Llandow air disaster facts for kids
G-AKBY, the aircraft involved in the incident
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 12 March 1950 |
| Summary | Stalled due to improper aircraft loading |
| Place | Sigingstone, near Llandow aerodrome, Wales 51°26′04″N 3°28′39″W / 51.43445°N 3.47739°W |
| Passengers | 78 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 3 |
| Fatalities | 80 |
| Survivors | 3 |
| Aircraft type | Avro 689 Tudor V |
| Airline/user | Airflight operating as Fairflight |
| Registration | G-AKBY |
| Flew from | Dublin Airport |
| Flying to | Llandow aerodrome |
The Llandow air disaster was a terrible aircraft accident that happened in Wales in 1950. It was the worst plane crash in the world at that time, with 80 people losing their lives. The plane, an Avro Tudor, was bringing rugby union fans back from a game in Ireland. Sadly, it lost power and crashed while trying to land.
Contents
What Happened: The Flight's Last Moments
On March 12, 1950, a plane called Star Girl took off from Dublin Airport in Ireland. It was an Avro Tudor and was flying to RAF Llandow in South Wales. The plane was carrying 78 passengers and 5 crew members. They had gone to Ireland to watch the Welsh rugby team play against Ireland. The weather was clear, and the flight to Ireland had been smooth.
Eyewitnesses saw the plane approaching Llandow aerodrome at about 3:05 PM. It was flying unusually low, with its landing gear already down. The pilot tried to make the plane go higher by giving it more power. The aircraft rose sharply to about 100 meters (300 feet), pointing its nose up very steeply. Then, the plane suddenly lost its lift and began to fall. This is called a stall.
Star Girl crashed to the ground near a small village called Sigingstone. The right wing hit first, then the nose and the left wing. The left wing broke off. The plane spun around and stopped near a field. Luckily, there was no explosion or fire after the crash.
Three people survived the crash. Two passengers who were sitting in extra seats at the very back of the plane walked away. A third man, who was in the lavatory, survived but was in the hospital for four months. Sadly, eight more people who survived the initial crash later died from their injuries in the hospital. This brought the total number of people who died to 80. This included 75 passengers and all five crew members.
At the time, this was the worst aviation disaster in history. It had more deaths than any previous plane crash.
Why the Crash Happened: The Investigation
After the crash, a special investigation was held to find out what went wrong. The experts found that the main reason for the accident was how the plane was loaded. The weight inside the aircraft was not balanced correctly. It had shifted too far back. This made it hard for the pilot to control the plane's elevators, which are important parts that help the plane go up or down.
Remembering Those Lost
Many of the people who died were rugby fans. Three members of the Abercarn Rugby Football Club and six members of the Llanharan RFC team were among them. Both clubs still remember the victims with special symbols on their club badges.
On March 25, 1950, during the final rugby game of the championship, the crowd stood in silence. Five buglers played a tribute called the Last Post. This was to honor the memory of all the supporters who had died in the plane crash.
See also
- 1950 in aviation
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
Images for kids
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Memorial plaque in Sigingstone dedicated in 1990 on the 40th anniversary of the crash.
