BOAC Flight 115

British Overseas Airways Corporation

Industry	Aviation
Founded	November 24, 1939 (1939-11-24)
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Products	Air transport services

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence BOAC Flight 115 was a scheduled service flying from Heathrow Airport to Johannesburg’s Palmietfontein Airport with multiple stopovers. On 26 October 1952, during takeoff at Rome’s Ciampino Airport, the flight veered off the runway; however, all 43 individuals aboard survived. This event marked the first total loss of a Comet aircraft.

Background

The de Havilland Comet became the pioneer passenger jet when it first flew in 1949, entering commercial operations in May 1952, just six months prior to this accident. The aircraft involved, registered G-ALYZ, was a Comet 1A and represented the fifth unit delivered to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). The flight was traveling from London to Johannesburg with scheduled stops in Rome and Cairo. Onboard were 35 passengers destined for Cairo, accompanied by two captains, one flight engineer, one navigator, and four cabin crew members.

Accident

Flight 115 was conducting its routine route from London to Johannesburg. Upon arrival at Rome Ciampino Airport, the plane taxied to Runway 16 and commenced its takeoff roll for the segment to Cairo. The pilot initiated rotation at approximately 75–80 knots and further pulled back on the controls at around 112 knots to lift off. Shortly after becoming airborne and reaching an appropriate altitude, the captain instructed the crew to retract the landing gear. At this moment, the left wing abruptly dropped but control was swiftly restored. The aircraft began vibrating, which led the pilot to suspect an impending stall. Despite two attempts to correct using the control column, the shaking persisted. Before the first officer could complete gear retraction, the plane descended back onto its wheels and bounced. The pilot noticed that airspeed was not increasing as expected and suspected engine thrust loss. Recognizing that the runway was nearly exhausted ahead, he decided to abort the takeoff. The aircraft's speed prevented it from stopping on the runway; it overran the paved surface, collided with an earthen embankment, and slid approximately 270 yd (810 ft), resulting in landing gear separation and significant structural damage. Although there was a substantial fuel spill, no fire ensued. Injuries were minimal: one passenger sustained a minor finger cut and another experienced mild shock.

Cause

The accident resulted from the pilot applying an excessively high nose-up attitude during takeoff, which caused the aircraft to enter a stall. The post-incident analysis highlighted that the manufacturer's manual contained a warning within the takeoff procedure section, advising that "... caution must be exercised to avoid excessive nose-up input, as this can lead to inadequate acceleration."