Blackbushe – Luqa – Fayid

On July 23, 1952 at 11:25 PM, Blackbushe – Luqa – Fayid experienced a crash involving Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes, operated by Airwork - UK, with the event recorded near Pithiviers Loiret.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

76 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 76 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 68, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft was performing a special flight from Blackbushe to Fayid AFB in Egypt with an intermediate stop in Luqa, Malta, carrying 68 British soldiers and a crew of eight bound for Egypt to assist the troops after the coup done by General Nasser. For diplomatic reason, the aircraft was wearing the military WZ839 registration instead of the civil G-ALDB one. While flying south of Paris, the engine number four exploded. The propeller blades detached and hit the engine number three. In such conditions, the pilot-in-command reduced his altitude and attempted to divert to Pithiviers aerodrome for an emergency landing. Following a stable approach, the aircraft landed on a grassy runway and came to rest in flames. All 76 occupants were able to evacuate the cabin safely before the aircraft would be partially destroyed by fire. It is reported that some of the occupants were slightly injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration G-ALDB, MSN 81/3, year of manufacture 1949.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 48.3015°, 2.3844°.