No fatalities

Cabin Fills with Smoke After Take-off from Leeds-Bradford; Aircraft Damaged in Forced Landing (G-ALXH)

Leeds-Bradford, United KingdomTakeoff (climb)

On April 9, 1963, an Avro 19 (registration G-ALXH) operated by BKS Air Transport was involved in an aviation accident near Leeds-Bradford, United Kingdom during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

Shortly after take-off from Leeds-Bradford Airport, smoke filled the cabin from the camera hatch near the starboard wing root. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field after suspecting starboard engine failure. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair; all three occupants were uninjured.

Incident

Approximately 800 feet above the downwind end of the runway at Leeds-Bradford Airport, the cabin of a positioning flight to Belfast filled with smoke originating from the camera hatch near the starboard wing root.

Sequence of Events

The pilot closed the throttles and initiated a descending turn to port. At around 400 feet, power was applied for a base leg and short final approach. Despite full throttle, airspeed began to decrease. As the pilot found it necessary to apply increasing left rudder, he concluded that the starboard engine had failed. He decided to make a forced landing in a field outside the airport.

During the approach, the aircraft was dived and turned in an attempt to avoid high-tension (HT) wires. It collided with a pole (port) and struck the ground heavily.

Aftermath

The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. All three occupants escaped uninjured.