I have been reading again “The Devil Casts His Net”, the story of the 1958 Air Crash on Winter Hill. It’s an interesting story of a tragedy that occurred not as a result of a single mistake or action, but a long list of circumstances and mistakes. These were weather, visibility, impatience, bad luck and finally air traffic control and pilot error. 35 were killed that day in February 1958; the plane was on its way from Douglas Isle of Man to Manchester Airport. It hit the highest ground in the region and remains to this day the UK’s worst high level air accident.
I have tried to find evidence on the ground of the exact crash site, but failed to do so, people have said there is a scar on the hillside and even evidence of spilt fuel, but I can’t find it, but it has been a long time. The aircraft hit the north side of the hill a couple of hundred metres from the trig point and near to where the “rocket” shaped antenna is positioned. The photo shows me looking to the direction the aircraft came from, towards Chorley.
2 comments:
There are several wrecked planes on the hills the other side of Manchester, 'Ladybower', so I would be suprised if Winter hill hadn't seen the a plane crash.
Somehow I have got very interested in this one, its a place where lots of riders pass everyday. Actually there have been a lot of accidents around here as well, Richard
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