| - | ACCIDENT DETAILS |
| Date: | October 05, 1930 |
| Time: | 0205 |
| Location: | Near Beauvais, France |
| Operator: | Military - British Air Ministry |
| Flight #: | ? |
| Route: | Cardington, England - Karachi, Pakistan |
| AC Type: | Royal Airship Works R-101 |
| Registration: | G-FAAW |
| cn / ln: | R-101 |
| Aboard: | 54 (passengers:? crew:?) |
| Fatalities: | 48 (passengers:? crew:?) |
| Ground: | 0 |
| Summary: | The airship was on its inaugural flight from Cardington, England to Karachi, (Pakistan). During a storm on the first night, it suddenly nosedived, leveled briefly, then dived again crashing and burning. Preparations had been rushed for political reasons and there had been no full-speed test flight. In the wind and rain, the outer cover split open at the front so that the two forward gasbags ruptured simultaneously. Dropping ballast raised the nose, but only because there was also dynamic lift, which was promptly lost as speed was reduced, presumably to save the remaining gasbags. |
Sources
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