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1967 Nicosia Globe Air Bristol Britannia crash

Coordinates: 35°06′30″N 33°17′14″E / 35.10833°N 33.28722°E / 35.10833; 33.28722
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1967 Nicosia Globe Air Bristol Britannia crash
The aircraft involved in the accident, seen here at Schiphol Airport in 1965
Accident
Date20 April 1967
SummaryControlled flight into terrain (CFIT)
Site3.5 km south of Nicosia Airport
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBristol Britannia 313
OperatorGlobe Air
RegistrationHB-ITB
Flight originDon Mueang International Airport, Bangkok
1st stopoverColombo International Airport
2nd stopoverChhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport), Mumbai, India
3rd stopoverCairo International Airport diverted to Nicosia International Airport
DestinationBasel International Airport, Basel, Switzerland
Occupants130
Passengers120
Crew10
Fatalities126
Injuries3
Survivors4

On 20 April, 1967, a Bristol Britannia aircraft of the Swiss airline Globe Air flew into the ground 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) south of Nicosia Airport, in Cyprus killing 126 of the 130 passengers and crew onboard.[1]

Accident

[edit]

The Britannia was operating a charter flight bringing tourists from Bangkok in Thailand to Basel in Switzerland with stopovers in Colombo, Bombay, and Cairo.[1] The flight stopped at Colombo in Sri Lanka and then Bombay in India with the next stop due to be Cairo.[1] The crew diverted the flight to Nicosia due to bad weather at Cairo.[2] The aircraft was on the third attempt to land on Runway 32 in a violent thunderstorm when it flew into a hill near the village of Lakatamia and burst into flames.[2]

At the time of the crash, both pilots had exceeded their authorized duty time by three hours. The flight's first officer had less than 50 hours flying time in Britannia aircraft.[3]

Two German (Christa Blümel and Peter Femfert) and two Swiss (Verena Gysin and Nicolas Pulver) passengers survived; three of them were seriously injured and were treated at a United Nations field hospital near Nicosia, the fourth, Nicolas Pulver, was reported to be unhurt.[2]

Legacy

[edit]

The crash culminated in Globe Air's bankruptcy and the sale of paintings that led to the 1967 Basel Picasso paintings purchase referendum.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  2. ^ a b c "Britannia Crash Kills 126 – Cyprus storm disaster". The Times. No. 56921. London. 21 April 1967. col D, p. 4.
    "Man Unscathed in Cyprus Plane Crash; 126 Killed". The Washington Observer (Pennsylvania) (via Google News). No. 23995. AP. 21 April 1967. p. F5.
  3. ^ Gero, David (1996). Aviation Disasters Second Edition. Patrick Stephens Limited. p. 72.
  4. ^ Hamilton, Thomas J. (December 18, 1967). "Citizens of Basel Vote to Buy Two Early Picassos; Museum Wages Fight Chemical Industry Helps". The New York Times.

35°06′30″N 33°17′14″E / 35.10833°N 33.28722°E / 35.10833; 33.28722


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