Llandow air disaster

Infobox Airliner accident|name=Fairflight Flight
Date=March 12, 1950
Type=Stall
Site=Sigingstone, Wales
Fatalities=80
Injuries=3
Aircraft Type=Avro Tudor V
Origin=Dublin Airport
Destination=Llandow aerodrome
Operator=Fairflight Ltd.
Tail Number=G-AKBY
Passengers=78
Crew=5
Survivors = 3

The Llandow air disaster was a plane crash that occurred in Wales, Great Britain, in 1950. At that time it was the world's worst air disaster. ["The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales" John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pp816 ISBN 9780708319536]

Course of events

On March 12, 1950, a Fairflight Ltd. aircraft, an Avro 689 Tudor V, took off from Dublin Airport [Original flight plan, document ref. BT 219/4, UK National Archive] in Ireland, on a private passenger flight to Llandow aerodrome in South Wales. The aircraft, named "The Star Girl", had 78 passengers and 5 crew on the manifest. The weather conditions were clear, and on the outboard journey aboard the same craft no incidents were reported.

Eye-witnesses (including police constable John Davies) state that at 3:05p.m. the Avro Tudorwas approaching runway 28 of Llandow aerodrome at an abnormally low altitude with the undercarriage down. The pilot attempted to correct the descent by increasing the power of the engines and brought the plane up. At first the ascent was steady, but the plane continued to lift until it was near vertical, and then the aircraft stalled.

The Star Girl plummeted towards the ground and first the starboard wingtip hit the ground followed by the plane's nose and then the port wing made contact with the ground forcing it to snap off. The plane turned clockwise and finally came to a rest near a field beside Park Farm close to the village of Sigingstone.

Two passengers walked away from the wreckage unaided, and a third man although badly injured survived. Eight more survivors of the initial impact would die later in hospital of their injuries, bringing the final death toll to 80, 75 passengers and all five crew.

Causes

An eight day tribunal came to the conclusion that the crash had occurred through 'causes unknown', though the possibility of pilot error was investigated. It has since been speculated that the placement of luggage in relation to the position of the passengers changed the centre of gravity within the plane. This in turn prevented a sufficient level of elevator control to counteract the rise of the nose during a full application of power. [ [http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1950/1950-10.htm] Plane Crash Info website, sourced 25th March 2007]

Links to rugby union

The flight had been booked privately for a rugby union trip to Belfast to watch Wales compete against the Irish in the Five Nations Championship at the Ravenhill Stadium. The plane was initially booked for 72 passengers, but the plane had been stripped to accommodate another six, though the plane was still not overloaded. ["Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981", David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980) pp326-7 ISBN 0 7803 0766 3] The three survivors had all moved to a position in the tail of the plane, a decision which saved their lives. Amongst those that died were three members of Abercarn Rugby Football Club including their club captain, Don Rowlands and coach, Ray Box. Llanharan RFC lost six members of their playing team. Both clubs remember the victims with symbolism on their club badges.

On March 25 in the final game of the 1950 Championship against France at the Cardiff Arms Park, the crowd stood in silence while five buglers sounded a Last Post tribute to the memory of the supporters who had died in the plane crash. [Godwin, Terry; "The international Rugby Championship 1883-1983" Willow Books, London (1984) pg. 238 ISBN 000218060X]

See also

* List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners

External links

* [http://www.south-wales.police.uk/fe/master.asp?n1=8&n2=253&n3=689] South Wales Police, Official Report
* [http://www.rugbyrelics.com/Museum/exhibits/IvW-1950.htm] Rugby Relics Museum site

Notes