Aer Lingus Flight 712

Last updated

Aer Lingus Flight 712
EI-AOE V803 Viscount Aer Lingus LPL 16MAR66 (5641658470).jpg
A Vickers Viscount of Aer Lingus, similar to the accident aircraft (1966)
Accident
Date24 March 1968
SummaryIn-flight structural failure of undetermined cause
Site St George's Channel,
near Wexford, Ireland
Aircraft
Aircraft type Vickers Viscount 803
Operator Aer Lingus
Registration EI-AOM
Flight origin Cork Airport
Destination Heathrow Airport
Passengers57
Crew4
Fatalities61
Survivors0
Island of Ireland relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
Approximate location of crash site

Aer Lingus Flight 712 crashed en route from Cork to London on 24 March 1968, killing all 61 passengers and crew. The aircraft, a Vickers Viscount 803 named St. Phelim, crashed into the sea off Tuskar Rock, County Wexford. Although the investigation into the crash lasted two years, a cause was never determined. [1] [2] [3] Causes proposed in several investigative reports include possible impact with birds, a missile or target drone, or mechanical and structural failures. [4]

Contents

Aer Lingus still uses this flight number for a daily flight from Cork to London Heathrow, [5] contrary to airline convention of discontinuing a flight number following a crash. [6] The route is operated with an aircraft from the Airbus A320 family. [5]

Crash

The flight left Cork Airport at 10:32 for London. The flight proceeded normally until a call was heard with the probable contents "twelve thousand feet descending spinning rapidly". There was no further communications with the aircraft and London ATC informed Shannon ATC that they had no radio contact with EI-AOM. London ATC requested Aer Lingus Flight EI 362 (flying Dublin-Bristol) to search west of Strumble. This search at 500 ft (150 m) in good visibility saw nothing. At 11:25 a full alert was declared. By 12:36 there was a report of wreckage sighted at position 51°57′N, 06°10′W. Searching aircraft found nothing and the report cancelled. Aircraft and ships resumed the search the following day and "wreckage was sighted and bodies recovered" 6 nautical miles (11 km) north-east of Tuskar Rock with more wreckage scattered "for a further 6 nautical miles north-west".

Thirteen bodies were recovered over the next few days. Another body was recovered later. The main wreckage was located on the sea bed by trawling 1.72 nautical miles (3.19 km) from Tuskar Rock at 39 fathoms. [7]

Aircraft

The aircraft was a Vickers Viscount 803 which flew under tail-number EI-AOM and had been in service since 1957 with a total of 18,806 lifetime flight hours. [8] Aer Lingus operated approximately 20 Viscount aircraft in the 1950s and 1960s, of which two others were involved in serious incidents. The year before the Tuskar Rock crash, in June 1967, an 803 Viscount on a training flight crashed (due to a stall) with the loss of 3 crew lives. [9] Also in 1967, in September, an 808 Viscount was damaged beyond repair during a crash landing (due to pilot error in fog) that caused no serious casualties. [10]

Flight crew

The crew of EI-AOM Flight 712 included Captain Bernard O'Beirne, [11] 35, who had joined Aer Lingus after three years in the Air Corps. [12] His total flying time was 6,683 hours, 1,679 of them on Viscounts. He was endorsed for command on Viscount aircraft and passed a medical in January 1968. The first officer was Paul Heffernan, 22, who had training with Airwork Services Training at Perth and joined Aer Lingus in 1966. That year, he received an Irish Commercial Pilots licence with Viscount endorsement and instrument rating. His total flying time was 1,139 hours, of which 900 was on Viscounts. [12] The two stewardesses on board were Ann Kelly and Mary Coughlan. [13]

Victims

Nationality [14] Total
Belgium 6
Ireland 33
Switzerland 9
Sweden 2
United Kingdom 5
United States 2

All 61 of the persons aboard the aircraft died. In total, only 14 bodies were recovered from the St George's Channel following the crash. [15]

Investigation

An investigation report was produced in 1970. [16] A review was undertaken between 1998 and 2000. An independent study was commissioned in 2000. [16]

Cause

Of the several reports issued on the potential causes of the crash, several causes were proposed. These included possible bird strike, corrosion or similar structural failure, or collision with a target drone or missile. [4] The latter causes were based on the proximity of Aberporth in west Wales – at the time the most advanced missile testing station in Britain.

In the years following the crash, several witnesses came forward in support of the missile theory. These include a crew member of the British ship HMS Penelope who alleged that part of the recovered wreckage was removed to the UK. [17]

However, in 2002 a review process conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Unit disclosed that Aer Lingus paperwork relating to a routine maintenance inspection carried out on the aircraft in December 1967 was found to be missing in 1968. [18] Moreover, a large body of research was done by the investigators after the accident, regarding the maintenance operating plan used for EI-AOM and defects on the aircraft found during analysis of the maintenance records. This research was not referred to in the 1970 report. A new board of investigation was set up by the Irish Government and found that the crash was likely the consequence of a chain of events starting with a failure to the left tail-plane caused by metal fatigue, corrosion, flutter or a bird strike, with the most likely cause being a flutter-induced fatigue failure of the elevator trim tab operating mechanism.

In March 2007, retired Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Eric Evers made an unsupported claim that the accident was caused by a mid-air collision between the Aer Lingus Vickers Viscount and a French-built military aircraft which was training with the Irish Air Corps. Evers maintained that he had evidence that a Fouga Magister trainer accidentally collided with the Aer Lingus aircraft as it was checking the status of the Viscount's undercarriage, which he claimed had failed to lock in position correctly. According to Evers, the Magister's two pilots survived by ejecting and parachuting to safety; however Magisters do not have ejector seats. Evers' claims, including that French and Irish authorities colluded in a cover-up, [19] have been strongly refuted by other commentators. For example, Mike Reynolds, an aviator and author of Tragedy at Tuskar Rock, disputed Evers' claims and supports the findings of the 2002 French/Australian investigation – which ruled-out an impact with another aircraft or missile. [19] This study, on which Reynolds worked as Irish assistant, concluded that the cause may have been as a result of structural failure of the aircraft, corrosion, metal fatigue, flutter or bird strike. [19] An Irish Defence Forces spokesman similarly described the Evers claims as "spurious", noting that there was no evidence that an Irish Air Corps plane was in the vicinity at the time, and that Magisters did not actually enter service with the Irish Air Corps until 1976. [19]

Legacy

A memorial park was opened in August 2006 in the center of Rosslare Harbour village. It was organised and paid for by the local Rosslare Harbour/Kilrane Environment Group, who spent €90,000, consisting of two amounts of €25,000 from each of The Wexford Organisation for Rural Development (WORD) and Wexford County Council with the local Environment Group raising the balance. The park features a stone centerpiece sculpted by Niall Deacon of Enniscorthy that is set in water with three panels signifying the portholes of the Viscount in descent, and a chain with 61 links representing the lives lost. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 2015 and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of International Airlines Group (IAG). The airline's head office is on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Cloghran, County Dublin.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1958.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1960.

HMS <i>Penelope</i> (F127) Leander-class frigate, launched 1962

HMS Penelope was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. In the Falklands War, Penelope fired on an Argentine patrol boat and claimed to be the last ship attacked by Argentine aircraft over the course of the war. In 1991, she was commissioned into the Ecuadorean Navy, and renamed Presidente Eloy Alfaro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Air Lines Flight 297</span> 1962 aviation accident

United Air Lines Flight 297 was a scheduled flight from Newark International Airport to Atlanta that crashed 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Baltimore on November 23, 1962, killing all 17 people on board. An investigation concluded that the aircraft, a Vickers Viscount 745D turboprop airliner, had struck at least two whistling swans, which caused severe damage to the plane, resulting in a loss of control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Air Lines Flight 823</span> 1964 aviation accident

United Airlines Flight 823 was a scheduled flight from Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania, to Huntsville International Airport, Alabama, with 39 on board. On July 9, 1964, around 18:15 EST, the aircraft, a Vickers Viscount 745D, registration N7405, crashed 2.25 mi (3.62 km) northeast of Parrottsville, Tennessee, after experiencing an uncontrollable fire on board, killing all 39 onboard. The fire of unknown origin occurred in the passenger cabin. One passenger abandoned the aircraft through the No.4 escape window prior to impact, but did not survive the free-fall. Among the victims was Durant da Ponte, professor of American literature and assistant dean of the University of Tennessee graduate school.

HMS <i>Reclaim</i> 1949 Deep diving and submarine rescue ship of the Royal Navy

HMS Reclaim was a deep diving and submarine rescue vessel of the British Royal Navy. She was originally intended to be the King Salvor-class ocean salvage vesselSalverdant and was fitted with specialised equipment including underwater television cameras and sonar and echosounding apparatus. She was also equipped for submarine rescue work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuskar Rock, Ireland</span> Island in Ireland

Tuskar Rock is a group of rocks topped by a lighthouse 11 kilometres off the southeast coast of County Wexford, Ireland. The rocks have probably destroyed more ships than any other Irish coastal feature. One hundred and seventy-six wrecks are listed for the Tuskar Rock area at Irish Wrecks Online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air France Flight 1611</span> 1968 airliner crash in the Mediterranean off Nice

Air France Flight 1611 (AF1611) was a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III en route from Ajaccio, in the island of Corsica, to Nice, France, on 11 September 1968 when it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Nice, killing all 95 on board. According to the official report, the crash was non-survivable. The Ajaccio-Nice Caravelle crash is the deadliest aviation incident in the Mediterranean Sea to date. However for unknown reasons, all documents & photos related to the accident have been kept classified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1957 Nutts Corner BEA Viscount crash</span> Airplane crash in Northern Ireland

The 1957 Nutts Corner BEA Viscount crash was a British European Airways (BEA) flight from London to Belfast that crashed at Nutts Corner Airport on 23 October 1957, killing all seven passengers and crew.

Stobart Air was an Irish regional airline based in Dublin, originating in 1970 and closing in 2021. It operated scheduled services under the brands Aer Lingus Regional, BA CityFlyer and KLM Cityhopper on behalf of their respective owners. Stobart Air had operating bases in Cork, Dublin and Belfast for Aer Lingus Regional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1971 Indian Ocean Vickers Viscount crash</span> Aviation accident

On 10 November 1971, a Merpati Nusantara Airlines Vickers Viscount, registration PK-MVS, crashed in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, after telling air traffic controllers they could not make their destination due to bad weather. All 69 people aboard the aircraft were killed in the crash. It remains the third worst Vickers Viscount accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750</span> 1968 aviation accident in Western Australia

On 31 December 1968 a Vickers Viscount aircraft departed from Perth, Western Australia for a flight of 724 nautical miles (1 341 km) to Port Hedland. The aircraft crashed 28 nautical miles (52 km) short of its destination with the loss of all twenty-six people on board. More than half of the right wing, from outboard of the inner engine to the wingtip, including the outer engine and its propeller, broke away from the rest of the aircraft in flight and struck the ground a significant distance from the main wreckage. Investigation by the Australian Department of Civil Aviation and British Aircraft Corporation concluded that a mysterious action during maintenance led to extensive fatigue cracking in the right wing spar. This accident remains the third worst in Australia's civil aviation history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ansett-ANA Flight 149</span> 1966 aviation accident

Ansett-ANA Flight 149 crashed near Winton in Queensland, Australia on 22 September 1966, killing all on board. The Vickers Viscount aircraft departed from Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia for a 73-minute flight to Longreach. Forty-four minutes after takeoff a fire started in one of the engines. The crew were unable to extinguish the fire or feather the propeller so made an emergency descent with the intention of landing at Winton, a small town along the route. The fire spread to the fuel tank and weakened the wing structure so that a large part of the left wing broke away and the aircraft crashed. All twenty-four occupants were killed. The accident remains the fifth-worst in Australia's civil aviation history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ansett-ANA Flight 325</span> 1961 aviation accident in New South Wales

On the evening of 30 November 1961, Ansett-ANA Flight 325, a service from Sydney to Canberra, Australia, operated by a Vickers Viscount 720, broke up in mid-air and crashed shortly after takeoff, when it encountered a severe thunderstorm. All 15 people on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrojet Flight 9268</span> 2015 terrorist bombing of Russian aircraft above the northern Sinai in Egypt

Metrojet Flight 9268 was an international chartered passenger flight operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia. On 31 October 2015, at 06:13 local time EST, the Airbus A321-231 operating the flight exploded above the northern Sinai Peninsula following its departure from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, Egypt en route to Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 224 passengers and crew on board died. The cause of the crash was most likely an onboard explosive device as concluded by Russian investigators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transbrasil Flight 801</span> 1989 aviation accident

Transbrasil Flight 801 (TR801/TBA801) was a scheduled cargo flight from Eduardo Gomes International Airport to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport that crashed on 21 March 1989. The Boeing 707 crashed into a heavily populated slum in Guarulhos 2 kilometres from the runway. The crash resulted in the death of all 3 crew members and 22 people on the ground. 200 people were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Royal Nepal Airlines DC-3 crash</span>

On 12 July 1969, a Douglas DC-3 operated by Royal Nepal Airlines crashed in Nepal en route from Tribhuvan International Airport to Simara Airport on a domestic scheduled passenger flight. The wreckage of the aircraft, registration 9N-AAP, was found in Hetauda, Makwanpur District. All 31 passengers and four crew aboard were killed in the crash. An investigation into the crash was launched by Nepalese authorities after the accident site was located.

References

  1. ↑ Mullin, John (11 January 1999). "Did British missile hit Flight 712?". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  2. ↑ Lashmar, Paul (16 March 2000). "For 30 years, the RAF has been suspected of causing Ireland's worst air disaster. Until now..." The Independent . London. Archived from the original on 12 August 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  3. ↑ "Air crash 'missile' link ruled out". BBC News . 24 January 2002. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Remembering the Tuskar Rock tragedy of 1968". Irish Examiner. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  5. 1 2 "(EI) Aer Lingus 712 Flight Tracker". FlightStats. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Grossman, David (31 October 2005). "Check your travel superstitions, or carry them on?". Travel. USA Today. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Air Investigation Report 1970
  8. ↑ Harro Ranter (24 March 1968). "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 803 Viscount EI-AOM Tuskar Rock". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Harro Ranter (22 June 1967). "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 803 Viscount EI-AOF Ashbourne". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  10. ↑ Harro Ranter (21 September 1967). "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 808 Viscount EI-AKK Bristol Airport (BRS)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  11. ↑ Con Houlihan (2007). "On the wings of heroes and demons, mystery and injustice". Irish Independent . Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  12. 1 2 Report on accident to Viscount 803 Aircraft EI-AOM near Tuskar Rock, Co Wexford on 24th March, 1968 (reformatted version) (PDF) (Report). Air Accident Investigation Unit (Ireland). 1970. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  13. ↑ Vogt, Ronny (1997). Irish Crash Airmails. Bray: Irish Airmail Society. p. 78.
  14. ↑ Murtagh, Peter (24 March 2018). "Tuskar tragedy remains a mystery 50 years on". Irish Times . Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Reingold, Lester A (16 February 2011). "Cause Unknown: What brought down these five airplanes?". Smithsonian Magazine . Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  16. 1 2 Donaghy, Kathy (5 July 2000). "Bizarre omission of key air crash records". Irish Independent . Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "Written Answers. - Tusker Rock Air Crash". Oireachtas Hansard. 2 April 1998. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  18. ↑ Following the study performed at the request of The Minister in charge of the Department for Public Enterprise on the AER LINGUS VISCOUNT EI-AOM accident occurred on March 24th, 1968 near TUSKAR ROCK Ireland - VOLUME I : STUDY REPORT (PDF) (Report). Air Accident Investigation Unit (Ireland). 2002. p. 68. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Siggins, Lorna (3 March 2007). "Tuskar Rock crash caused by collision – RAF man". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  20. ↑ "Memorial Park for air crash victims to open". Wexford People. 3 August 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2022.

52°11′21″N6°10′52″W / 52.1891°N 6.1812°W / 52.1891; -6.1812

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.