Narrative:Viking G-AHPI flew into the north slope of the La Cinta mountain range at an altitude of 1040 m.
The airplane operated on a non-scheduled flight from Bovingdon, U.K. to Nairobi, Kenya with en route stops at Nice, France and Malta.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Imprudence on the part of the pilot, who failed to maintain a greater safety altitude during flight over Siciliy, and that, particularly, in consideration of the thundery formations present over the area. A contributory factor was the pilot's ignorance of real wind conditions on the route which led to a displacement of the actual track by 3deg with reference to that intended. The Commission finds that the flight safeguarding service provided by the D/F stations of Rome and Cagliari was accomplished with due care and that, without being asked to do so other D/F stations (Milan and Venice) transmitted bearing information."
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» La Stampa 18 Feb. 1952
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 Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport to Malta-Luqa Airport as the crow flies is 1058 km (661 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
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.