Просмотр кода страницы Английская Википедия:1954 Swissair Convair CV-240 crash

{{Английская Википедия/Панель перехода}}
{{short description|1954 aviation accident}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Aircraft occurrence
|name             = 1954 Swissair Convair CV-240 crash
|occurrence_type  = Accident
|image            = Convair 240 HB-IRW Swissair RWY 13.06.54 edited-2.jpg
|image_size       = 250px
|alt              = Swissair Convair CV-240
|caption          = Swissair Convair CV-240 ''HB-IRW'' at [[Manchester Airport]] on 13 June 1954, six days before it crashed off Folkestone.
|date             = 19 June 1954
|type             = [[Water landing|Ditching]] due to [[fuel exhaustion]] (pilot error)
|site             = [[English Channel]], off [[Folkestone]], Kent
|coordinates      = 
|aircraft_type    = [[Convair CV-240]]
|aircraft_name    = ''[[Ticino]]''
|operator         = [[Swissair]]
|tail_number      = HB-IRW
|origin           = [[Cointrin Airport]], Geneva, Switzerland.
|destination      = [[London Heathrow Airport|Heathrow Airport]], London, United Kingdom.
|passengers       = 5
|crew             = 4
|injuries         = 6
|fatalities       = 3
|survivors        = 6
}}

On 19 June 1954 a [[Swissair]] [[Convair CV-240 family|Convair CV-240]] [[Water landing|ditched]] off [[Folkestone]], Kent when it ran out of fuel while crossing the [[English Channel]]. All on board survived the ditching, but three people who could not swim drowned. There were no lifejackets or water safety equipment on board, as regulations did not require them on short flights over water.

==Aircraft==
The ditched aircraft was [[Convair CV-240 family|Convair CV-240]] HB-IRW, c/n 61. The aircraft had first flown in 1948.<ref name=ASN190654>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19540619-0 |title=HB-IRW Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |accessdate=6 February 2011}}</ref> Named ''[[Ticino]]'', the aircraft had entered service with [[KLM]], and was sold to Swissair on 28 November 1953 for [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 2,270,000.<ref name=Convair>{{cite web|url=http://sr692.com/fleet/15_cv240/index.html |title=Convair CV-240 |publisher=sr692.com |accessdate=6 February 2011}}</ref>

==Accident==
The accident flight was a scheduled international passenger flight from [[Cointrin Airport]], Geneva, Switzerland to [[Heathrow Airport]], London, United Kingdom.<ref name=Flight250654>{{cite journal|title=Swiss Convair Lost |journal=FlightGlobal |issue=25 June 1954 |page=813 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%201838.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905175745/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%201838.html|archive-date=5 September 2018}}</ref> The aircraft had previously flown from London to Geneva.<ref name=Times280654>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Swiss Aircraft Crash Off Folkestone |date=28 June 1954 |page=6 |issue=52969 |column=D}}</ref> While crossing the [[English Channel]] at an altitude of {{convert|12000|ft|m}}, the pilot noticed that the gauges were indicating low  fuel. The port engine then stopped and the propeller was feathered. The pilot initiated a diversion to [[RAF Manston]].
The starboard engine then also stopped. A successful ditching was made {{convert|1+1/2|mi|km}} off [[Folkestone]], Kent at about 11&nbsp;pm.<ref name=Times210654>{{Cite newspaper The Times|title=Airliner Down in Sea |date=21 June 1954 |page=6 |issue=52963 |column=F}}</ref>

The crash was heard by a [[crane (machine)|crane]] driver at {{stnlnk|Folkestone Harbour}}, who reported the fact to the berthing master. Four [[British Railways]] staff rowed a boat out to the scene of the accident, which they reached in about 30 minutes. Five survivors were picked up and transferred to the {{MV|Southern Queen||2}}, which had gone to assist. [[Lifeboat (rescue)|Lifeboats]] from [[Dover]] and [[Dungeness (headland)|Dungeness]], and [[helicopters]] from RAF Manston and {{HMS|Albion|R07|6}} also searched for survivors. A sixth survivor was rescued by ''Southern Queen'', with the other five being transferred to her. They were landed in Folkestone and taken to the [[Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone|Royal Victoria Hospital]]. Three of the passengers had survived the ditching, but drowned.<ref name=Times210654/>

The body of one of the victims was discovered at [[St. Margarets Bay, Kent|St Margaret's Bay]] on 27 June.<ref name=Times280654/> Another victim's body was washed up in the [[Netherlands]]. The body of the third victim had not been found by the time an inquest was held in August 1954 at [[Ashford, Kent]]. A verdict of "misadventure" was returned in the case of the two victims whose bodies had been recovered. While acknowledging the pilot's skill in successfully executing the ditching, the coroner criticized both flight crew members for their failure to assist the passengers after the ditching occurred.<ref name=Times310854>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Appeal By Air Crash Jury |date=31 August 1954 |page=2 |issue=53024 |column=E}}</ref>

==Investigation==
The accident was investigated by the [[Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation]]. It was discovered that the aircraft had not been refuelled at Geneva before departing for London.<ref name=Flight020754>{{cite journal|title=The Swissair Accident |journal=FlightGlobal |issue=2 July 1954 |page=28 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%201979.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302202238/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%201979.html|archive-date=2 March 2012}}</ref> The fuel had been ordered, but was not delivered to the aircraft, which could hold {{convert|700|impgal|L}} of fuel, so it departed with what was left after fuelling in London and flying to Geneva.<ref name=Times280654/> The captain apparently did not notice the lack of fuel on departure from Geneva.<ref name=Times310854/>

==Consequences==
Both flight crew were suspended by Swissair following the accident, and dismissed after the cause of the accident was established.<ref name=Times290654>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Channel Air Crash |date=29 June 1954 |page=7 |issue=52970 |column=D}}</ref> As a response to the accident, Swissair afterwards carried lifesaving equipment on all cross-Channel flights, although the crossing took only a few minutes; this was only required by regulations when the time over water exceeded 30 minutes.<ref name=Times280654/><ref name=Times310854/>

==Casualties==
The nationalities of the casualties were -<ref name=Times210654/><ref name=Times220654>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=News in Brief |date=22 June 1954 |page=3 |issue=52964 |column=D}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Nationality 
! Crew 
! Passengers
! Killed
! Injured
|-
| United Kingdom
| –
| 5
| 3
| 2
|-
| Switzerland 
| 4
| –
| –
| 4
|-
| '''Total'''
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 6
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in the United Kingdom}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1954}}
{{Commercial ditchings}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swissair Convair CV-240 crash}}
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1954]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Kent]]
[[Category:Folkestone]]
[[Category:1954 disasters in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents involving ditching]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by fuel exhaustion]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Convair CV-240 family]]
[[Category:Swissair accidents and incidents|1954]]
[[Category:History of the English Channel]]
[[Category:1950s in Kent]]
[[Category:June 1954 events in the United Kingdom]]
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