Incident Overview

Date: Friday 30 January 1948
Aircraft Type: Avro 688 Tudor 1
Owner/operator: British South American Airways – BSAA
Registration Number: G-AHNP
Location: western Atlantic Ocean – ÿ Atlantic Ocean
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Aircraft missing, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 31 / Occupants: 31
Component Affected: Aircraft takeoff system (specifically the engine and fuel delivery system).Aircraft takeoff system (specifically the engine and fuel delivery system).
Investigating Agency: AIBAIB
Category: Accident
On January 27th, an Avro Tudor ‘Star Tiger’ departed London for Bermuda, experiencing issues with cabin heating and compass navigation. After a stop in Lisbon, Portugal, the crew decided to stay overnight in Santa Maria, Azores, due to adverse weather conditions on the Bermuda leg. During this overnight stay, compass problems were remedied. The Lancastrian, a company staying overnight, also experienced issues. The Lancastrian departed Santa Maria at 14:22 for Bermuda, and the ‘Star Tiger’ followed at 15:35. A 936-pound overload occurred during takeoff, resulting in a planned altitude of 2000 feet. Last radio contact was at 03:00, with no further communication. The plane landed safely at Kindley Field, Bermuda, approximately one hour past its estimated arrival time due to stronger headwinds. The incident remains unexplained, with no definitive cause identified.On January 27th, an Avro Tudor ‘Star Tiger’ departed London for Bermuda, experiencing issues with cabin heating and compass navigation. After a stop in Lisbon, Portugal, the crew decided to stay overnight in Santa Maria, Azores, due to adverse weather conditions on the Bermuda leg. During this overnight stay, compass problems were remedied. The Lancastrian, a company staying overnight, also experienced issues. The Lancastrian departed Santa Maria at 14:22 for Bermuda, and the ‘Star Tiger’ followed at 15:35. A 936-pound overload occurred during takeoff, resulting in a planned altitude of 2000 feet. Last radio contact was at 03:00, with no further communication. The plane landed safely at Kindley Field, Bermuda, approximately one hour past its estimated arrival time due to stronger headwinds. The incident remains unexplained, with no definitive cause identified.

Description

Avro Tudor “Star Tiger” departed London on January 27 for a flight to Bermuda. A failure of the cabin heating system and compass problems were remedied during the overnight stop at Lisbon, Portugal. The flight continued to Santa Maria, Azores the next day where the crew decided to stay overnight , because of predicted adverse weather conditions on the leg to Bermuda. A company Lancastrian (G-AGWL) was staying overnight as well. During the stay, compass trouble was again remedied. The Lancastrian departed Santa Maria at 14:22 for the flight to Bermuda, followed by the “Star Tiger” at 15:35. G-AHNP took off with a full load of petrol, causing a 936 pounds overload on takeoff. Planned flying altitude was 2000 feet. Last radio contact was at 03:00 and nothing more was heard from the flight. At 04:11 Lancastrian G-AGWL landed safely at Kindley Field, Bermuda one hour past the estimated time of arrival due to stronger then predicted headwinds (which had caused the plane to be carried 68 miles off course). PROBABLE CAUSE: “In the complete absence of any reliable evidence as to either the nature or the cause of the disaster to ‘Star Tiger’ the Court has not been able to do more than suggest possibilities, none of which reaches the level even of probability. Into all activities which involve the co-operation of man and machine two elements enter of very diverse character. There is the incalculable element of the human equation dependent upon imperfectly known factors; and there is the mechanical element subject to quite different laws. A breakdown may occur in either separately or in both on conjunction. Or some external cause may overwhelm both man and machine. What happened in this case will never be known and the fate of ‘Star Tiger’ must forever remain an unsolved mystery.”

Primary Cause

Overload during takeoff due to a combination of factors including inadequate load weight and the impact of stronger-than-predicted headwinds.Overload during takeoff due to a combination of factors including inadequate load weight and the impact of stronger-than-predicted headwinds.

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