Stansted – Lajes – Gander – Kingston

On February 2, 1953 at 03:01 AM, Stansted – Lajes – Gander – Kingston experienced a crash involving Avro 685 York, operated by Skyways of London, with the event recorded near Atlantic Ocean All World.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

39 people were known to be on board, 39 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 33, passenger fatalities: 33, other fatalities: 0.

The four engine aircraft was on its way from Stansted to Kingston, Jamaica, carrying RAF personnels and their family members. It left Lajes Airport in the Azores Islands at 2325LT on February 1st. While approaching the Canadian coast by night, the crew issued a brief emergency message whose content remains unclear. Shortly later, the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km southeast of Saint John's (approximately 46°15 latitude North and 46°31 longitude West). As the airplane failed to arrive in Gander, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 39 occupants was found. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were considered as good. Crew: D. Nicholls, pilot, P. E. Walton, copilot, A. E. Chopping, navigator, J. A. Davis, radio officer, R. G. Lawrence, flight engineer, P. M. Newton, stewardess.

Aircraft reference details include registration G-AHFA, MSN 1304, year of manufacture 1946.