1952 Farnborough Airshow crash: Difference between revisions
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[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in England]] |
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in England]] |
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[[Category:Farnborough, Hampshire]] |
[[Category:Farnborough, Hampshire]] |
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Revision as of 03:12, 12 October 2012
 The DH.110 prototype "WG236" | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 6 September 1952 |
| Summary | structural failure |
| Site | Hampshire, England 51°16′33″N 000°46′35″W / 51.27583°N 0.77639°W |
| Aircraft type | DH.110 |
| Operator | de Havilland |
| Registration | WG236 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 31 |
| Injuries | ~60 spectators |
| Survivors | 0 |
The 1952 Farnborough Airshow DH.110 crash was an air show accident that killed 29 spectators, the pilot (John Derry),[1] and the onboard flight test observer (Anthony Richards).[2] The DH.110, a prototype, was being demonstrated when during a manoeuvre, the aircraft broke up. The cause was a faulty wing leading edge design. The DH.110 was grounded and strict safety procedures were subsequently enacted (no member of the public has been killed at a British air show since).[3] After modifications to the design the DH.110 entered service with the Royal Navy as the de Havilland Sea Vixen.
Crash
The planned demonstration of the DH.110 on that day was nearly cancelled when the aircraft at Farnborough, an all-black nightfighter prototype went unserviceable. It had been taken supersonic over the show on the opening day.[4] Derry and Richards left Farnborough to collect WG 236 and flew it from Hatfield to Farnborough with just enough time to start their slot. Following a low-level supersonic flypast and during a left bank at about 450 knots (830 km/h) toward the air show's 120,000 spectators, the pilot started a climb. The outer starboard wing and, immediately afterward, the outer port wing broke off the aircraft; followed by both engines and the cockpit—the latter injuring several spectators.[5] One engine broke into two sections and "ploughed into ... Observation Hill", injuring and killing numerous other spectators.[5]
Following the accident the air display programme continued once the debris was cleared from the runway with Neville Duke exhibiting the prototype Hawker Hunter and taking it supersonic over the show later that day.
Aftermath
Both The Queen and Duncan Sandys, the Minister of Supply, sent messages of condolence, and jets at air shows were obliged to keep at least 230 m (750 ft) from crowds if flying straight and 450 m (1,480 ft) when performing manoeuvres and always at an altitude of at least 150 m (490 ft).[2] The coroner's jury recorded the deaths of Derry and Richards as "died accidentally in the normal course of their duty." Of the spectators killed the jury recorded that "the deaths were accidental" adding that "no blame is attached to Mr. John Derry".[6] The accident report of 8 April 1953 stated the manoeuvring had caused an airframe instability due to a faulty D-nose leading edge arrangement (which had successfully been used in the lighter subsonic de Havilland Vampire). The redesigned DH.110 resumed flights in June 1953 and was eventually developed into the successful de Havilland Sea Vixen naval fighter.[7]
References
- ^ Rivas, Brian; Annie (1982). John Derry: The Story of Britain's First Supersonic Pilot. William Kimber. ISBN 0-7183-0099-8.
{{cite book}}: More than one of|last1=and|last=specified (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "6 September 1952: Dozens die in air show tragedy". BBC News. 6 September 1952. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
- ^ "On This Day - 1952: Dozens die in air show tragedy." BBC News, 2008.
- ^ Flight 12 September 1952
- ^ a b "On this day: September 6, 1952: 'The crowd parted like the Red Sea'". BBC News. 6 September 1952. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
This caused a sudden change in the centre of gravity, causing the plane to rear up with such force that the cockpit section, with John and Tony still inside, broke off at 12g while the two engines tore loose from the airframe and the tailplane ripped off. One engine ploughed into spectators on the so-called Observation Hill and the other crashed harmlessly, while the cockpit fell right in front of spectators nearest the runway, injuring several people. The main airframe fluttered down and landed on the other side of the airfield.
- ^ Flight 19 September 1952
- ^ Buttler, Tony. "Sea Vixen". Aeroplane Naval Aircraft Archive. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
External links
- http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%202678.html Contemporary reporting
- "Death at Farnborough". Time Magazine. 15 September 1952. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
| External media | |
|---|---|
| Images | |
 photos with eyewitness narrative | |
| Video | |
 newsreel (Adobe Flash) |