Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy

Safe Air

On final approach to Wellington Airport, the crew selected gear down but the left main gear failed to lock down. The crew decided to divert to Blenheim Airport for an emergency landing. Upon touchdown on runway 25, the left main gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured.

Royal Air Force - RAF

Upon landing at RAF West Freugh, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane slid on its belly and eventually came to rest on a grassy area to the right of the runway. All 11 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was completing a flight on behalf of the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment.

Air Bridge Carriers

Upon landing at Belfast-Aldergrove Airport, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest on the runway and was damaged beyond repair. Both pilots escaped uninjured.

OTRAG Range Air Services - ORAS

Damaged beyond repair following a hard landing at Lubumbashi-Luano Airport. There were no casualties.

Royal Air Force - RAF

The crew was completing a local training mission at RAF Boscombe Down. On final approach with one engine voluntarily inoperative, the airplane banked left and right, causing a wing to drop and to struck a building. Out of control, the airplane lost height and crashed. A crew member was injured while two other occupants were killed, among them an officer from the Italian Army.

Duncan Aviation

Upon landing at Point Hope Airport, one of the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid on the ground, veered off runway and came to rest. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

U.S. Department of the Interior

During the takeoff roll on runway 20 at Anchorage-Intl Airport, the pilot-in-command realized the takeoff was not possible so he decided to abort. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, rolled for 689 yards then collided with trees and came to rest. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Royal Air Force - RAF

The crew was completing a local training flight at RAF Benson. On final approach, the pilot-in-command failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground and crashed in an open field. The undercarriage were partially torn off as well a part of the left wing. All five crew members escaped uninjured.

Royal Air Force - RAF

While approaching Got El Afrag Airstrip, the crew request the permission to complete a low pass to confirm if the landing gear were down. At low height, the pilot made a turn to the right when the right wing struck the ground, causing the aircraft to crash and burn. All 11 occupants were killed.

British European Airways - BEA

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Stansted Airport. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the crew lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in flames in an open field. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were injured. The crew was simulating an engine failure at takeoff when control was lost.

Zantop Air Transport

The crew departed Madison-Truax Field at 1610LT on a cargo flight to Wright-Patterson AFB on behalf of the US Air Force. While descending to the airbase, north of Dayton, all four engines stopped simultaneously. The crew attempted an immediate emergency landing in a field. The aircraft slid on the ground and eventually collided with a bridge pile and several vehicles before coming to rest. All three crew members were slightly injured while no one on the ground was hurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

British European Airways - BEA

The aircraft took off from London Airport (Heathrow) at 1627 hours GMT on a scheduled international freight flight to Milan-Linate Airport, Italy, and the flight proceeded normally as far as the boundary of Milan TMA (Monteceneri NDB). Control of the aircraft was transferred to Milan ACC from Zurich ACC at FL 170, and after the first air- ground communication the aircraft was cleared to Linate Airport via Saronno and Linate NDB at 1844: 30 hours GMT. Before reaching Saronno VOR the pilot asked for and was given permission to make a slight diversion to the south-west in order to avoid a considerable thunderstorm formation which, as forecast, arrived over the area of Milan CTR at 1952 hours. At the pilot's request, the ATC cleared the descent with a clearance limit of 6 000 ft, confirming the previous clearance for descent. The pilot confirmed that he had received the clearance and reported that he was south-west of Saronno on a heading of 1800. At 1855 hours, the pilot reported that he was still maintaining a heading of 180° to avoid the thunderstorm area; the estimate for Linate NDB was however 1904-1905 hours. Following this communication, the control at Milan ACC amended the previous descent clearance, limiting it to FL 130 in order to safeguard other air traffic south of the CTR. At 1903 hours, the pilot unexpectedly reported that he was heading for Voghera VOR, without having been cleared for this by Control. After a few seconds he reported that he was over Voghera VOR at FL 130 and asked far further descent clearance which he was not given, in view of the unexpected and unorthodox position reported. He was asked to maintain FL 130 until he reached Linate NDB. At 1909 hours, the pilot reported that he was close to Linate NDB at FL 130-135 in a severe thunderstorm. After 30 seconds he reported his position over Linate NDB with certainty and was therefore cleared to descend to holding pattern down to 6 000 ft. At 1911 hours, Approach control gave clearance for the descent to be continued down to 2 000 f t, the minimum safe altitude over Linate NDB. At 1917 hours the pilot, speaking in a slightly agitated manner and sometimes with words which were incomprehensible, said repeatedly that he was not in fast certain of his actual position in relation to Linate NDB, that he was aligned with Linate ILS but that ha was not able to establish his exact position in relation to the radio beacon, the Latter being subject to considerable interference from the heavy electrical discharges due to the thunderstorm. The pilot also stated that he could not hear the ILS Outer Marker. At 1919 hours, the pilot confirmed his uncertainty regarding his position and asked to maintain 4 000 ft for another holding pattern; he was again given the QFE and at 1922 hours reported that he had come down to 2 000 ft, that he was inbound and that he would call over the Outer Marker. After he had been given the clearance, there were no further communications and no reply to the repeated calls from Milan Approach Control. It was subsequently found that the aircraft, which was aligned with the ILS localizer, struck the top of a hill at an altitude of 675 m, 35 NM from the threshold of runway 36, between 1923 and 1925 hours. A crew member was injured while the second was killed.