Thursday, 14th of March, 1957
– United Kingdom
British European Airways Flight 411, an international scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM), Netherlands, to Manchester-Ringway Airport (MAN/EGCC), United Kingdom, operated with a Vickers 701 Viscount, registration G-ALWE, impacted terrain and crashed into a house while on approach in Wythenshawe, Manchester, UK.
The aircraft was destroyed. The five crew members and fifteen passengers including two people on the ground perished. (22 fatalities)
The crash of Flight 411 is the 27th deadliest aviation accident on British (UK) soil. It is also the 33rd deadliest accident involving the Vickers Viscount.
– Details:
Viscount G-ALWE (the first Viscount 701 type to be manufactured) approached Manchester-Ringway Airport following a flight from Amsterdam. After a GCA (Ground Control Approach) approach, the aircraft broke through the lowest clouds and the crew continued the approach visually. The approach was uneventful until it was about 1 mile short of the runway. The aircraft was seen to enter a shallow right descending turn with a steepening bank angle. The right wingtip touched the ground and the aircraft crashed into houses 85 yards further on. It appeared that the aileron became locked when the no. 2 flap unit of the starboard wing moved away from the trailing edge member following failure of a lug and bolt of the flap fitting.
– Cause :
“The cause of the accident was the fracture, due to fatigue, of the 9/16 inch bolt holding the bottom of the No. 2 starboard flap unit.”
