Amsterdam – Brindisi

The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Amsterdam to Brindisi, carrying a load of 241 Philips radios. While flying over Switzerland by night and foggy conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of the Mt Hohgant (1,964 meters high) located about 10 km northwest of Brienz. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed. Five bodies were quickly recovered while the sixth body was eventually found on May 13, 1950. Crew: Bryan Hilton Lathom-Smith, pilot, Charles Henry Bowker, navigator, Keith Allum, radio operator, David Stanforth, flight engineer, K. S. Wright, steward. Passenger: Arturo Di Giulio.

Flight / Schedule

Amsterdam – Brindisi

Registration

G-AHDX

MSN

1378

Year of Manufacture

1945

Date

April 16, 1950 at 06:28 AM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Cargo

Flight Phase

Flight

Crash Site

Mountains

Crash Location

Mt Hohgant Bern

Region

Europe • Switzerland

Coordinates

46.9539°, 7.4283°

Crash Cause

Human factor

Narrative Report

On April 16, 1950 at 06:28 AM, Amsterdam – Brindisi experienced a crash involving Handley Page H.P.70 Halton I, operated by Worldair Carriers, with the event recorded near Mt Hohgant Bern.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Amsterdam to Brindisi, carrying a load of 241 Philips radios. While flying over Switzerland by night and foggy conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of the Mt Hohgant (1,964 meters high) located about 10 km northwest of Brienz. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed. Five bodies were quickly recovered while the sixth body was eventually found on May 13, 1950. Crew: Bryan Hilton Lathom-Smith, pilot, Charles Henry Bowker, navigator, Keith Allum, radio operator, David Stanforth, flight engineer, K. S. Wright, steward. Passenger: Arturo Di Giulio.

Aircraft reference details include registration G-AHDX, MSN 1378, year of manufacture 1945.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 46.9539°, 7.4283°.

Fatalities

Total

6

Crew

5

Passengers

1

Other

0

Crash Summary

The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Amsterdam to Brindisi, carrying a load of 241 Philips radios. While flying over Switzerland by night and foggy conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of the Mt Hohgant (1,964 meters high) located about 10 km northwest of Brienz. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed. Five bodies were quickly recovered while the sixth body was eventually found on May 13, 1950. Crew: Bryan Hilton Lathom-Smith, pilot, Charles Henry Bowker, navigator, Keith Allum, radio operator, David Stanforth, flight engineer, K. S. Wright, steward. Passenger: Arturo Di Giulio.

Cause: Human factor

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

5

Passengers On Board

1

Estimated Survivors

0

Fatality Rate

100.0%

Known people on board: 6

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Amsterdam – Brindisi

Flight Type

Cargo

Flight Phase

Flight

Crash Site

Mountains

Region / Country

Europe • Switzerland

Aircraft Details

Registration

G-AHDX

MSN

1378

Year of Manufacture

1945

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