The incident involved a Boeing 727 aircraft, carrying 62 individuals,[1] which 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[note 1] 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.

Fernhill is a hamlet about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) from the east end of Gatwick Airport's runway[4] and a similar distance south of the nearest town, Horley.

A crew change also took place at Beirut, at which point Captain Nowroz, First Officer Attayee and Flight Engineer Formuly took charge.

)[14] 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[15] on Peeks Brook Lane.

It failed to clear Longfield, a detached house owned by William and Ann Jones[4] which stood 300 yards (900 ft; 270 m) further west, and completely destroyed it.

[11] The Joneses were killed, but their baby survived with minor injuries:[17] the sides of her cot collapsed inwards, "forming a protective tent under one of the engines".

The first officers arrived seven minutes later,[5] soon followed by PC Keith Simmonds of Oxted station[11] who was on traffic duty that night and who saved the injured baby from the wrecked house.

[21] Captain Rahim Nowroz, First Officer Abdul-Zaher Attayee and Flight Engineer Mohammed-Hussain Formuly survived but were seriously injured.

[4] The emergency services established a temporary triage facility and rescue centre outside Yew Tree Cottage[15] and later an incident room at Horley police station.

[11] Five police officers, including PC Simmonds, were awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct in respect of their "service exceeding the bounds of duty" at the crash site.

His decision to land at Gatwick was an "error of judgment" brought about by the "deceptive nature" of the weather conditions, which were very difficult—although this itself did not cause the accident.

Instead, failure to extend the flaps in the correct sequence and at an appropriate speed caused the aircraft to fall below its glide slope,[29] roll to the right in a nose-high attitude, and crash.

[32][33] The Captain's decision to fly to London rather than remain at Frankfurt was not criticised: he could have landed at Heathrow or Stansted, where the weather was clear, instead of Gatwick if he felt conditions were too bad, and the aircraft could even return to Germany if necessary.

[34] By the time the aircraft approached Gatwick, the runway visual range was 100 metres (330 ft) according to the latest weather report at 2350 on 4 January, and was not expected to improve that night; furthermore, this reading was confirmed at 0123 and 0127.

[36] Captain Nowroz "decided that since patchy fog shifts quickly he would make an approach with a view to landing at Gatwick".

[36] Nevertheless, Captain Nowroz's decision to approach Gatwick with a view to landing there presented "no undue risk" and did not cause the accident.

[36] Instead, the cause was found to be a series of changes to speed, power and flap angle settings which were not in accordance with the airline's operating procedures and which took place in the last 15 miles (24 km) of the approach.