Incident Overview
Date: Tuesday 1 April 1958
Aircraft Type: Handley Page HP.81 Hermes IVA
Owner/operator: Skyways
Registration Number: G-ALDV
Location: Meesden Green –
ÿ United Kingdom
Phase of Flight: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Component Affected: The elevator mechanismThe elevator mechanism
Category: Accident
A Handley Page Hermes aircraft experienced a catastrophic crash during a test flight due to a jammed elevator mechanism. The plane descended rapidly and subsequently crashed, resulting in fire.A Handley Page Hermes aircraft experienced a catastrophic crash during a test flight due to a jammed elevator mechanism. The plane descended rapidly and subsequently crashed, resulting in fire.
Description
The Handley Page Hermes was on a test flight when the controls became jammed. Eyewitnesses saw the plane descending in a series of dives and climbed until it crashed and caught fire. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The accident was caused by the elevator mechanism becoming jammed. This deprived the pilots of control of the aircraft. The jamming was due to the presence of a small extraneous object which entered the control mechanism.”
Primary Cause
The elevator mechanism became jammed, depriving the pilots of control.The elevator mechanism became jammed, depriving the pilots of control.Share on:
