Channel Airways DC-3 Dakota G-AGZB 6th May 1962 ,St Boniface RAF Ventnor. Isle of Wight

 

A work trip to the Isle of Wight meant I could get to visit 2 sites of civilian losses on the Island on a rushed and wet trip.

On 6th May 1962 a Channel Airways DC-3 Dakota G-AGZB left Jersey on route for a flight to Portsmouth with 15 passengers and 3 crew.

The weather was appalling with low cloud and drizzle over southern England and the crew were feeling under pressure to get the flight into Portsmouth, another concern was that one of the airlines senior pilots was on Jersey and had been seen in a heated discussion with G-AGZB's pilot about trying to get the flight to its destination.

Flying low over the sea the crew asked for a level of 1000ft to keep contact with visual conditions, endeavouring to stay below the cloud and being pushed lower the crew possibly believed they were further west, as unbeknown to them a strong tail wind was pushing the plane to the East. In the mist G-AGZB entered a valley on the coast of the Isle of Wight, at the head of the valley is the summit of St Boniface Down topped by the retired RAF Ventnor Radar station.

The pilot seeing the danger opened up the throttles but knowing he was unable to avoid the slope, shut them and levelled the plane. Sadly the stations fence and bunkers gave no safe landing, breaking up over 100yrds the plane came to rest on fire but not totally destroyed.

Local Ted Price ran to the crash and helped 4 injured passengers from the wreck, another passenger and a stewardess were found alive but both passed away soon after the accident.

All 3 crew and 9 passengers were lost

 This flight led to changes in rules governing passenger flights requiring all airports dealing with passenger flight to have radio communications and the adoption of Air Ministry weather minimum.

On the summit a small memorial is the only sign of this sad crash at the slope nothing could be seen but the towers and bunkers in the undergrowth .