KLM Royal Dutch Airlines — Flight PH-AKL

A KLM Douglas DC-2 crashed into a residential neighborhood shortly after taking off from Croydon Air Port in dense fog. The aircraft, named Lijster, was attempting a takeoff using a white line painted on the grass to maintain direction under instrument flight rules (QBI) conditions. During the takeoff run, the aircraft veered left of the line and became airborne heading south toward rising terrain rather than the intended westerly path. It struck a chimney on Hillcrest Road and crashed into two empty houses, resulting in a fire that destroyed the aircraft and the buildings. The accident killed 15 of the 17 people on board, including the inventor of the autogyro, Juan de la Cierva, and former Swedish Prime Minister Arvid Lindman.

Aircraft

Douglas DC-2-115E

Registration

PH-AKL

Phase

Cause

Souls on Board

Fatalities

Origin → Dest

Croydon Air Port, United Kingdom → Amsterdam-Schiphol Municipal Airport, Netherlands

Report

Investigation Summary

On the morning of December 9, 1936, Croydon Air Port was experiencing severe fog with visibility reduced to approximately 50 meters. Under these conditions, pilots utilized a ground-based navigation aid consisting of a white line laid out on the grass landing area to guide their takeoff run. The KLM flight, operating the return leg of a scheduled service bound for Amsterdam and Berlin, commenced its roll along this line. After approximately 200 yards, the aircraft deviated from the white line. Despite the loss of directional alignment in near-zero visibility, the pilot continued the takeoff rather than throttling back to abort. The DC-2 became airborne but was misaligned with the safe departure corridor, heading instead toward the residential area of Purley. The aircraft clipped a chimney and impacted houses on Hillcrest Road. The subsequent fire and structural collapse caused the majority of the fatalities. At the time, it was the deadliest aviation accident in United Kingdom history.

Final Conclusions

The official public inquiry into the accident was opened on December 14, 1936, but was abruptly terminated on December 16, 1936, without reaching a formal verdict. Despite the lack of a final report, the UK Accidents Investigation Branch (AIB) determined in its preliminary findings that the pilot failed to maintain directional control during the takeoff run in limited visibility and demonstrated poor judgment by not abandoning the takeoff after veering off the white-line guidance path.

Photographic Evidence (1)

Video Analysis

No video analysis linked for this case file yet.

Systems & Failure Modes

White Line Takeoff Path

A visual ground aid consisting of a white line painted on the grass to help pilots maintain directional control during takeoff in fog.

QBI Conditions

A Q-code procedure signifying that weather conditions required all flight operations to be conducted under instrument flight rules.

Interesting Facts

01The accident was the deadliest in the UK at the time of its occurrence.
02Visibility at the airport was approximately 50 meters (55 yards) due to thick fog.
03The aircraft was manufactured in 1935 and delivered to KLM in April 1936.
04Notable fatalities included Juan de la Cierva (inventor of the autogyro) and Arvid Lindman (former Prime Minister of Sweden).
05The 'white line' takeoff method had been in use at Croydon since 1931 for low-visibility operations.