Imperial Airways flight 197
| File:PLANE CP HANDLEY PAGE HP-42 'HANNIBAL' AT CROYDON AIRPORT - ART BY FRANK WOOTTON - 25274371156.jpg G-AAGX Similar to the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 1, 1940 |
| Summary | Inconclusive |
| Site | Gulf of Oman, Oman |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Handley Page H.P.42 |
| Aircraft name | Hannibal |
| Operator | Imperial Airways |
| Registration | G-AAGX |
| Flight origin | Karachi |
| 1st stopover | Jiwani |
| 2nd stopover | Kolkata |
| 3rd stopover | Jask |
| 4th stopover | Sharjah |
| Last stopover | Alexandria |
| Destination | London |
| Occupants | 8 |
| Passengers | 4 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 8 (Presumed) |
| Missing | 8 |
| Survivors | 0 (Presumed) |
Imperial Airways flight 197 was a regular passenger flight between Karachi, Pakistan and London, United Kingdom with stops in Kolkata, India, Jiwani, Pakistan; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; and Alexandria, Egypt. On March 1, 1940, the plane, operated by an Imperial Airways Handley Page H.P.42 disappeared over the Gulf of Oman during its final leg. All four crew members and all four passengers were killed, with no survivors.[1][not in citation given]
Background
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Handley Page H.P.42 registered as G-AAGX, photographed at Croydon Airport with four Bristol Jupiter XIF nine-cylinder single-row piston radial engine.[2]
Passengers and Crew
The pilot in command is captain N. Townsend, accompanied by first Officer C. J. Walsh[2] and radio operator A. H. H. Tidbury[3]. Lastly, the steward was C. A. F. Steventon. There were four passengers there were three Indian nationals, and one Norwegian, the crew members were all British.
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 India
|
3 | N/A | 3 |
 Norway
|
1 | N/A | 1 |
 United Kingdom
|
N/A | 4 | 4 |
| Total (3 Nationalities) | 4 | 4 | 8 |
Disappearance
On March 1, 1940, the Handley Page H.P.42 departed from Jiwani Airport in Pakistan, continuing its journey to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. While flying over the Gulf of Oman, the aircraft disappeared from radio contact and never arrived at Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Despite all efforts during the investigation, the cause remains unknown.[4]
Legacy
The plane crash did not have a memorial or public commemoration and remains a largely forgotten by the general public.
See also
References
- ↑ "Imperial Airways". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Archived from the original on 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2025-07-17. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Crash of a Handley Page H.P.42E into the Gulf of Oman: 8 killed". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Archived from the original on 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-07-17. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Handley Page HP.42E G-AAGX, Friday 1 March 1940". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
- ↑ "Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Handley Page HP-42E, c/n HP.42/1, c/r G-AAGX". www.aerialvisuals.ca. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
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