AVIATION/ LAST SURVIVOR OF 1958 WINTER HILL DISASTER DIES

The last survivor of the Winter Hill plane crash in 1958 has died at the age of 86. Fred Kennish died in hospital in the Isle of Man in England on January 24 after a long illness. His death was just made public yesterday. Kennish was 1 of just 7 people to survive the tragedy, which killed 35 passengers when the Manchester-bound SILVER CITY AIRWAYS flight from the Isle of Man crashed on the moors above Horwich at 9:45am on February 27, 1958. That day, the Silver City Airways Bristol 170 Freighter was being operated by MANX AIRLINES, and had 39 passengers and 3 crew members onboard. Prior to takeoff, in order to avoid delay, a clearance to fly at 1500ft was offered and accepted. Due to past experience, the Captain anticipated that he would be cleared to a higher altitude upon crossing the English coast. Between Ronaldsway and the Reporting Point at Squire's Gate the Bristoal was flown below the clouds with good visibility.

The Captain then went below to talk to the passengers for about 5 minutes. During his absence the First Officer set the radio compass on what he thought was Wigan Beacon, but, was in fact Oldham Beacon. The Oldham Beacon is a more powerful NDB with a morse recognition signal 'MYL'. Wigan NDB has a recognition signal 'MYK'. On his return to the cockpit the Captain took over the piloting of the aircraft. He had to have assumed that the radio compass was tuned in to Wigan. Just prior to 9:38am, the aircraft reported to Preston Control "abeam Blackpool at this time estimating Wigan at 43". At 9:39am, the Preston controller radioed: "You are cleared to Wigan 1500 feet remaining contact. Call Manchester Zone for onward clearance." At 9:44am, 1 minute after it would have been over the Wigan NDB, the flight was in cloud and out of contact with the ground. A message from Manchester Control at this time was, "Charlie Sierra will you make a right turn immediately on to a heading of two five zero. I have a faint paint on radar which indicates you're going over towardss the hills". Moments later, in the course of making the right turn as ordered, the aircraft crashed on the northeast slope of Winter Hill, at a height of approximately 1460 feet. The 7 survivors, all 3 crew members and 4 passengers, were pulled from the burning wreckage. Kennish was saved by his seatbelt, which prevented him from going through the roof of the aircraft as it plunged into the side of the hill. He was carried from the wreckage with fractures in his neck, spine, collarbone, ribs, legs and wrists. In an interview in 1998, he said: “The last thing I remember is taking a puff on a cigarette and that was it. Six days later, I came round in hospital. When they found me, my leg was stuck right across my chest. They thought I had no chance and they straightened me into the dying position and left me lying in the snow". The father of 4 went on to be Mayor of the Borough of Douglas in 1989, and was made a Freeman in 2005.  One of the duties he performed as mayor was to return to Bolton to remember those who had lost their lives in the crash and thank those who saved his life.