Status:
Date:	17 FEB 1952
Time:	ca 17:30 UTC
Type:	Vickers 614 Viking 1
Operator:	Hunting Air Transport
Registration:	G-AHPI
C/n / msn:	142
First flight:	1946
Crew:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:	Fatalities: 26 / Occupants: 26
Total:	Fatalities: 31 / Occupants: 31
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Monte la Cinta (Italy)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Int'l Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE/LFMN), France
Destination airport:	Malta-Luqa Airport (MLA/LMML), Malta

Narrative:
Viking G-AHPI flew into the north slope of the La Cinta mountain range at an altitude of 1040m.
The airplane operated on a non-scheduled flight from Bovingdon, U.K. to Nairobi, Kenya with en route stops at Nice, France and Malta.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Imprudence on the part of the pilot, who failed to maintain a greater safety altitude during flight over Siciliy, and that, particularly, in consideration of the thundery formations present over the area. A contributory factor was the pilot's ignorance of real wind conditions on the route which led to a displacement of the actual track by 3deg with reference to that intended. The Commission finds that the flight safeguarding service provided by the D/F stations of Rome and Cagliari was accomplished with due care and that, without being asked to do so other D/F stations (Milan and Venice) transmitted bearing information."

Events:

Sources:
» La Stampa 18 Feb. 1952