightbars, strobe lights, or a combination of the two that extends outward from the runway end...
, at a height of 51 ft (15.6 m) and 3,000 ft (900 m) short of the runway threshold. The impact severed the starboard wing with the aircraft rolling upside-down and crashing into the ground. The flight deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
of the aircraft was crushed and the cabin engulfed in fire. All 23 passengers and three of the four crew members were killed. The only survivor was a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
who was sitting in the rear of the cabin which had separated from the remainder of the fuselage following the impact. She was badly injured, with two broken legs.
Cause
The accident investigation concluded that the accident was the result of the pilot attempting to land in visibility that was far below that laid down by his airlines procedures. The weather in the Channel islands had been poor all day, with many flights cancelled, but despite being informed during the flight of the poor and deteriorating condition, the pilot elected not to divert to another airport. The accident report recommended considering mounting approach lights on frangibleFrangible
A material is said to be frangible if through deformation it tends to break up into fragments, rather than deforming plastically and retaining its cohesion as a single object...
masts, to avoid the catatrophic consequences of impact that occurred in this occasion, and recommended a re-consideration of the regulations for operating in poor weather.