Date: 29 FEB 1964
Time: 14:14
Type: Bristol 175 Britannia 312
Operator: British Eagle International Airlines
Registration: G-AOVO
Msn / C/n: 13423
Year built: 1958
Crew: 8 fatalities / 8 on board
Passengers: 75 fatalities / 75 on board
Total: 83 fatalities / 83 on board
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: Mt. Glungezer (Austria)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature: International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: London-Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Destination airport: Innsbruck Airport (INN)
Flightnumber: 802/6
British Eagle Flight 802/6 departed London at 12:04 GMT with destination Innsbruck, Austria. At 13:35 the flight contacted Munich ATC and reported over the Kempten NDB nine minutes later, changing its IFR flight plan to VFR from Kempten to Innsbruck. Two minutes later the crew contacted Innsbruck and reported descending VMC directly to Seefeld. Over the Innsbruck VOR at FL110, the airplane was still unable to break the clouds. The last message from the flight was at 14:12 when it reported at FL100. The descent was continued until the airplane collided with the steep eastern flank of the Glungezer Mountain at an altitude of 2600m (8500 ft). An avalanche occurred, carrying most of the aircraft debris downhill for about 400m.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The primary cause was the erroneous
decision of the pilot-in-command to descend, below the stipulated minimum
safe altitude in the weather conditions prevailing at the time, as a result
of which he was unable to conduct the flight in accordance with visual flight
rules."
Source: ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.16, Circular 82-AN/69 (65-75)
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A message to all company personnel from the Chairman and Managing Director regarding the loss of G-AOVO in Innsbruck on Saturday 29th February 1964 |
The tail assembly of G-AOVO lies in the snow on Mt. Glungezer following the crash near Innsbruck |
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