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On 25 December 1954, en route
from London to New York, 15943 made a hard landing at Prestwick, bounced,
then swerved off the runway and broke up, bursting into flames. The accident
occerred at 3:30 AM in heavy rain. 24 of the 25 passengers were killed, and 4
of the 11 crew. The crewmembers who survived had been thrown clear of the
aircraft as it broke up. The pilot was Captain W.L.Stewart. The accident was
attributed to pilot error; that coming in high, he increased the rate of
descent and flared too late, undershooting the runway by about 20 metres. The
portside main undercarriage strut was thought to have collapsed and severed
fuel lines, starting the fire. |
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