Port Ellen – Glasgow
Flight / Schedule
Port Ellen – Glasgow
Aircraft
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon RapideRegistration
G-AFFF
MSN
6386
Year of Manufacture
1938
Operator
Railway Air ServicesDate
September 27, 1946 at 01:40 PM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Mountains
Crash Location
Milngavie Dunbartonshire
Region
Europe • United Kingdom
Coordinates
55.9411°, -4.3178°
Crash Cause
Human factor
Narrative Report
On September 27, 1946 at 01:40 PM, Port Ellen – Glasgow experienced a crash involving De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide, operated by Railway Air Services, with the event recorded near Milngavie Dunbartonshire.
The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.
7 people were known to be on board, 7 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 5, passenger fatalities: 5, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is human factor. The descent to Glasgow-Renfrew Airport was started in poor weather conditions with a visibility of 3 km in drizzle. The crew passed over the airport at 1320LT without seeing the airfield and continued to the northwest. Three minutes later, the contact between the crew and local ATC was interrupted by a distress call from another DH.89 of Railway Air Services registered G-ADAJ. His copilot sent a mayday message and obtained the priority to land as he was short of fuel. As G-AFFF failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted and its wreckage was found on the slope of Mt Craighton, near Milngavie, north of Glasgow. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 7 occupants were killed. Crew: Fredrick Stephens, pilot, Alexander M. Calvert, navigator. Passengers: Alexander Jamieson, James Crombie, John McKay, George Beattie, Derek Miles.
Aircraft reference details include registration G-AFFF, MSN 6386, year of manufacture 1938.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 55.9411°, -4.3178°.
Fatalities
Total
7
Crew
2
Passengers
5
Other
0
Crash Summary
The descent to Glasgow-Renfrew Airport was started in poor weather conditions with a visibility of 3 km in drizzle. The crew passed over the airport at 1320LT without seeing the airfield and continued to the northwest. Three minutes later, the contact between the crew and local ATC was interrupted by a distress call from another DH.89 of Railway Air Services registered G-ADAJ. His copilot sent a mayday message and obtained the priority to land as he was short of fuel. As G-AFFF failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted and its wreckage was found on the slope of Mt Craighton, near Milngavie, north of Glasgow. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 7 occupants were killed. Crew: Fredrick Stephens, pilot, Alexander M. Calvert, navigator. Passengers: Alexander Jamieson, James Crombie, John McKay, George Beattie, Derek Miles.
Cause: Human factor
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
2
Passengers On Board
5
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 7
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Port Ellen – Glasgow
Operator
Railway Air ServicesFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Mountains
Region / Country
Europe • United Kingdom
Aircraft Details
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