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3 fatalities

Test Flight Crash at Stansted Airport (G-ALDV)

Meesden, United KingdomFlight

On April 1, 1958, a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes (registration G-ALDV) operated by Skyways of London was involved in an aviation accident near Meesden, United Kingdom in flight. 3 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by the elevator mechanism becoming jammed, resulting in a loss of control. The jamming was due to a small extraneous object entering the control mechanism. 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.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A test flight from Stansted Airport ended in a fatal crash after the pilot reported jammed controls. The aircraft descended in dives and climbs before crashing in a field, killing the crew of three.

Incident Overview and Timeline On 1059LT, the aircraft departed Stansted Airport for a test flight and climbed steeply toward the northwest. A few minutes later, observers reported the aircraft approaching the airport from the west at approximately 1,500 feet. At 1113LT, the Air Traffic Control Tower received a radio call from the captain declaring an emergency and stating that the controls were jammed. Around the same time, the aircraft was observed roughly 6 miles northeast of the airfield, descending in a series of dives and climbs. The aircraft crashed in a field shortly afterward, resulting in the deaths of the three crew members. Most of the wreckage was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by the elevator mechanism becoming jammed, resulting in a loss of control. The jamming was due to a small extraneous object entering the control mechanism.

Related events

Same operator

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