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Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Nausori

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1966
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
VQ-FAX
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
14012
YOM:
1953
Location:
Nausori
All Fiji Islands
Country:
Fiji Islands
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a landing accident at Nausori Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B near Somosomo: 16 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1965
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
VQ-FAL
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Suva – Somosomo
MSN:
14033
YOM:
1953
Location:
Somosomo
All Fiji Islands
Country:
Fiji Islands
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
While approaching Somosomo Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls and a limited visibility when the four engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Tavani located 18 km from the airport. Three passengers were seriously injured while 16 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Apparently due to the lack of visibility, the crew started the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to be too low and to struck the mountain.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Hachijō-jima: 19 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1963 at 1411 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
JA6155
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Hachijō-jima – Tokyo
MSN:
14026
YOM:
1954
Location:
Hachijō-jima
All Japan
Country:
Japan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Hachijō-jima Airport, en route to Tokyo-Haneda Airport, the crew climbed in limited visibility due to foggy conditions when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR were initiated at 1630LT and the wreckage was later found on the slope of a mountain located some 10 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 19 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Investigations were not able to determine the exact cause of the accident. However, the following assumptions were not ruled out:
- A navigation error on part of the crew who followed a wrong departure route in low visibility,
- An engine failure which forced the crew to modify his route in an attempt to return to the airport for an emergency landing.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Hōfu: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1962
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
JA6158
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Hiroshima - Hōfu
MSN:
14028
YOM:
1954
Location:
Hōfu
Chūgoku
Country:
Japan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training mission from Hiroshima to Hōfu. While approaching Hōfu Airport, the four engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Ohira located 8 km northeast of the airfield. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron in Biggin Hill: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1961
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Metropolitan Air Movements
Registration:
G-AMTS
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Biggin Hill - Biggin Hill
MSN:
14007
YOM:
1956
Location:
Biggin Hill
London Metropolis
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Biggin Hill. Following a stabilized approach with the engine number four voluntarily inoperative, the crew landed properly on runway, rolled for few dozen yards and increased power to takeoff. After liftoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height and struck several trees and the roof of a house before crashing in flames in a field. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control during initial climb was caused by a wrong takeoff configuration on part of the crew who forgot to position the flaps in a correct angle for takeoff. At impact, flaps were in the same full down position than during the landing procedure. As a result, the speed of the aircraft during the initial climb was too low, especially since the number four engine was inoperative.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2 on Mt Capanne: 11 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1960 at 1550 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
I-AOMU
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Rome – Genoa
MSN:
14090
YOM:
1955
Flight number:
IT115
Location:
Mt Capanne (Elbe Island)
Tuscany
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
While flying in marginal weather conditions between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ligurian Sea, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Capanne located in the west part of Elbe Island, at an altitude of 728 meters. The aircraft was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to clouds and the crew was unable to distinguish the mountain.
Crew:
Ennio Scipione, pilot,
Francesco Cossu, copilot,
Giovanna Pertusio, stewardess,
Grazia Candeloro, stewardess.
Passengers:
Giorgio Bracci,
Ernesto Cuomo Ulloa,
Maria Pia Dalmau,
Adelaide Rocca Dalmau,
Elio Perugi,
Silvio Sciunnach,
Naomichi Takashima.
Probable cause:
For unknown reason, the crew was flying under VFR mode in IMC conditions.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron in Timor Sea: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1960 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
CR-TAI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Darwin – Baucau
MSN:
14132
YOM:
1959
Location:
Bathurst Island
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft left Darwin Airport at 1133LT on a charter flight to Baucau. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and about half an hour later, he was in contact with the crew of a TAT Heron registered CR-TAG. This was the last communication with the crew as shortly later, the airplane crashed into the sea off Bathurst Island. All nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was concluded that the most likely chief cause of the accident lay in the fact that the pilot was flying the aircraft in bad visibility conditions for which he was not duly qualified, and it was presumed that reasons of a psychological nature accounted for the accident.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2B in Basseterre

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1959
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
VP-BAO
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Saint Johns - Basseterre
MSN:
14051
YOM:
1954
Location:
Basseterre-Golden Rock
All Saint Kitts and Nevis
Country:
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown at Golden Rock Airport, the four engine airplane encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to a halt. There were no casualties among the occupants but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Jakarta

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1958
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
PK-GHP
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
14032
YOM:
1954
Location:
Jakarta
City District of Jakarta
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a mishap at Jakarta Airport. There were no injuries.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Saint Peter

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1958
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
G-AMYU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Saint Helier - Saint Peter
MSN:
14017
YOM:
1953
Location:
Saint Peter-La Villiaze
Channel Islands
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was performing a cargo flight from Jersey to Guernsey with mail and foods on board. On approach, weather conditions worsened and the pilot decided to make a go around. Few minutes later, a second attempt to land was made on the opposite runway. With a tailwind component, the airplane landed on a grassy area, went out of control, lost its undercarriage and came to rest by a road. The pilot was uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
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