Narrative:
During a final approach to land at night the aircraft struck a ridge at a point 345 feet above runway level and approximately 2 miles from the runway threshold. As a result of the impact the wheels of both main landing gears and the fuel tank attached to the port wing were torn off and the port wing flaps damaged. The approach was discontinued and an emergency landing, with damaged landing gear down, was made on another runway.
The aircraft operated on a scheduled service from London to Santiago de Chile, with intermediate stops at Madrid, Dakar, Recife, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "While approaching the airport the aircraft was flown at an altitude lower than the spot height indicating the position of the Paracuellos Hills."
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 14 March 1960 |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4 |
| Operator: | British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC |
| Registration: | G-APDS |
| MSN: | 6419 |
| First flight: | 1959-08-06 (7 months) |
| Engines: | 4 Rolls-Royce Avon 524 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 23 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 32 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) ( Spain)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL), United Kingdom |
| Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD/LEMD), Spain |
During a final approach to land at night the aircraft struck a ridge at a point 345 feet above runway level and approximately 2 miles from the runway threshold. As a result of the impact the wheels of both main landing gears and the fuel tank attached to the port wing were torn off and the port wing flaps damaged. The approach was discontinued and an emergency landing, with damaged landing gear down, was made on another runway.
The aircraft operated on a scheduled service from London to Santiago de Chile, with intermediate stops at Madrid, Dakar, Recife, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "While approaching the airport the aircraft was flown at an altitude lower than the spot height indicating the position of the Paracuellos Hills."
Sources:
» Survey of accidents to aircraft in the United Kingdom 1960 / CAAPhotos
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 London-Heathrow Airport to Madrid-Barajas Airport as the crow flies is 1235 km (772 miles).
Distance from London-Heathrow Airport to Madrid-Barajas Airport as the crow flies is 1235 km (772 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.
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