Date: June 18th, 1972
Type: Hawker Siddeley HS-121 Trident 1C
Registration: G-ARPI
Operator: British European Airways - BEA
Where: Staines; (UK)
Report No.: Not Available
Report Date: -
Pages: -

This is not an accident investigation report.

Flight BE548 took off from Heathrow Runway 28R in rainy weather (including some turbulence) at 16.08h. At 16.10:24 (50sec. after rotation), the droops (wing leading edge slats) were retracted. The aircraft was climbing through 1770ft with a speed of 162kts (300km/h). The minimum droop-retraction speed however, is 225kts. The Trident stalled and started to descent. The airspeed dropped to 54kts ans the aircraft crashed into a field next to the A30 motoway at 16.11:00 GMT. PROBABLE CAUSE: Immediate causes were: 1) Failure by PIC to achieve and maintain adequate speed after noise- abatement procedures; 2) Droop-retraction 60kts below minimum speed.; 3) Failure to monitor speed error and to observe droop lever movement.; 3) Failure to diagnose reason for stick-pusher operation and warnings; 4) Operation of stall recovery override lever. A factors was a.o. the abnormal heart condition of the captain.
Source: Air Disasters