What happened
On the evening of the flight, an international service traveling from Beauvais, France, to Gatlin, England, departed runway 23 at 1948 hours GMT. While transiting the airspace near Lydd, the crew experienced a sudden and extensive electrical malfunction. During an attempt to respond to a query from London Airways, the co-pilot discovered that the VHF transmitter, No. 2 VHF, ILS receiver, radio compasses, starboard generator, and both inverters had all ceased functioning.
Although aircraft lighting remained operational, the pilot-in-command was unable to inspect or replace the main radio fuse due to a lack of tools. The crew noted that the main fuse felt extremely hot. Faced with a total loss of radio communication and navigation capabilities, and unable to safely descend through low cloud layers (120 to 200 m) without visual references, the pilot elected to turn south toward the sea to find a visible landmark.
The aircraft flew various headings in an attempt to identify coastal towns or landmarks. After flying near Le Tréport and observing the lights of a promenade on a beach, the pilot decided to attempt an emergency landing on the sand to avoid the risk of running out of fuel over the French countryside. During the final approach at approximately 2240 hours GMT, the starboard engine began showing signs of fuel depletion. The aircraft landed on the beach with its undercarriage retracted; while the impact was relatively soft, the port wing tip struck a concrete groyne. There were 33 occupants on board, all of whom were evacuated, with 5 injuries reported.
Findings
- The electrical system design lacked a safeguard to prevent a single main supply fuse failure from causing a total loss of all radio and navigation equipment.
- A failure occurred in the main supply fuse, which was likely improperly rated, and the crew lacked the means to repair it.
- Inadequate dead reckoning navigation by the crew both before and after the electrical failure contributed to the incident.