ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 340968
| Date: | Tuesday 1 June 1943 |
| Time: | 10:54 |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-3-194 |
| Owner/operator: | British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC |
| Registration: | G-AGBB |
| MSN: | 1590 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1936 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | UI |
| Location: | 350 km N off La Coruña, Spain [Bay of Biscay] -
 Atlantic Ocean
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Lisboa-Portela de Sacavém Airport (LIS/LPPT) |
| Whitchurch Airport |
BOAC Flight 777-A, a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation civilian airline flight on 1 June 1943 from Lisboa-Portela de Sacavém Airport (LIS), Portugal to Whitchurch Airport near Bristol, United Kingdom, was attacked by eight German Junkers Ju 88s and crashed into the Bay of Biscay, killing 17 on board including several notable passengers, most prominent being actor Leslie Howard.
Theories abound that the aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, was attacked because the Germans believed that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was aboard. Other theories suggest the DC-3 was targeted because several passengers, including Howard, were British spies. During the Second World War, British and German civilian aircraft operated out of the same facilities at Portela and the incoming and outgoing traffic was watched by Allied and Axis spies. The Lisbon-Whitchurch route frequently carried agents and escaped POWs to Britain.
Sources:
BOAC Flight 777 (Wikipedia)
Leslie Howard (Wikipedia)
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation