Investigation Summary
Flight 701 was a multi-leg international service from Kabul to London. During the final leg from Frankfurt, the crew was informed that Gatwick was experiencing freezing fog with a Runway Visual Range (RVR) of only 100 meters, well below the airport's 800-meter minimum. Although British regulations at the time did not legally prohibit foreign operators from attempting an approach in such conditions, the airline's own policy advised against it. The captain decided to attempt the approach, hoping for a break in the patchy fog. During the ILS approach, the crew initially selected an incorrect flap configuration of 1 degree instead of the required 15 degrees at glide-slope interception. This led to a 'stabilizer out-of-trim' warning light, a fault that had occurred earlier in the flight. The captain, believing the autopilot was trimming the nose down incorrectly, disconnected the autopilot and the automatic glide slope tracker to fly manually. Shortly after passing the outer marker, the crew extended the flaps from 15 to 30 degrees out of sequence and at a higher speed than recommended. This configuration change caused the aircraft to pitch down and increase its rate of descent. Preoccupied with looking outside for visual references in the fog, the crew failed to monitor their instruments effectively. By the time they realized they were dangerously low and applied full power, the aircraft was at approximately 200 feet. The Boeing 727 struck trees and a chimney before crashing into a house in Fernhill, where it disintegrated and caught fire.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the commander's failure to maintain the glide slope during the final stage of the approach. Contributing factors included the deceptive weather conditions, the decision to disconnect the autopilot following a warning light, and the late, out-of-sequence selection of 30-degree flaps from a 15-degree setting, which induced a high sink rate. The crew's attention was likely diverted outside the cockpit in search of visual cues, leading to a lack of instrument monitoring. Following the accident, UK legislation was amended in September 1969 to prohibit all aircraft, regardless of nationality, from attempting landings when RVR is below the prescribed minimums.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
How Impatience Crashed This Passenger Jet Into A British ... — A detailed look at the events leading to the crash of Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701, focusing on the crew's decisions during the foggy approach to Gatwick.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Rahim Nowroz
First Officer
Abdul-Zaher Attayee
Systems & Failure Modes
Instrument Landing System (ILS)
The aircraft was coupled to the ILS for the approach, but the captain manually disconnected the glide slope tracker after a stabilizer warning light appeared.
Stabilizer Out-of-Trim Warning
A warning light that indicated the autopilot was having difficulty maintaining trim; the captain misinterpreted this as a malfunction and reverted to manual control.
Trailing Edge Flaps
The extension of flaps to 30 degrees at a high speed and out of the standard sequence created a significant pitch-down moment and increased the rate of descent.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident remains the deadliest aviation occurrence in the vicinity of Gatwick Airport.
- 02Two residents of the demolished house, William and Ann Jones, were killed; their baby daughter survived in the wreckage.
- 03The aircraft was a Boeing 727-100 delivered in 1968.
- 04The captain had over 10,000 hours of flight experience, though only 512 were on the Boeing 727.
- 05Five police officers and several local residents were awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for their rescue efforts.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Legislative Amendment
In September 1969, UK law was changed to prohibit all aircraft, including foreign-registered ones, from landing at UK airports when the RVR is below the declared minimum.