1962 Channel Airways Dakota accident
Encyclopedia
The 1962 Channel Airways Dakota accident occurred on 6 May 1962 when a Channel Airways
Douglas C-47A Dakota registered G-AGZB
operating a scheduled passenger flight from Jersey
to Portsmouth
collided with a cloud-covered hill at St Boniface Down
near Ventnor
on the Isle of Wight
, the aircraft was destroyed and twelve of the 18 occupants were killed (all three crew members and nine out of 15 passengers, including three infants).
was on a scheduled flight from Jersey to Southend
with a stop at Portsmouth with 15 passengers. With low cloud and drizzle in the Portsmouth/Isle of Wight area the aircraft notified the controller that they were descending from 3000 to 1000 feet. The aircraft was seen flying low over Ventnor just before it crashed 50 feet below the summit of St Boniface Down
close to a disused Royal Air Force
radar site. The aircraft bounced and smashed through a ten foot high perimeter fence of the radar site and burst into flames, both pilots and eight of the passengers were killed instantly. The first man on the scene, a farm worker, helped two badly burned girls from the wreckage, after leading two other men to safety he ran up the road to find help where he found a group of seven amateur radio enthusiasts taking part in a competition. The radio amateurs alerted another amateur radio operator in Southampton
who contacted the emergency services. The seven injured were taken to a local hospital at Ryde
and Newport
; two of them, a stewardess
and a passenger, subsequently died.
Channel Airways
Channel Airways was a private airline formed in the United Kingdom in 1946 as East Anglian Flying Services.The newly formed airline initially operated aerial joy rides with a single, three-seater aircraft from an airstrip on the Kent coast...
Douglas C-47A Dakota registered G-AGZB
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
operating a scheduled passenger flight from Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
collided with a cloud-covered hill at St Boniface Down
St Boniface Down
St Boniface Down is a chalk down on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located close to the town of Ventnor, in the southeast of the Island, and rises to , the Island's highest point, north of the town...
near Ventnor
Ventnor
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, the aircraft was destroyed and twelve of the 18 occupants were killed (all three crew members and nine out of 15 passengers, including three infants).
Accident
The DakotaDouglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
was on a scheduled flight from Jersey to Southend
London Southend Airport
London Southend Airport or Southend Airport is a regional airport in the district of Rochford within Essex, England.During the 1960s, Southend was the third-busiest airport in the United Kingdom. It remained London's third-busiest airport in terms of passengers handled until the end of the 1970s,...
with a stop at Portsmouth with 15 passengers. With low cloud and drizzle in the Portsmouth/Isle of Wight area the aircraft notified the controller that they were descending from 3000 to 1000 feet. The aircraft was seen flying low over Ventnor just before it crashed 50 feet below the summit of St Boniface Down
St Boniface Down
St Boniface Down is a chalk down on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located close to the town of Ventnor, in the southeast of the Island, and rises to , the Island's highest point, north of the town...
close to a disused Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
radar site. The aircraft bounced and smashed through a ten foot high perimeter fence of the radar site and burst into flames, both pilots and eight of the passengers were killed instantly. The first man on the scene, a farm worker, helped two badly burned girls from the wreckage, after leading two other men to safety he ran up the road to find help where he found a group of seven amateur radio enthusiasts taking part in a competition. The radio amateurs alerted another amateur radio operator in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
who contacted the emergency services. The seven injured were taken to a local hospital at Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
and Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
; two of them, a stewardess
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
and a passenger, subsequently died.