Status:
Date:	01 JAN 1953
Time:	ca 11:00
Type:	Douglas DC-3D
Operator:	Aer Lingus
Registration:	EI-ACF
C/n / msn:	42957
First flight:	1946
Total airframe hrs:	10968
Crew:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 22
Total:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 25
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Spernall (United Kingdom)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW), Ireland
Destination airport:	Birmingham International Airport (BHX/EGBB), United Kingdom

Narrative:
DC-3 EI-ACF "St Kieran" departed Dublin a 09:36 for a flight to Birmingham. At about 11:00 both engines quit, forcing the crew to carry out a forced landing.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The primary cause of the accident was loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The Inquiry found that this was caused by selecting the port engine to the right main tank to which the starboard engine was also selected. The loss of engine power alone was the sole cause of the accident, which could have been avoided had the crew diagnosed the cause of the trouble and changed the fuel feed to another tank. The failure to diagnose fuel starvation was probably due to the circumstances, i.e. first the lack of co-ordinated effort by the captain and first officer after the engines out; second, the knowledge of the crew that ample fuel for the flight was on board and their belief that the engines were drawing from their respective main tanks. The actual forced landing of the aircraft in conditions of low cloud, poor forward visibility and unfavourable terrain was skillfully executed and resulted in the passengers escaping unharmed."

Sources:
» ICAO Circular 38-AN/33 (134-137)
» Tommy Hanley, Irish Aviator