Accident Overview
A Comet aircraft operated as a demonstration flight from London to Sydney crashed during takeoff from runway 25 at Mauripur Airbase. The aircraft failed to become airborne, overran the 2,500-meter runway, struck obstacles, breached a perimeter fence, and came to rest in flames in a small river. The aircraft was destroyed by the subsequent fire, and all 11 occupants—five flying crew and six De Havilland engineers—were killed.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the accident occurred because the nose of the aircraft was lifted excessively during the takeoff run, resulting in a partially stalled condition and excessive drag. This prevented normal acceleration and the aircraft from becoming airborne within the available distance. The pilot recognized the excessive nose attitude and attempted corrective action, but the correction came too late to avoid striking an obstruction beyond the perimeter fence before the aircraft could become airborne.
A contributing factor was the pilot's limited experience in the Comet aircraft, combined with the decision to conduct the night takeoff at maximum permissible takeoff weight for the prevailing conditions. The investigation noted that the circumstances required strict adherence to the prescribed takeoff technique, which was not followed.