Date:	Sunday 9 October 1960
Time:	12:47
Type:	Handley Page HP.81 Hermes IV
Owner/operator:	Falcon Airways
Registration:	G-ALDC
MSN:	HP.81/4
Year of manufacture:	1949
Total airframe hrs:	17183 hours
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 76
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Southend Municipal Airport (SEN) -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN/LEBL)
Destination airport:	Southend Municipal Airport (SEN/EGMC)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Hermes plane returned from a charter flight to Spain when it landed at Southend and overran the runway. The plane struck an earth bank adjacent to the airport boundary. Contact with this bank broke the nose wheel strut from its upper attachment. The plane came to rest on an adjoining railway track.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was due to the aircraft aquaplaning during part of the landing run. The low frictional values during this condition prevented the captain from obtaining effective braking."

Survey of accidents to aircraft in the United Kingdom 1960 / CAA
Air Pictorial Oct. 1965, p.371

photo (c) Jerry Hughes; Blackbushe Airport (BBS/EGLK); 09 September 1959

photo (c) Darby Allen; Singapore-Paya Lebar Air Base (QPG/WSAP); 02 April 1957

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