Illustrative image; it may differ from the actual aircraft.

Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2

AMBASSADOR-5217Written off

RegistrationGBG-ALZU

BEOperatorBEA - British European Airways

1operators

0incidents

1accidents

0logbook years

0photos

Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2. Operated for BEA - British European Airways.

Vuelopedia is a work in progress: it currently holds about 30% of the information we expect to have by the third quarter of 2027. Although we use only official, highly reliable sources, some aircraft data and history may still contain errors or inaccuracies. We work hard to clear every anomaly from the records using specialized verification tools.

Technical data

Country of registrationReino Unido

MSN5217

VerificationPending check against the official civil register

The model · Airspeed Ambassador

Figures for the AS.57 Ambassador 2 variant, the most representative of the family

Length24.7 m81 ft

Wingspan35.1 m115 ft

Height5.6 m18 ft

Range1,159 km626 NMWith a typical passenger load

Cruise speed449 km/h242 ktMach 0.42

Service ceiling7,620 m25,000 ft

Maximum take-off weight23,587 kg52,000 lb

Maximum payload7,310 kg16,116 lbIts 47 passengers with baggage would weigh about 4.7 t; the rest is fuel and cargo

Typical capacity47 passengersUp to 60 in a high-density layout

Endurance2 h 35 minAt cruise speed, non-stop

The type first flew in 1947 (79 years ago) · About 23 units built · Production ended in 1953

Figures for the type, not for this particular aircraft: each variant and each configuration changes something. They are shown in both systems used in aviation.

The full story of the Airspeed Ambassador Compare this aircraft

Flight logbook

Under research

Aircraft chronology

Feb 6, 1958

Accident at Munich-Riem Airport

On February 6, 1958, the Airspeed AS57 Ambassador 2 aircraft (registration G-ALZU), operated by British European Airways, was involved in a fatal accident at Munich-Riem Airport (Germany), leaving 23 dead. Source: British European Airways.

What happened

The aircraft bringing Manchester United home from Belgrade failed to get airborne on its third attempt down a slush-covered runway and ran off the end. Twenty-three of the 44 people on board died, eight of them players. The German authorities blamed wing ice for years; the British inquiry showed that melted snow on the runway had held the aircraft below take-off speed. Runway condition has been measured and reported ever since.

Source: British European Airways

Operators

—

BEA - British European Airways

Registration G-ALZU

In memoriam

This aircraft was involved in an accident with fatalities. Out of respect for those who lost their lives and for their families, this record does not enable the register of memories.

Cite

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This page was last updated on October 16, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 16). Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 · G-ALZU · BEA - British European Airways. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/AMBASSADOR-5217

MLA

“Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 · G-ALZU · BEA - British European Airways.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 16 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/AMBASSADOR-5217. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 · G-ALZU · BEA - British European Airways.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 16, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/AMBASSADOR-5217.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 · G-ALZU · BEA - British European Airways. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/AMBASSADOR-5217 (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_aircraft_ambassador_5217,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 · G-ALZU · BEA - British European Airways}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-16},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/AMBASSADOR-5217},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/AMBASSADOR-5217}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/AMBASSADOR-5217 |title=Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 · G-ALZU · BEA - British European Airways |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-16 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}