1952-03-11: Avro 685 York (G-AMGL) — Air Charter Ltd London — Hamburg-Helmut-Schmidt (Fuhlsbüttel), Germany

No fatalitiesHamburg-Helmut-Schmidt (Fuhlsbüttel), GermanyLanding (descent or approach)

An aircraft experienced simultaneous engine failure while on final approach to Hamburg, resulting in a crash landing short of the runway.

What happened

During the final approach phase at Hamburg-Fuhlbüttel Airport, the aircraft suffered a total loss of power across all four engines. This simultaneous failure led to a rapid reduction in both airspeed and altitude. Unable to maintain flight, the plane descended into a field located before reaching the runway.

Despite the impact, rescue teams were able to reach the site promptly. All ten occupants on board were successfully rescued from the wreckage. The aircraft sustained heavy damage and was declared a total loss.

Findings

Investigations into the incident determined that the primary reason for the loss of power was fuel exhaustion, which caused all four engines to stop functioning during the approach.

Probable cause

The simultaneous failure of all four engines was caused by the aircraft running out of fuel during its final approach.