Incident Overview

Date: Monday 5 November 1956
Aircraft Type: Handley Page HP.81 Hermes IVA
Owner/operator: Britavia
Registration Number: G-ALDJ
Location: near Blackbushe Airport (BBS) – ÿ United Kingdom
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 80
Component Affected: Aircraft Structure (specifically the landing gear and fuselage)Aircraft Structure (specifically the landing gear and fuselage)
Category: Accident
A British Airways Hermes aircraft, en route from Blackbushe to Tripoli and back, experienced a catastrophic accident upon landing at Tripoli Airport. The aircraft deviated from its planned approach, descended below the Instrument Landing System (ILS) glide slope, and collided with a beech tree. The impact resulted in significant damage to the aircraft’s structure and a subsequent collapse of pine trees.A British Airways Hermes aircraft, en route from Blackbushe to Tripoli and back, experienced a catastrophic accident upon landing at Tripoli Airport. The aircraft deviated from its planned approach, descended below the Instrument Landing System (ILS) glide slope, and collided with a beech tree. The impact resulted in significant damage to the aircraft’s structure and a subsequent collapse of pine trees.

Description

The Britavia Hermes was on a flight from Blackbushe to Tripoli and back with intermediate stops on the way to Tripoli at Malta, for a crew change, and Cyprus. Rest period at Tripoli for the Malta-crew was reduced because of late (5 hours) arrival of the aircraft. The aircraft took off from Tripoli at 15:25. At 23:36 the aircraft was cleared to the Blackbushe beacon at 2000 feet. Planning a runway 08 approach, the crew reported passing the beacon at 2000 feet at 23:44 and completed the procedure turn at 1500 feet two minutes later. After passing the Outer Marker, the flight was cleared to land. The aircraft descended below the ILS glide slope and hit a beech tree 3617 feet short of the runway threshold, swung to the left and came down in pine trees 3000 feet further on. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The most probable cause of the accident is that in difficult conditions and while suffering from a degree of fatigue above the normal, the captain, relying on his vision of the airport lights to assess his height, judged his height to be higher than it actually was.”

Primary Cause

The most probable cause of the accident is that in difficult conditions and while suffering from a degree of fatigue above the normal, the captain relied on his vision of the airport lights to assess his height, judging his height to be higher than it actually was.The most probable cause of the accident is that in difficult conditions and while suffering from a degree of fatigue above the normal, the captain relied on his vision of the airport lights to assess his height, judging his height to be higher than it actually was.

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