London - Kuwait City

On April 20, 1967 at 12:00 AM, London - Kuwait City experienced a crash involving Bristol Britannia, operated by British Eagle International Airlines - BEIA, with the event recorded near Manston Kent.

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.

65 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 65 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 11, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 54, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. Shortly after takeoff from London-Heathrow Airport, while climbing, the undercarriage wouldn't lock up after takeoff, so the crew recycled the gear a couple of times. On the third attempt, the bogie (which was not rotating in the right sequence) fouled the main hydraulic jack fracturing the attachment bolt of the shuttle valve for the main and emergency 'down' hydraulic lines. All hydraulic fluid escaped and the gear couldn't be extended anymore. In agreement with ATC, the captain decided to divert to Manston-Kent Airport where an emergency landing was carried out on a foamed runway. The airplane completed a belly landing and was damaged beyond repair while all 65 occupants escaped uninjured.

Aircraft reference details include registration G-ANCG, MSN 12923, year of manufacture 1959.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.3460°, 1.3697°.