Date:	Wednesday 22 October 1958
Time:	11:50
Type:	Vickers 701C Viscount
Owner/operator:	British European Airways - BEA
Registration:	G-ANHC
MSN:	63
Year of manufacture:	1954
Engine model:	Rolls-Royce Dart 506
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 31 / Occupants: 31
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Anzio -   Italy
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	London Airport (LHR/EGLL)
Destination airport:	Napoli Airport (NAP/LIRN)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
BEA Flight 142 was en route from London to Naples flying on Airway Amber 1, reporting over Ostia, Italy, at 23500 feet at 11:44. The flight reported continuing to Ponza, estimating arrival over this NDB at 11:57. At 10:45 a formation of four Italian Air Force North American F-86E Sabre jets had taken off from Pratica di Mare Air Base on a group tactical training exercise in the Pratica CTR (West of Airway Amber 1) which was prohibited for civil aircraft. The formation was 5 km east of Anzio on a 310 degree heading carrying out a reverse attack manoeuvre consisting of an initial dive, followed by a climb turn to the right and a steep dive with final recovery to level flight. During the steep dive that followed the climbing turn, the leading aircraft collided with the Viscount. Both aircraft crashed, but the F-86 pilot was able to eject.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was attributed to "an Act of God" - since neither of the pilots saw the other aircraft before they collided.
A contributory cause of the accident was deviation of the Viscount from the airway which placed it in a prohibited area reserved for military activities."

ICAO Accident Digest, Circular 59-AN/54 (215-227)

photo (c) Ministry of Defence-Aviation, Italy

photo (c) Ministry of Defence-Aviation, Italy

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