Narrative:During the flight two screws were noticed to be missing from the flap beam fairing between the inner and middle flaps on the port wing. As a precaution it was decided to make a flapless landing at Geneva. The touchdown was smooth, on the mainwheels, but the nosewheels and axle broke off because of a material fracture when the nosewheels touched the runway. The aircraft continued straight down the runway, with the stub of the leg in contact with the ground. When the speed had dropped to about 30 knots, the aircraft swung to port on to a taxiway and stopped just clear of the runway. A small fire in the nosewheel bay was quickly put out by the airport fire service.
Probable Cause:
Conclusions: "The Commission arrived unanimously at the following conclusion : The accident was due to the facture of a part of the nose undercarriage structure during a landing made without flaps, probably subject to the accompanying influence of local weakening of the fractured part."
Classification:
Landing gear collapse
Runway mishap
Sources:
» Survey of accidents to aircraft in the United Kingdom 1963 / CAA
» ICAO Digest 15-I (Circular 78)
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from London Airport to Genève-Cointrin Airport as the crow flies is 749 km (468 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.