Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 was a scheduled international flight involved in an aviation accident on 5 January 1969. The incident involved a Boeing 727 aircraft, carrying 62 individuals, that crashed into a residential property during its approach to London Gatwick Airport amidst heavy fog. The accident was primarily attributed to pilot error, specifically the failure to extend the flaps to maintain flight at the final approach speed.
The accident occurred at 01:35 on a Sunday morning, a time when the Gatwick area was enveloped in patches of dense, freezing fog. The Boeing 727, registered as YA-FAR (the sole aircraft of this model in the airline's fleet), descended below its correct glide slope as it approached the airport from the east. As the aircraft traversed over the small hamlet of Fernhill, located on the Surrey/Sussex border, it struck trees and rooftops, initiating a roll and subsequently crashing into a field south of Fernhill Lane. This location was approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) short of the runway. Following the initial impact, the aircraft collided with a large detached house, resulting in its complete demolition and the ignition of a fire.
The incident resulted in the death of 48 passengers and crew members. Additionally, two adult residents of the demolished house lost their lives due to the impact. An infant present in the house survived the incident with only minor injuries. The flight's captain, first officer, flight engineer, and eleven passengers also survived the crash.
Fernhill is a hamlet about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) from the east end of Gatwick Airport's runway and a similar distance south of the nearest town, Horley. Until boundary changes brought it fully into West Sussex (and the borough of Crawley) in 1990, it straddled the Sussex/Surrey border and was in the parish of Burstow. The two main roads, Peeks Brook Lane and Fernhill Road (named Fernhill Lane at the time of the accident), run south–north and west–east respectively.
The crash site was a field west of Peeks Brook Lane, south of Fernhill Lane and east of Balcombe Road, a B-road which forms the eastern boundary of the airport. Antlands Lane is further to the south. A house called Longfield south of Fernhill Lane was destroyed by the impact.
Flight FG 701 from Kabul International Airport to Gatwick Airport was a weekly scheduled service which stopped intermediately at Kandahar, Istanbul, and Frankfurt. A crew change also took place at Beirut, at which point Captain Nowroz, First Officer Attayee and Flight Engineer Formuly took charge.
Weather in the Gatwick area overnight on 4–5 January 1969 was poor. There was heavy, freezing fog, although the airport remained open. (International regulations require airports to remain open irrespective of ground conditions, in case of emergencies.) The fog had persisted since the previous day, and although it had cleared from most of southeast England some patches remained at Gatwick at a height of no more than 250 feet (76 m). The Captain was given weather reports which indicated that visibility varied between 50 metres (160 ft) and 500 metres (1,600 ft), the air temperature was −3 °C (27 °F) and freezing fog was predominant. Reports for London Stansted Airport (the designated alternate destination for this flight) and London Heathrow Airport indicated much clearer conditions, and the flight could also have returned to Frankfurt as enough fuel was carried. (The accident report determined that about 9,000 kilograms (20,000 lb) was left when the aircraft crashed.)
As the aircraft approached Fernhill and was within 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) of Gatwick's runway, it clipped the top of some oak trees in the garden of a house called Twinyards on Peeks Brook Lane. This was about 500 yards (1,500 ft; 460 m) from the point of impact on the ground. It then left tyre marks on the roof of the neighbouring house and knocked chimney-pots off the house opposite, a further 264 feet (80 m) on. At this point the aircraft was only 40 feet (12 m) off the ground. It then caught a television aerial and another group of trees, damaging components on the right-side wing. As it started to roll, the aircraft's wheels touched down briefly and it started to rise again. It failed to clear Longfield, a detached house owned by William and Ann Jones which stood 300 yards (900 ft; 270 m) further west, and completely destroyed it. One engine landed in the wreckage of the house along with the rear section of the fuselage, while the forward section of the aircraft disintegrated over a 1,395-foot (465 yd; 425 m) trail. The fuel spilt and immediately caught fire, engulfing the fuselage and the wreckage of the house. The Joneses were killed, but their baby survived with minor injuries: the sides of her cot collapsed inwards, "forming a protective tent under one of the engines".
Residents of Peeks Brook Lane were the first to arrive at the crash site and to contact the emergency services. The first call was received at 0138 at Surrey Police's control room, and officers were dispatched from Horley police station. The first officers arrived seven minutes later, soon followed by PC Keith Simmonds of Oxted station who was on traffic duty that night and who saved the injured baby from the wrecked house. The fire services were also summoned at 0138, and vehicles arrived from 0156 onwards. Surrey and Sussex Fire Brigades sent 20 vehicles to the scene, and more were supplied from the airport by the British Airports Authority. Board of Trade accident investigators led by George Kelly also went to the scene. Despite a considerable police presence, their efforts were affected by onlookers obstructing them in the narrow lanes. Police blocks were set up at both ends of Fernhill Lane, and other officers were stationed at Antlands Lane diverting traffic away from Balcombe Road.
The Boeing 727 was less than a year old at the time of the accident and was Ariana's only such aircraft. YA-FAR was built in February 1968 and received its American airworthiness certificate on 25 March 1968. On 29 April 1968, it was granted its registration in Afghanistan, and that country issued its own airworthiness certificate on 14 May 1968. At the time of the crash, the aircraft had recorded 1,715 hours of flying time.
Accident investigators from the Board of Trade took the wreckage to a hangar at Farnborough Airport for analysis. Also involved in the investigation were officials from the United States and Afghanistan. A preliminary statement was issued on 17 January 1969, and the full accident report followed in June 1970.
Captain Rahim Nowroz, First Officer Abdul-Zaher Attayee and Flight Engineer Mohammed-Hussain Formuly survived but were seriously injured. The five flight attendants were killed. Captain Nowroz qualified as a pilot in 1956, was employed by Ariana the following year as a co-pilot and had flown 10,400 hours since then—including 512 in Boeing 727 aircraft, which he qualified to fly after training in 1968.
There were 54 passengers on board, 43 of whom were killed. The other 11 suffered serious injuries; they had mostly sat in the forward section of the aircraft. Apart from one girl from the United States, all were from Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (especially the Punjab region). There was a mixture of British residents returning after visiting their families and new immigrants.
The emergency services established a temporary triage facility and rescue centre outside Yew Tree Cottage and later an incident room at Horley police station. Survivors were taken into Fernhill House before being transferred to Redhill General Hospital or, in the case of five badly burned people, the McIndoe Burns Unit at East Grinstead Hospital. Two passengers died en route to Redhill General. The baby who survived in the wreckage of the house was also taken there suffering from "severe bruising and slight cuts".
The victims' bodies were transferred to the St. John Ambulance Hall at Massetts Road in Horley, where a temporary mortuary was set up. Relatives were then taken there to identify them. Some bodies were so badly burnt that personal effects had to be used to confirm the victim's identity. Other bodies were moved later to the Kenyon's undertakers firm in London. Inquiries into the 50 deaths started within days: the first inquest was that of William and Ann Jones, held at Reigate from 10 January 1969.