Glasgow – Aberdeen

On September 3, 1999 at 12:36 PM, Glasgow – Aberdeen experienced a crash involving Cessna 404 Titan, operated by Edinburgh Air Charter, with the event recorded near Glasgow Strathclyde.

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

11 people were known to be on board, 8 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 72.7%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 9, passenger fatalities: 6, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft had been chartered to transport an airline crew of nine persons from Glasgow to Aberdeen. The aircraft was crewed by two pilots and, so far as could be determined, its take-off weight was between 8,320 and 8,600 lb. The maximum permitted take-off weight was 8,400 lb. ATC clearance for an IFR departure was obtained before the aircraft taxied from the business aviation apron for take-off from runway 23, with a take-off run available of 2,658 metres. According to survivors, the take-off proceeded normally until shortly after the aircraft became airborne when they heard a thud or bang. The aircraft was then seen by external witnesses at low height, to the left of the extended runway centerline, in a wings level attitude that later developed into a right bank and a gentle descent. Witnesses reported hearing an engine spluttering and saw at least one propeller rotating slowly. There was a brief 'emergency' radio transmission from the commander and the aircraft was seen entering a steep right turn. It then entered a dive. A witness saw the wings levelled just before the aircraft struck the ground on a northerly track. Three survivors were helped from the wreckage by a nearby farm worker before flames from a severe post-impact fire engulfed the cabin.

Aircraft reference details include registration G-ILGW, MSN 404-0690, year of manufacture 1980.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 55.8700°, -4.2790°.