Incident Overview
Date: Thursday 27 July 1961
Aircraft Type: Boeing 707-328
Owner/operator: Air France
Registration Number: F-BHSA
Location: Hamburg-Fuhlsbttel Airport (HAM) –
ÿ Germany
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 41
Component Affected: Aircraft control system (specifically the heading guidance system).Aircraft control system (specifically the heading guidance system).
Category: Accident
A flight, Flight 272, experienced a significant incident during its takeoff for Anchorage. The pilot struggled to maintain a straight heading, leading to a deviation to the left and a runway run-off. The aircraft sustained severe damage and landed in a depression, resulting in serious injuries to the crew and passengers. The incident was attributed to the pilot’s inability to maintain a straight course after abandoning the takeoff.A flight, Flight 272, experienced a significant incident during its takeoff for Anchorage. The pilot struggled to maintain a straight heading, leading to a deviation to the left and a runway run-off. The aircraft sustained severe damage and landed in a depression, resulting in serious injuries to the crew and passengers. The incident was attributed to the pilot’s inability to maintain a straight course after abandoning the takeoff.
Description
Flight 272 which was flying the Polar route Paris-Hamburg-Anchorage-Tokyo landed in Hamburg at 1224 hours GMT. While taking-off for Anchorage, the pilot had difficulty holding the aircraft on a straight heading along the runway and decided to abandon the takeoff. Despite his efforts, the aircraft veered to the left, ran off the runway and finally came to rest 2 840 m from the starting point in a depression 140 m from the runway. It was severely damaged. Four crew and six passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was named “Chateau de Versailles”. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The cause of the accident could not be determined. The pilot could not keep the aircraft on the runway after abandoning take-off.”
Primary Cause
Pilot’s inability to maintain a straight heading after abandoning takeoff.Pilot’s inability to maintain a straight heading after abandoning takeoff.Share on:
