ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland DH-106 Comet 1 G-ALYV Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport (CCU)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 2 May 1953
Time:16:35
Type:Silhouette image of generic COMT model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
de Havilland DH-106 Comet 1
Operator:British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC
Registration: G-ALYV
MSN: 06008
First flight: 1952-04-09 (1 year )
Total airframe hrs:1649
Engines: 4 de Havilland Ghost 50 Mark I
Crew:Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Passengers:Fatalities: 37 / Occupants: 37
Total:Fatalities: 43 / Occupants: 43
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:32 km (20 mls) NW of Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport (CCU) (   India)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport (CCU/VECC), India
Destination airport:Delhi-Safdarjung Airport (VIDD), India
Flightnumber:783/057
Narrative:
A de Havilland DH-106 Comet 1 passenger plane, operated by BOAC, was destroyed in an accident near Calcutta, India. All 43 on board were killed.
The airplane operated on a return flight from London, UK to Singapore.
On its return leg from Singapore it landed at Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport at 15:10 hrs local time. Intermediate stops were made at Bangkok and Rangoon before arriving at Calcutta.
The flight took off from runway 19L at 15:29 and was cleared to climb under Visual Flight Rules and report when passing 7500 feet. The aircraft encountered a severe squall with thunderstorm shortly after takeoff when climbing to its cruising altitude, and suffered structural failure in the air which caused fire. The pilots lost control and the Comet crashed.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Structural failure of the airframe during flight through a thunder squall. In the opinion of the Court, the structural failure was due to overstressing which resulted from either:- (1) Severe gusts encountered in the thunder squall, or (2) Overcontrolling or loss of control by the pilot when flying through the thunderstorm."

Classification:
Turbulence
Fuselage failure
Loss of control

Sources:
» CIVIL AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT Report of the Court Investigation on the Accident to COMET G-ALYV on 2nd May, 1953


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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 Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport to Delhi-Safdarjung Airport as the crow flies is 1297 km (811 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

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.
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DH-106 Comet

  • 112 built
  • 3rd loss
  • 2nd fatal accident
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 5th worst accident (currently)
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 India
  • 2nd worst accident (at the time)
  • 19th worst accident (currently)
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