Channel Airways' Accidents At Portsmouth
 

Can anyone recall the day two Channel Airways' HS748s suffered overruns at Portsmouth? If I remember correctly, both aircraft eventually hit perimeter fences, albeit at opposite ends of the airfield, and that skidding on wet grass was responsible.
I can't remember the date or year but do recall that these incidents were responsible, in part at least, for the withdrawal of scheduled services from the airport.
P.S. To have two such incidents on the same day must be something of a record!

The accidents were on 15th Aug 1967. The accident report can be found at Air Accidents Investigation Branch: 1/1971 G-ATEK and G-ATEH

I can't think of another airline that has had two accidents on the same airport on the same day but TAM in Brazil did have two accidents with F100's on the same day in August 2002.

Tuesday 15 August 1967. Both incidents within 90 minutes of each other. First incident involved flight enroute Southend to Paris (via Portsmouth). Lost control on landing due to waterlogged grass runway. Second one came to grief whilst landing from Channel Islands. One good point to come out of this was each aircraft ended up in a different position to the other. Total of 70 passengers and crew - no one hurt. Both aircraft repaired and flown out - both suffered bent props and undercarriage damage
Both aircraft recovered and driven across airfield on low loaders by Mr Bob Bernard

Many thanks for the useful information!

What surprises me, reading the accident report, is that neither the company nor the airfield informed the pilots of the second aircraft that there had been an earlier incident.

Supposedly, the tower controller didn't tell the second pilot about the earlier incident "because he didn't want to put him off." :ugh:

The accident report highlighted the fact that had the second pilot been informed of the 1st incident either by Portsmouth Airport or Channel ops he would not of considered landing.....

Yes, I read that after I posted my previous comment. "Essential aerodrome information" , I would have thought. No wonder non-state controllers were not held in high esteem in those days!

I remember my dad being particularly irritated by the "authorities" writing off a repairable aeroplane. Towing an aeroplane backwards via a steel wire hawser through the rear door and a window is not recommended. Think wire and cheese!

Portsouth Airfield
 

A friend's dad ( Robin Milne ) was a T.P. at Portsmouth; in the book 'Mosquito' by C.Martin Sharp & M.Bowyer, the following little incident - with a happier outcome - is related.

Robin Milne & Ron Clear had for some wartime reason to collect a couple of Mosquito's and bring back to Portsmouth.

As Robin's merlins were overheating, he made takeoff checks brief; as he took off, the overhead hatch, which wasn't secured, blew away.

He thought he'd better do some handling checks, all that happened was at very close to the stall the vacuum tugged on his helmet straps - he thought ' fine' & carried on.

On his first attempt to land on this short strip with a little wall on the approach, he had to go round as he wasn't going to make it.

Eventually he came in right on the edge of the stall, using the 'helmet suction technique'.

Ron Clear eventually got down after a few attempts, but landed on way past Milne.

When Clear ( they were very good friends ) asked " how the hell did you do that ?! " Robin just shrugged, " Sorts the men from the boys ! "

It was quite some time before he owned up.

The point is, though a great pity nothing is left for historical reasons except road names - ' Airspeed Road ' or similar, this was obviously a dodgy airfield.