Accident
Last updated: 24 May 2013
| Estado: | |
| Fecha: | 25 AGO 1952 |
| Hora: | 01:00 UTC |
| Tipo: | Handley Page HP.81 Hermes IVA |
| Operador: | Airwork |
| Registración: | G-ALDF |
| Numéro de série: | HP.81/7 |
| Año de Construcción: | 1950 |
| Tripulación: | Fatalidades: 6 / Ocupantes: 6 |
| Pasajeros: | Fatalidades: 1 / Ocupantes: 51 |
| Total: | Fatalidades: 7 / Ocupantes: 57 |
| Daños en la Aeronave: | Anulado |
| Consecuencias: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Ubicación: | ca 3 km W off Trapani (Italia)
 |
| Fase: | En ruta (ENR) |
| Naturaleza: | Vuelo Internacional No Programado |
| Aeropuerto de Salida: | Blackbushe Airport (BBS/EGLK), Reino Unido |
| Malta-Luqa Airport (MLA/LMML), Malta |
Hermes G-ALDF took off from Blackbushe at 19:25 GMT for a flight to Khartoum via Malta. Around 00:25, approaching Sicily, no. 2 and 3 engines problems forced the crew to shut them down and feather both propellers. The only electrical power from the batteries was soon depleted by use of the radio equipment for emergency signals. The remaining two engines also failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft off Port of Trapani.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The probable cause of the accident lay in a failure of one or both of the two inner engines Nos. 2. and 3. The reason for the failure was undetermined.
The contributory causes were; a) State of mind arising from the knowledge of another accident, only a short time before, to an aircraft of the same type, which was proved to have been due to power-plant failure. b) Failure of electrical generators when No. 2 and No. 3 engines stopped. c) Batteries inadequate for ensuring normal flight functions and not even sufficient for satisfactory transmission of distress messages. d) Limited experience of the crew and of the hostesses on this type of aircraft. e) Limited training of the crew. f). Emergency procedures not properly followed, particularly by the hostesses. g) Life rafts either missing or not used. h) Failure of lifebelts.
The Commission was of the opinion that only one of the two inner engines (Nos. 2 and 3) failed of its own accord and that the stoppage and failure of the other one was caused by an error of the flight engineer." Fuentes:
» ICAO Circular 38-AN/33 (105-109)
Fotos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Blackbushe Airport to Malta-Luqa Airport as the crow flies is 2092 km (1308 miles).
Distance from Blackbushe Airport to Malta-Luqa Airport as the crow flies is 2092 km (1308 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
