Date & Time:
Mar 27, 1963
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Varsity
Operator:
Smiths Aviation
Registration:
G-APAZ
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Gloucester - Gloucester
MSN:
561
YOM:
1957
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight. Shortly after takeoff from runway 22 at Gloucester-Staverton Airport, while climbing to a height of 600-700 feet, the airplane stalled and crashed on the roof of a house located on Tuffley Avenue. Both pilots were killed while three people leaving in the house were uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Selection of the starboard engine 'idle-cut-off' switch to CUT-OFF instead of the port to the RUN position, when attempting to re-start the port engine, resulted in a complete loss of power at a low height and the aircraft struck a house in the ensuing crash-landing.
