Liverpool-John Lennon (ex Speke)

On the day of the accident, the aircraft left Biggin Hill, U.K. on a private flight at 12:51 hrs with full fuel tanks to fly to Paris-Le Bourget, France, carrying a pilot, a pilot's assistant and two passengers. At Le Bourget, two more passengers embarked and the aircraft departed for Liverpool, without refuelling, at approximately 13:55 hrs. It landed at Liverpool at 15:25 hrs, where it was refuelled with 800 litres of turbine fuel, the pilot being seen to mix anti-icing additive to the fuel as it was dispensed. Two more adult passengers and two infants were embarked and the aircraft left Liverpool at 16:32 hrs en route to Stornoway, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The pilot had submitted an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan to fly from Liverpool to Stornoway at Flight Level (FL) 310 via Dean Cross and Glasgow. At 16:53 hrs, when approximately over Dean Cross, he reported to the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre (ScATCC) that he was at FL280 climbing to FL310. This radio call was heard by the pilot of another aircraft, registration N40GS. This aircraft was a Citation 11, which had been leased by the operating company of G-UESS and was carrying other members of the same private party to which the passengers in G-UESS belonged. N40GS had taken off from Biggin Hill and was also en-route to Stornoway via Dean Cross at FL350. When just north of Dean Cross, the pilot of N40GS saw G-UESS ahead of him and established radio contact with its pilot on the company discrete radio frequency. From that point on, the two aircraft remained in intermittent radio contact on this frequency. After passing Dean Cross, both aircraft were given clearance by ScATCC to route direct to Stornoway. At 17:00 hrs G-UESS was asked to climb to FL330 to avoid crossing traffic. At 17:18 hrs the pilot of N40GS reported that he still had G-UESS in sight and would be ready to descend in 3 minutes. At this time, his aircraft was slowly overtaking G-UESS. At 17:20 hrs ScATCC directed both aircraft to maintain a radar heading of 330° (M) so as to provide lateral separation during descent, and cleared N40GS to descend. Three minutes later, G-UESS was cleared to descend. During the descent, N40GS was cleared progressively to FL65 and G-UESS to FL85. At 17:29 hrs ScATCC released both aircraft from their radar headings, advising them that there was no other air traffic to affect them. ScATCC also advised N40GS that G-UESS was 5 miles to his right and slightly behind him. The pilot of G-UESS responded to this message by reporting that he had the other aircraft in sight. ScATCC then instructed both aircraft to establish radio contact with Stornoway. At 17:34 hrs Stornoway ATC passed details of the present Stornoway weather to both aircraft and asked them to report at 25 miles range from Stornoway. The weather as reported was fine with a light wind, good visibility and one eighth of low cloud. The pilot of G-UESS acknowledged the weather but did not repeat back the QNH. At this time, G-UESS was 49 miles from Stornoway descending through FL140. At 17:38 hrs N40GS reported at 25 miles range, and immediately afterwards G-UESS reported 30 miles from the airfield. N40GS was then cleared to 2,000 feet on the QNH of 1001. At 17:40 hrs the pilot of G-UESS reported that his range was 25 miles and that he had N40GS in sight. He asked for clearance to continue his descent and was cleared by the Stornoway controller to descend at his discretion with the aircraft ahead in sight. A moment later he was asked to report when he had the airfield in sight for a visual approach to runway 01. He acknowledged this message. No further communication was received from the aircraft and at 17:51 hrs, after failing to re-establish contact, the Stornoway controller reported to ScATCC that he had lost radio contact with G-UESS. The pilot of N40GS, who had meanwhile landed safely, stated afterwards that during the descent from FL350 they had passed through some layered stratus cloud and patches of altocumulus and cumulus cloud. The co-pilot in N40GS described a layer of lower cloud over the sea with tops between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, lying across the path of their descent into Stornoway. The pilot of N40GS was tracking directly to Stornoway airfield during the descent, using Omega/VLF area navigation equipment. At 17:45 hrs he reported to Stornoway ATC that he was just breaking cloud at 1,400 feet but stated later that he had cleared the base of the lowest cloud at between 1,100 and 1,000 feet, close to Stornoway. He also stated that the visibility below cloud was very good, even though the night was dark and he could not see the sea beneath him. N40GS experienced no icing and no significant turbulence during the descent. An intensive search was made for G-UESS that night, and two bodies were recovered one mile north-west of the last observed radar position. During the next 4 days, five more bodies and some small pieces of aircraft wreckage were found near the same position. The bodies of two more passengers were recovered from the sea bed on 28 February and 5 June 1984, and that of the pilot's assistant on 18 July 1984. Attempts to recover the main wreckage were not successful.

Viscount G-AMOL departed Ronaldsway at 16:49 for a flight to Liverpool. The flight was made at flight level 70 and at 17:08 hours the aircraft was identified by Liverpool radar over Wallasey and positioned for a PPI continuous descent radar approach to runway 26. Half a mile from touchdown the radar approach was completed and the aircraft was then seen (on radar) to be just discernibly to the right of the centreline. No radio messages were received from the aircraft after the start of the talk-down. At 550 metres from the threshold, it was estimated to be at a height between 30 and 60 metres and about 40 metres to the right of the centre line. At this point witnesses saw the aircraft bank and turn to the right. The fuselage was level and the aircraft was banked almost vertically for part of the turn. When heading in approximately the opposite direction to the runway it rolled on to its back and crashed into the roof of a factory about 365 metres to the right of the extended centre line of the runway and about 550 metres from the threshold. After penetrating the roof, the aircraft had struck a heavy steel girder which had caused it to tip "tail-over-nose". It had then come to rest the right way up on the floor of the workshop with the tail resting on the steel roof trusses. An intense fire broke out which consumed almost the whole structure of the fuselage. Both crew members and two employees of the factory were killed.

The crew was performing a positioning flight from Liverpool-Speke Airport to Glasgow-Renfrew Airport to embark passengers for Lourdes, France. On approach, the airplane was too low and struck the Greenside Hill located near Largs. The airplane was destroyed upon impact and both captain and the stewardess were seriously injured while the copilot was killed.
Crew:
Geoffrey Moss, pilot,
Noel C. A. Stanley, copilot, †
Hilda Phillips, stewardess.

The crew was performing a delivery flight from Croydon to Reykjavik with intermediate stops in Liverpool and Prestwick. While approaching Liverpool from the east, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and lost his orientation. While flying in poor visibility, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in Crow Stone Edge, southwest of Sheffield, in the Peak District National Park. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Pall Magnusson, pilot,
Alexander Watson, wireless operator.
Passenger:
Johann Rist.

On approach to Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was unable to land. In thick fog, the pilot made several attempts to land, without success. As the weather conditions were better in Liverpool, he decided to divert. While descending to Speke Airport, both engines stopped simultaneously. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed into the Mersey, about 3 miles north of the airport. A passenger was rescued while eight other occupants were killed. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew:
John Higgins, pilot,
Noel Clucas, radio operator.

On final approach to Liverpool-Speke Airport, the aircraft hit two candelabrum, stalled and crashed short of the runway threshold. All four crew members were slightly injured while the aircraft was written off. The crew was performing a cargo flight with a load of milk.

The aircraft was flying the last of six round trips from Speke, Liverpool, to Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland, it was scheduled to make during the 27th/28th September. The aircraft had been carrying nearly 1150 gallons of milk on each flight from Northern Ireland back to Liverpool to help make up a shortage being experienced at the time in some areas of the UK. The aircraft left Nutts Corner at 09:30 and had been in contact with Nutts Corner by radio until passing into the Northern Flight Information Region where contact was made with the Northern area controller. This was followed by further contact at 09:59 which ended abruptly mid-sentence with "I am over or abeam I O", both the northern area controller, Ronaldsway and Speke attempted to contact the aircraft with no response. A search for the aircraft was begun immediately and at about 12:30 the commandant of Ronaldway airport located the wreckage of the aircraft. It had struck the very summit of Cronk ny Arrey Laa slid off the summit and landed about 200 yards down hill on the eastern side of the hill where the aircraft broke up killing the crew.
Crew:
John Frederick George Savage, pilot,
Richard Lansdowne Miller, navigator,
Oswald Harold Guppy Hiscock, radio operator,
Albert Harry Noon, flight engineer.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/isleofman/iomg-ajnz.htm

While flying over the Irish Sea, enroute from Belfast to Liverpool, the pilot was forced to ditch the aircraft off Southport. He was quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

While at Lille 6,380 kg (96 bales) of fabric was loaded onto the aircraft, this was described in contemporary newspaper reports as being woolen piece goods. Once this was complete their flight plan was submitted to the Lille controller, it was a direct flight back to Speke, and they received a weather briefing for the planned route. This indicated that there would be dense cloud layers from 1000 feet upwards on the entire route with some rain. The wind as far as the London area was forecast to be from the Southwest at 35 to 40 knots and from the Northwest beyond there at a similar speed. The estimated flight time was 1 hour 30 minutes. The aircraft departed Lille at 14:38 GMT and made contact with the regional control at Uxbridge at 15:06, they reported that they had flown over the French coast in the Dunkerque area at 14:46. At around 15:15 they were over the east coast of England between Ipswich and Colchester, they were already someway off course due to the strong wind and this was confirmed with a position fix at 15:35 which put the aircraft over the fens in the Ely area. Had they not had the strong cross wind their intended track at this point would have taken them over Bedford. Upon confirming how far off course they were the pilot adopted a more westerly course and asked Uxbridge if he should contact the Manchester area control at Ringway, they replied yes. By around 16:00 to 16:05 was more or less back on the right course in the Stafford area. The crew never made contact with Ringway, their call-sign was heard at 15:59 but another aircraft was communicating with Ringway at the time. Once this transmission was completed the Ringway controller attempted to contact G-AIHU twice but failed to get a response, the crew had in fact made contact directly with the approach controller at Speke around the time of the second attempt by Ringway. This was to request a QTE (true bearing) from Speke, this was passed as 1340. At 16:10 the Speke controller asked the crew what their ETA was and they replied 16:20, three minutes later he gave the crew permission to enter the controlled airspace around Speke and circle the airfield. They were instructed to report when they had descended to 2,000 ft and reply by R/T (Radio Telephony) to the Aerodrome Controller, up to this point they had been communicating by morse (Wireless Telegraphy). No communication was received from them by R/T and after dealing with other aircraft the approach controller managed to re-establish contact at 16:28 by W/T. The crew reported in plain language "unable to raise 6440 - landing instructions?", they also requested a QDM (magnetic course to steer) at 16:32, this and the landing instructions were transmitted, the QDM was 0900 which put the aircraft to the west of Speke. The landing instructions were "QHG QHE2 QGP1 QFM 1000 ft" which translated as "you are cleared to enter the traffic circuit, inform me when you are on the down wind leg, your turn for landing is No.1, maintain (or fly at) an altitude of 1000 ft". The approach controller contacted the aircraft again at 16:35 to ask for their position and ETA, the receipt of this was acknowledged but no reply was ever received. Shortly after this the aircraft struck the trees on the top of Cwm Mountain at a recorded height of 998 feet above sea level and broke up. The wreckage was spread along a magnetic bearing of 0850 for some 400 yards. The aircraft had been flying with the flaps and undercarriage in the up position. All four crew members were killed. The AIB investigation revealed that the aircraft had over flown the airfield at Hooton Park near Ellesmere Port in a North Westerly direction at an estimated altitude of 400 to 450 feet at 16:15 and was next witnessed crossing the Welsh coast heading South West near Prestatyn at 16:30. At around the time the crew received the QDM of 090o the aircraft was heard by an Army officer in low cloud to the west of St Asaph heading East.
Crew:
John Hale Parsonage, pilot,
John Driver, copilot,
Allan Brook, navigator,
John E. Evans, radio operator.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/wales/walesg-aihu.htm

On approach to Douglas, the crew encountered poor visibility with mist. The captain decided to divert to RAF Jurby when the aircraft hit a hill, overturned and came to rest upside down. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all seven occupants were injured.