Air Ferry DC-4 Crash 3 June 1967
Air Ferry
Thanks Planemike, Although I have kept records of all my flights, It's easy to have got some registations down wrongly. I'll update my records.
Thanks, Paul
Thanks, Paul
Paul...........
G-ARIY was registered to Aviation Overhauls of Speke, an associate company of Starways, I am pretty sure.
G-ARWI was leased by Air Ferry from Lloyd International following the loss of G-APYK 03 June 67. Lease lasted from June to October 67, sorry no exact dates.
Planemike
G-ARIY was registered to Aviation Overhauls of Speke, an associate company of Starways, I am pretty sure.
G-ARWI was leased by Air Ferry from Lloyd International following the loss of G-APYK 03 June 67. Lease lasted from June to October 67, sorry no exact dates.
Planemike
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G-APYK crash site photos
Hello,
I have been following this thread for a while. I have visited the crash site twice in recent years. Most parts have vanished into the forest floor and only a metal detector reveales that the area is littered with pieces of the wreckage.
The most eerie parts lying scattered in the river are parts of the seats and a safety belt!
I have uploaded 3 photos to aviation-safety.net a while ago.
ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-54A-1-DC G-APYK Mont Canigou
I have been trying to find photos of the crash site right after the accident. Can anybody help out?
Regards
Chris
I have been following this thread for a while. I have visited the crash site twice in recent years. Most parts have vanished into the forest floor and only a metal detector reveales that the area is littered with pieces of the wreckage.
The most eerie parts lying scattered in the river are parts of the seats and a safety belt!
I have uploaded 3 photos to aviation-safety.net a while ago.
ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-54A-1-DC G-APYK Mont Canigou
I have been trying to find photos of the crash site right after the accident. Can anybody help out?
Regards
Chris
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G-APYK list of victims
I've only just found this forum after Googling for "G_APYK", and after a quick look through this topic I understand that someone was asking for a list of victims. I have such a list, which is part of the official French investigation document, and it is as follows :-
Mr Pullinger (Ronald), commandant de bord.
Mr Isaacs (Edward), copilote.
Mr Fisher (Richard), second officier.
Miss Dunn (Catherine), première hôtesse.
Miss Mc Cann (Patricia), deuxième hôtesse.
Mr Allen (David).
Mrs Beauchamp (Mary).
Mr Beaver (Graham).
Mr Bray (Charles).
Mrs Bray (Barbara).
Mr Brown (John).
Mr Cain (Harry).
Mrs Cain (Mary).
Miss Cunningham (Margaret).
Mr Clark (John).
Mrs Clark (Nellie).
Mr Mc Cormick (John).
Mr Drayton (Philip).
Mrs Drayton (Kathïeen).
Mr Dossor (Peter).
Mr Dunlop (Robert).
Miss Edwards (Patricia).
Mr Fowler (Alan).
Mr Flowers (Frederick).
Mrs Flowers (Jean).
Mr Me Gowan (Terence).
Mr Hancock (Barry).
Mr Handley (John).
Mrs Handley (Shirley).
Miss Handley (Claire).
Mr Heath (Anthony).
Mrs Hutson (Doris).
Mr Hugginson (Brian).
Mrs Hugginson (Kathryn).
Miss Hughes (Diana).
Mr Illingworth (Ernest).
Mrs Illingworth (Margaret).
Mr Mc Intyre (John).
Mrs Mc Intyre (Elizabeth).
Mr Jackson (Peter).
Mrs Jackson (Vera).
Master Jackson (Christopher).
Master A. Jackson (Adrian).
Miss Jackson (Dianne).
Mr James (David).
Mrs James (Dora).
Mrs Jones (Kathleen).
Mr Jones (James).
Mr Kanavagh (Brian).
Mr Kirkup (John).
Mr Kenyon (May).
Mrs Lamb (Ellen).
Miss Liversage (Joyce).
Mr Martin (Ronald).
Mrs Martin (Lilian).
Mr Muller (Paul).
Mrs Muller (Phyllis).
Mr Mason (James).
Mrs Mason (Bertha).
Mr Nicholson (Joseph).
Mrs Nicholson (Isabel).
Mr Nicol (Joseph).
Mr Nicholas (James).
Mrs Nicholas (Rita).
Master Nicholas (David).
Enfant Nicholas (Sarah).
Mr Ratcliffe (William).
Mrs Ratcliffe (Shelagh),
Mr Rafferty (William).
Mrs Reed (Enid).
Miss Scott (Marie).
Mr Smith (Henry).
Mrs Smith (Annie).
Mr Shann (David).
Mr Strutt (Frederick).
Mrs Strutt (Mary).
Mr Sullivan (John).
Mrs Sullivan (Maureen).
Mr Spooner (Edward).
Mr Taylor (Royston).
Mrs Taylor (Nancy).
Mrs Tomlinson (Charlotte).
Mrs Tully (Béryl).
Mr Vincent (Alan).
Mr Whitton (David).
Mr Wedge (George).
Mr Wilson (Brennan).
Mr Potter (Ronald).
This list was never included in the official British report.
Mr Pullinger (Ronald), commandant de bord.
Mr Isaacs (Edward), copilote.
Mr Fisher (Richard), second officier.
Miss Dunn (Catherine), première hôtesse.
Miss Mc Cann (Patricia), deuxième hôtesse.
Mr Allen (David).
Mrs Beauchamp (Mary).
Mr Beaver (Graham).
Mr Bray (Charles).
Mrs Bray (Barbara).
Mr Brown (John).
Mr Cain (Harry).
Mrs Cain (Mary).
Miss Cunningham (Margaret).
Mr Clark (John).
Mrs Clark (Nellie).
Mr Mc Cormick (John).
Mr Drayton (Philip).
Mrs Drayton (Kathïeen).
Mr Dossor (Peter).
Mr Dunlop (Robert).
Miss Edwards (Patricia).
Mr Fowler (Alan).
Mr Flowers (Frederick).
Mrs Flowers (Jean).
Mr Me Gowan (Terence).
Mr Hancock (Barry).
Mr Handley (John).
Mrs Handley (Shirley).
Miss Handley (Claire).
Mr Heath (Anthony).
Mrs Hutson (Doris).
Mr Hugginson (Brian).
Mrs Hugginson (Kathryn).
Miss Hughes (Diana).
Mr Illingworth (Ernest).
Mrs Illingworth (Margaret).
Mr Mc Intyre (John).
Mrs Mc Intyre (Elizabeth).
Mr Jackson (Peter).
Mrs Jackson (Vera).
Master Jackson (Christopher).
Master A. Jackson (Adrian).
Miss Jackson (Dianne).
Mr James (David).
Mrs James (Dora).
Mrs Jones (Kathleen).
Mr Jones (James).
Mr Kanavagh (Brian).
Mr Kirkup (John).
Mr Kenyon (May).
Mrs Lamb (Ellen).
Miss Liversage (Joyce).
Mr Martin (Ronald).
Mrs Martin (Lilian).
Mr Muller (Paul).
Mrs Muller (Phyllis).
Mr Mason (James).
Mrs Mason (Bertha).
Mr Nicholson (Joseph).
Mrs Nicholson (Isabel).
Mr Nicol (Joseph).
Mr Nicholas (James).
Mrs Nicholas (Rita).
Master Nicholas (David).
Enfant Nicholas (Sarah).
Mr Ratcliffe (William).
Mrs Ratcliffe (Shelagh),
Mr Rafferty (William).
Mrs Reed (Enid).
Miss Scott (Marie).
Mr Smith (Henry).
Mrs Smith (Annie).
Mr Shann (David).
Mr Strutt (Frederick).
Mrs Strutt (Mary).
Mr Sullivan (John).
Mrs Sullivan (Maureen).
Mr Spooner (Edward).
Mr Taylor (Royston).
Mrs Taylor (Nancy).
Mrs Tomlinson (Charlotte).
Mrs Tully (Béryl).
Mr Vincent (Alan).
Mr Whitton (David).
Mr Wedge (George).
Mr Wilson (Brennan).
Mr Potter (Ronald).
This list was never included in the official British report.
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DC4 crash 1967
Hi! I am interested in your 2011 posting on the Perpignan air crash of 1967.
Now 63, living in Leeds, I vividly remember this event concerning 6 colleagues and friends from General Accident Insurance in Hull.
I was just 17. They were messrs Fowler, Whitton, Dossor, Shann, Nichol and Kirkup. I have a copy of the book Twighlight of the Pistons, and just yesterday downloaded the official report in French; I would like a copy of the English version and indeed would be grateful if you have any relevant details concerning these 6 lads; postage/costs no problem.
Funnily, I went on a coach trip to Folkstone/Canterbury this May and they took us to Manston airport/museums where the flight flew from of course.
My email is: [email protected].
Many thanks, Mike.
Now 63, living in Leeds, I vividly remember this event concerning 6 colleagues and friends from General Accident Insurance in Hull.
I was just 17. They were messrs Fowler, Whitton, Dossor, Shann, Nichol and Kirkup. I have a copy of the book Twighlight of the Pistons, and just yesterday downloaded the official report in French; I would like a copy of the English version and indeed would be grateful if you have any relevant details concerning these 6 lads; postage/costs no problem.
Funnily, I went on a coach trip to Folkstone/Canterbury this May and they took us to Manston airport/museums where the flight flew from of course.
My email is: [email protected].
Many thanks, Mike.
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Thank you to the person who wrote the names on here. I now live in Whitstable, but I came from Sydenham, London and we were friends of Vi and Peter Kavenagh, the mother and brother of Brian Kavenagh. Unforunately Vi passed away a couple of years ago, but we are still in touch with Peter, who was only a baby when he lost his brother Brian. I don't know why I started to look this up but something made me want to know more about the crash and see if there was a passenger list, just so that I could see his name in print! (we have photo's of his headstone) and I couldn't find the info anywhere, so I was so pleased to see his name mentioned somewhere, as these young men should never be forgotten.
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Sunday Silence
I lived on Sydenham Hill Estate and will never forget that Sunday Morning nor will I the funeral of six of the seven. Peter McCormack was a good friend and the Estate was never the same. I did visit some years ago and met up with some of the family who still live there.
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A very lucky Escape!
I had my first bad experience flying for the very first timeout of Manston Airport on an Air Ferry Ltd DC4 (Invicta Airways?) in the 1stweek of June 1966. We had booked a11-day package holiday with a Northern travel agent ‘Lyons Tours’ to BarcelonaAirport, mainly because they were cheap! We were booked into the Hotel Acapulco in Calella on the CostaDorada. Most of the holiday makersappeared to be Northerners. As we flewover the Pyranee’s I was fascinated by seeing small peaks of mountain top’ssticking thru the clouds. That is untilthe plane suddenly dropped like a stone through the clouds, with a feeling likeyour stomach was still up there above cloud level! The stewardess and several passengersstanding in the gangway fell over and the passengers let out a scream. The stewardess recovered quickly and shouted‘Seatbelts on!’ The plane shuddered to astop and gradually started to climb again. A laborious process and you could feel both the wings flapping, almostlike a bird! There was no visibilitythrough the porthole windows because we had dropped quite a way into theclouds. Remembering the peaks that stuckup above cloud level I looked at my 22-year old wife and daughter and I said ‘Ithink we are going to die!’ We justcuddled up. After what seemed ages in thegradual ascent the plane suddenly entered clear sky again. The pilot then explained over the intercomthat the plane had entered a ‘vacuum’ that resulted in the sudden drop. We had a terrific first Spanish holiday andmade friends with many of the northern families, although the apprehension ofhomeward flight did pop into my head on more than one occasion. As we all sat in the open air bar in theearly morning hours of departure day we agreed that we enjoyed the holiday somuch that we will all meet up again at the same Hotel Acapulco with Lyons Toursagain in the first June flight in 1967.
Given that hardly any of the hotel staff or shopkeepersspoke English I was determined to impress the group and immediately startingstudying Spanish by reading a brilliant book (Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish)and buying a linguaphone Spanish language course. I studied virtually morning noon and nightright up until around the point where Lyons Tours produced their 1967brochure. I had phoned the travel agentsalmost daily asking if the brochure had arrived and when they confirmed they’dreceived it I immediately asked one of our delivery couriers to pop in and getit for me. I had completed the bookingform in record time just before lunch for the identical Hotel Acapulco holidaydeparting Saturday evening on the 3rd June 1967. At lunchtime I jumped on my bike (didn’t havea car then) and peddled like mad for the 3-mile trip to town centre travelagents to get in quick and secure my booking. As I arrived at the large town centre roundabout a very strange thoughtcame into my head ‘Go home and tell Joan!’ I never ever consulted my wife on finances, so I just shrugged it offand having passed the exit point cycled back around the roundabout. I did that 3-times before, for peace of mind,before deciding that as it was only 5-minutes pedalling away I would informher. On arrival I just dumped my bike onour front lawn and opened the letter box. I saw her standing in the kitchen, so I just shouted out that ‘I’mbooking the holiday!’ and jumped back on my bike. As I pedalled away she opened the front doorand called me back. She started talkingabout a guy a few doors away who sold cheap HP repossession cars. I couldn’t believe it and I was furious! I told her I wasn’t going to waste all thatSpanish language studying for all those months. She argued I was being selfish because if I took driving lessons andbought a car we would be able to travel about independently and that a Spanish11-day holiday would soon be forgotten. In my heart I knew she was right, so I gave in and after speaking to theguy who did the HP repossession deals I almost shed a tear as I tore up thebooking form. It was a disaster! We borrowed money from a finance company tobuy the car that I had paid for and it was a stolen ringer! The police recovered it from the neighbour’sgarage to pass back to the rightful owner
On the late afternoon of 3rd June 1967 I said to Joan‘Do you know where we would be on our way to now if you hadn’t haveinterfered?’ She got a bit tearful, asshe then started saying that she wondered if some of the people who we made thepact with were sitting there saying that Joan & Stan are a bit late. Just before midnight as I got up to turn offthe TV the screen it changed to a large black & white ‘NEWSFLASH’ warningand a newsreader solemnly said that there had been a plane crash at Perpignanin France with no survivors. Joan lookedat me and I said ‘No way! There arehundreds of night flights, it wasn’t our one.’ Nothing in Sunday papers, but Monday nationals all carried the story ofthe crashed Air Ferry DC4 and it then dawned on me how lucky I was to haveresponded to that voice in my head as I rushed to book that strickenflight. I often looked at our 1966Spanish holiday photo’s and wondered how many people did keep the pact we allmade?
goodness, what a story, how lucky you guys were.
also later the same morning a BMA Argonaut crashed at Stockport on its way back from Majorca...2 big holiday plane crashes in 24hours.
that was the days where we had to save for everything and book holidays the day the brochure came out or you could not get booked up...
one such tour company called martin rooks used to have queues around the block in December with people waiting for their office to open for the next summers bookings...
also later the same morning a BMA Argonaut crashed at Stockport on its way back from Majorca...2 big holiday plane crashes in 24hours.
that was the days where we had to save for everything and book holidays the day the brochure came out or you could not get booked up...
one such tour company called martin rooks used to have queues around the block in December with people waiting for their office to open for the next summers bookings...
Last edited by rog747; 4th Nov 2013 at 07:53.
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Very lucky guy's!
Yes, we were extremely lucky that peculiar circumstances prevented me from booking the holiday & paying the deposit - that would have sealed both the holiday and our certain deaths for sure! I also recall the Stockport crash that occurred just hours after the Perpignan one, and that one sort of overshadowed the Perpignan press reports because it happened here in the UK.
It's a shame I wasn't so lucky in my above long post about the two holidays, because as the volume of typing I had to do was so long I first completed it as an MS Word document which was grammatically perfect. I then just highlighted, copied & pasted it into the forum input field but I see that in the pasted copy a considerable number of words have become attached to each other. Thank God I've input direct within this post.
Does any member of this thread have a copy of one of the Lyons Tours 1966/67 brochures that they could scan the page that advertised Hotel Acapulco in Calella and email me a jpeg photo?
It's a shame I wasn't so lucky in my above long post about the two holidays, because as the volume of typing I had to do was so long I first completed it as an MS Word document which was grammatically perfect. I then just highlighted, copied & pasted it into the forum input field but I see that in the pasted copy a considerable number of words have become attached to each other. Thank God I've input direct within this post.
Does any member of this thread have a copy of one of the Lyons Tours 1966/67 brochures that they could scan the page that advertised Hotel Acapulco in Calella and email me a jpeg photo?
i too have looked around for any Lyons Tours old archive but nothing really comes up...
our first holiday to Costa Brava at Malgrat in 1964 was with Everyman (part of Lunn Poly) and we flew British Eagle Britannia jet-prop to Barcelona
my dad would not go with Lyons as they used OLD planes and flew to Perpignan!
(which is were we came in lol )
sometimes Ebay brings up old holiday brochures...cannot find any ref to hotel Acapulco in calella but only one hotel called that in Lloret de mar...
i ended up working with another old long gone tour company called Swan Tours (not swan hellenic) who in 1975 were bought out by Inghams.
BTW you say you flew in 1966 to BCN as you mention...Lyons still coached some of their holidaymakers across the border from France to the Costa Brava...
our first holiday to Costa Brava at Malgrat in 1964 was with Everyman (part of Lunn Poly) and we flew British Eagle Britannia jet-prop to Barcelona
my dad would not go with Lyons as they used OLD planes and flew to Perpignan!
(which is were we came in lol )
sometimes Ebay brings up old holiday brochures...cannot find any ref to hotel Acapulco in calella but only one hotel called that in Lloret de mar...
i ended up working with another old long gone tour company called Swan Tours (not swan hellenic) who in 1975 were bought out by Inghams.
BTW you say you flew in 1966 to BCN as you mention...Lyons still coached some of their holidaymakers across the border from France to the Costa Brava...
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AIR FERRY CRASH
Hi I have stumbled upon this post because I have been researching family history and my grandparents, Philip and Kathleen Drayton were sadly killed on this plane, and are buried with many of the victims in a mass grave at Brookwood cemetry in Surrey.
I have not had the chance to read all the posts yet, but I certainly will and will most likely comment again once I have.
I have not had the chance to read all the posts yet, but I certainly will and will most likely comment again once I have.
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Hi, I have read it all now, absolutely fascinating and sends a shiver up my spine also. My uncle Barrie Drayton has just returned from the crash site, second time he has been there, and on Tuesday I am taking him to Brookwood, surprisingly he has never been there, though he does live in North West Scotland.!
I have ordered the book and now seek a copy of the report in english, I must get in touch with the chap who has a copy.
I have ordered the book and now seek a copy of the report in english, I must get in touch with the chap who has a copy.
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Report 3/6/67 Air Ferry DC4
Hi Sigarfo.
Can you tell me how I can get hold of the English version of the report of the accident to air ferry DC4 on 3/6/67. My parents Philip and Kathleen Drayton were on the plane, (my husband and I would have been as well had I not been pregnant with my son at the time) I have the French version but my French is not that good.
Can you tell me how I can get hold of the English version of the report of the accident to air ferry DC4 on 3/6/67. My parents Philip and Kathleen Drayton were on the plane, (my husband and I would have been as well had I not been pregnant with my son at the time) I have the French version but my French is not that good.
try this Final report from French authorities (translations) | The National Archives
but Google should translate the french report
but Google should translate the french report
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British air ferries crash 1967
I was on the aircraft about two weeks before it crashed. It sounded very rough and we were diverted to Herne bay airport and later bussed to Luton.
It was the return journey from a school trip.
I have been haunted by the face of the stewardess who was very kind to us and her face was on the front page of the Mirror (I think) when the crash was reported.
I am not used to these site things but wanted to say something to the last person who posted re this crash....perhaps the newspaper reports could help him/her
It was the return journey from a school trip.
I have been haunted by the face of the stewardess who was very kind to us and her face was on the front page of the Mirror (I think) when the crash was reported.
I am not used to these site things but wanted to say something to the last person who posted re this crash....perhaps the newspaper reports could help him/her
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My nan's brother Edward spooner is one of the seven lads from Sydenham that died in the air crash as they was off on there holiday. It upsets me thinking what my family must have gone through at the time of this tragic accident. We still lay flowers and maintain the graves to this day. RIP lads your never forgotten.