Gordon KENYON, Leading Aircraftman, 4099256, Royal Air Force aged 21 years. On Saturday, 18th February 1956, a four engined Avro York aircraft, G-ANSY, belonging to Scottish Airlines crashed near Zurrieq. It had been chartered by the Royal Air Force and was being used to carry troops from Suez in Egypt, to the U.K., with a stop-over in Malta. Born 12th March 1934. from Co Durham. Son of Alfred and Ivy, nee Slowther. Wills and Admin, Ancestry. His home address was Oaklands, South View, Fatfield, County Durham. Died in date stated, His effects went to Ivy wife of John Henry Hutchinson.At rest in Plot 3. Row 3. Grave 9. Imtarfa Military Cemetery, Malta.
As the plane took off, the air traffic controllers at Luqa airport saw smoke coming from one of the engines, and informed the pilot, Captain Frank Coker, immediately. The plane appeared to climb to around 1,000 feet before going into a dive and crashing into the ground.
As it was loaded with around 2,000 gallons of high octane aviation fuel, the plane exploded on impact and was engulfed by flames. The men on board numbered a crew of five, with 45 passengers, all RAF personnel except one Army Private. When the rescue services arrived at the scene it was clear that there were no survivors. The bodies of the co-pilot, navigator, radio officer and an air hostess were taken to the U.K. for burial. All the others are here in Imtarfa.
Extract from a news paper.
Disaster news in midst of Gaiety
The father of L.A.C. Gordon Kenyon aged 21 of Fatfield, County Durham was returning home for demobilisation said that his son had sent a letter last week saying that he was of 12 men in his unit in the Suez Canal Zone whose names had been drawn out of a hat to fly home.
