Airspeed Ambassador - Accidents and Incidents

Accidents and Incidents

• 8 April 1955: G-AMAB, Sir Francis Bacon of British European Airways was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing south-west of Düsseldorf, Germany.
• 6 February 1958: in what became known as the Munich air disaster, an Ambassador crashed on takeoff from a refuelling stop at Munich while operating a charter flight from Belgrade in Yugoslavia to Manchester. This crash received tremendous public attention in the UK as it involved team members and staff of Manchester United football club, together with representatives of the national press.
• 16 April 1966: G-ALZZ of Dan-Air was damaged beyond repair when landing at Beauvais, France.
• 3 July 1968: a BKS Air Transport Ambassador crashed at London Heathrow Airport. All but two of its crew as well as several horses which were being transported and their grooms, were killed. A parked Trident airliner was damaged beyond repair and another Trident had its tail torn off before the airliner hit terminal buildings and came to rest. The accident was found to have been caused by the failure of a flap actuating rod in the Ambassador's port (left) wing. Coincidentally, the Trident which suffered the damaged tail (G-ARPI) was subsequently repaired and later involved in an (unconnected) fatal accident in June 1972.
• 30 September 1968: G-AMAG of Dan-air was damaged beyond repair in a wheels up landing at Manston, United Kingdom.