Swissair Flight 306
Encyclopedia
Swissair
Flight SR306, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III
, HB-ICV Schaffhausen
, was a scheduled international flight from Zürich
to Rome
, via Geneva
. It crashed near Dürrenäsch
, Aargau
, on September 4, 1963, shortly after take-off, killing all 80 people on board.
, Switzerland
) was in dense fog when the plane was due to take off at 06:00 UTC. At 06:04 the flight was allowed to taxi to runway 34 behind an escorting vehicle. At 06:05 the crew reported that they would taxi half way down runway 34 to inspect the fog and then return to take off point. This was done, using at times high engine power in order to disperse the fog. Around 06:12 the aircraft was back to the threshold of runway 34 and was allowed to set off. The flight took off at 06:13 hours and started to climb to flight level
150, its cruising height.
Four minutes later people on the ground noticed a whitish trail of smoke on the left side of the aircraft. Shortly after, a long flame from the left wing-root was seen. Around 06:20 the aircraft reached a height of around 2700 m. It then began to descend, entered a gentle left turn losing height more quickly. It then went into a final, steep dive.
Parts of the aircraft fell off and at 06:21 a "MAYDAY
" message was heard. At 06:22 the aircraft crashed into the ground on the outskirts of Dürrenäsch
. The crash site was 559 m above sea level, almost 35 km from Zürich/Kloten Airport.
43 people from Humlikon
boarded the plane to visit a farm test site near Geneva. Among these were:
The village lost one fifth of its 217 people in the crash. The entire local council, the people who took care of the schools and the post office clerk all died.
Most orphans were looked after at home by relatives. Six children had to move, all but one of whom went to live with relatives nearby.
Just over a month after the crash, a new council was elected by the remaining 52 people entitled to vote. Due to the great loss of people it wasn't easy to fill all places.
A further problem was the upkeep of the farms, but here people from the nearby villages helped. Apprentices came from local firms, students, firemen, soldiers, boy scouts, railroad workers, policemen, school children etc.. People came from abroad to help.
Each day 40 to 70 people helped, a total of almost 2000 hours. The harvest of 600 tonnes of potatoes was lifted by hand. Corn was threshed and the new crop seeds were sown in time.
Today Humlikon has beaten this tragic event. It remains still a small village, the smallest in the Canton of Zürich.
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
Flight SR306, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III
Sud Aviation Caravelle
The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first short/medium-range jet airliner produced by the French Sud Aviation firm starting in 1955 . The Caravelle was one of the more successful European first generation jetliners, selling throughout Europe and even penetrating the United States market, with...
, HB-ICV Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
, was a scheduled international flight from Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, via Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. It crashed near Dürrenäsch
Dürrenäsch
Dürrenäsch is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:While Dürrenäsch is first mentioned in 924 as Aske inferior, there are traces of earlier, nearby settlements. Several, individual Hallstatt era items were found on the castle hill...
, Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
, on September 4, 1963, shortly after take-off, killing all 80 people on board.
Take off and flight
Zurich International Airport (in KlotenKloten
-External links:* -References:...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
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....
) was in dense fog when the plane was due to take off at 06:00 UTC. At 06:04 the flight was allowed to taxi to runway 34 behind an escorting vehicle. At 06:05 the crew reported that they would taxi half way down runway 34 to inspect the fog and then return to take off point. This was done, using at times high engine power in order to disperse the fog. Around 06:12 the aircraft was back to the threshold of runway 34 and was allowed to set off. The flight took off at 06:13 hours and started to climb to flight level
Flight level
A Flight Level is a standard nominal altitude of an aircraft, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa , the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either...
150, its cruising height.
Four minutes later people on the ground noticed a whitish trail of smoke on the left side of the aircraft. Shortly after, a long flame from the left wing-root was seen. Around 06:20 the aircraft reached a height of around 2700 m. It then began to descend, entered a gentle left turn losing height more quickly. It then went into a final, steep dive.
Parts of the aircraft fell off and at 06:21 a "MAYDAY
Mayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
" message was heard. At 06:22 the aircraft crashed into the ground on the outskirts of Dürrenäsch
Dürrenäsch
Dürrenäsch is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:While Dürrenäsch is first mentioned in 924 as Aske inferior, there are traces of earlier, nearby settlements. Several, individual Hallstatt era items were found on the castle hill...
. The crash site was 559 m above sea level, almost 35 km from Zürich/Kloten Airport.
Probable cause
The brakes became too hot during taxiing. This caused the aluminium wheels to burst, one of them on the runway prior to departure. Upon retraction of the landing gear hydraulic lines in the gear bay were damaged, either by the burst wheels, or the bursting of an additional wheel rims during the climb. The plane then spilt hydraulic fluid, which ignited on the scolding hot rims of the landing gear. The fire damaged the gear bay, then the wing underside. Finally losing its hydraulic pressure, the aircraft was rendered without hydraulic controls. These included the flying control surfaces of the aircraft. Smoke developed within the cabin and the cockpit, adding to the predicament of the crew. At around 06:18 it can be reasonably assumed, that control of the aircraft was lost totally. The final dive and impact destroyed the aircraft devastatingly.Casualties
This crash had some severe effects for a small village in the Canton of Zürich.43 people from Humlikon
Humlikon
Humlikon is a municipality in the district of Andelfingen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. 43 residents were killed in the crash of Swissair Flight 306.-Geography:...
boarded the plane to visit a farm test site near Geneva. Among these were:
- 19 married couples (who had a total of 39 children aged between 3½ and 19 years that were orphaned).
- 1 mother of 3 minors
- 1 father of 2 minors
- 1 father of 2 adults
- 2 single men.
The village lost one fifth of its 217 people in the crash. The entire local council, the people who took care of the schools and the post office clerk all died.
Most orphans were looked after at home by relatives. Six children had to move, all but one of whom went to live with relatives nearby.
Just over a month after the crash, a new council was elected by the remaining 52 people entitled to vote. Due to the great loss of people it wasn't easy to fill all places.
A further problem was the upkeep of the farms, but here people from the nearby villages helped. Apprentices came from local firms, students, firemen, soldiers, boy scouts, railroad workers, policemen, school children etc.. People came from abroad to help.
Each day 40 to 70 people helped, a total of almost 2000 hours. The harvest of 600 tonnes of potatoes was lifted by hand. Corn was threshed and the new crop seeds were sown in time.
Today Humlikon has beaten this tragic event. It remains still a small village, the smallest in the Canton of Zürich.