Investigation Summary
The flight was part of a 'coach-air' service connecting Paris and London via Beauvais and Lympne. During the approach to Lympne, weather conditions were marginal, with visibility reported at 1,000 metres in drizzle, which was below the 1,100-metre minimum. However, the captain was informed of a slight improvement and continued the approach. At 0.25 nautical miles from the runway, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence and drifted right of the centre-line. The pilot applied full flap and reduced power, but the aircraft entered the flare at 40 feet with a dropping starboard wing and an increased rate of descent. The aircraft struck the ground heavily on its starboard undercarriage, which immediately separated along with the engine nacelle. The resulting impact on the waterlogged grass runway proved catastrophic; as the nose gear dug into the soft turf, the airframe flipped 180 degrees. The passengers were left hanging upside down in their harnesses, and fuel soaked the clothing of many survivors, yet no fire broke out.
Final Conclusions
The Accidents Investigation Branch determined the probable cause was a heavy landing resulting from an incomplete flare following a steeper than normal approach. The soft condition of the grass runway was a significant factor in the aircraft overturning rather than merely sustaining gear damage.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Reported seeing the runway through drizzle at 0.5 nautical miles. Held a valid Commercial Pilot's Licence.
First Officer
Assisted with monitoring radar talkdown and instruments. Held a valid Commercial Pilot's Licence.
Systems & Failure Modes
Grass Runway 20
The landing surface at Lympne was turf; due to recent weather, it was unable to support the concentrated load of the nose wheels during the heavy landing, leading to the aircraft flipping.
Landing Gear
The nose wheel assembly dug into the soft ground, acting as a pivot point that overturned the aircraft.
Interesting Facts
- 01This was the first hull loss (write-off) of an Avro 748/HS 748 aircraft.
- 02The Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) for this aircraft was 1536.
- 03The replacement cost of the aircraft was estimated at £250,000 in 1965.
- 04All 52 people on board survived, with only three requiring hospital treatment for shock.
- 05The grass runway at Lympne had a history of waterlogging issues dating back to 1951.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Infrastructure Upgrade
Following the accident and previous history of waterlogging, a 4,500-foot concrete runway was constructed at Lympne Airport, opening in April 1968.