Avro 685 York accident at Negombo, Sri Lanka, 18 Mar 1947 (MW198)
On March 18, 1947, an Avro 685 York (registration MW198) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Negombo, Sri Lanka during takeoff. 11 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The exact cause of the technical problem on engine # 3 was not determined. However, it is believed that the crew inadvertently shut down the engine # 4 instead of # 3, causing the heavy aircraft to lose height and crash. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
The exact cause of the technical problem on engine # 3 was not determined. However, it is believed that the crew inadvertently shut down the engine # 4 instead of # 3, causing the heavy aircraft to lose height and crash.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the engine # 3 failed. The captain elected to fly over the sea to ditch the aircraft but the York stalled, hit palms and crashed 5 km from the airport. All four crew members and 7 passengers were killed, three passengers were injured while six others were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause (official findings): The exact cause of the technical problem on engine # 3 was not determined. However, it is believed that the crew inadvertently shut down the engine # 4 instead of # 3, causing the heavy aircraft to lose height and crash.