What happened
The incident occurred during a nighttime approach to London-Heathrow Airport under conditions of reduced visibility caused by fog. Estimates placed the visibility range between 200 and 400 metres at the time of the event. As the aircraft completed its approach, it touched down on the runway. Shortly after making contact with the surface, the airplane lost control and deviated from the intended path. It struck the ground approximately 160 metres from the runway centerline, where it immediately burst into flames.
The crash resulted in significant loss of life. 20 occupants were killed, while two passengers survived the impact but sustained serious injuries. The flight crew consisted of a pilot, a radio operator, and a steward.
Findings
Investigations confirmed that the aircraft was in a normal configuration as it approached the runway threshold and likely touched down in a near-normal manner. No physical evidence on the wreckage explained the subsequent abnormal sequence of events. However, investigators proposed a plausible hypothesis regarding the dynamics of the crash. It is assumed that the aircraft struck the ground abruptly, causing a bounce. This reaction typically induces a pitch-up attitude, increasing the angle of attack and allowing the aircraft to climb slightly off the ground due to momentum.
To maintain contact with the runway under these conditions, the pilot would have needed to push the control stick forward forcefully. The findings suggest that this corrective action was not taken. Consequently, the aircraft regained altitude without a corresponding increase in engine power, making it unable to sustain normal flight. This led to an inevitable loss of speed, accompanied by a turn and a nosedive.
Several environmental factors supported this hypothesis. The landing took place with near-zero visibility due to fog. Additionally, the high-intensity sodium lights lining the runway extended only 360 metres from the threshold. The pilot had activated the aircraft's headlights during the final approach, likely in an attempt to improve visual reference. However, the lights illuminated the dense fog, creating a white, opaque wall that likely disoriented the crew and hindered their ability to perceive the aircraft's actual position and attitude.