The date was March 11, 1950, and it marked the first time in nearly four decades that Wales had clinched the Triple Crown. The stage was set for a match between Ireland and Wales in Belfast. A nail-biting game played before a full house saw the scores level at 3-3. A draw would have dashed Welsh hopes of their first Grand Slam in 39 years, but centre Malcolm Thomas had other plans. His late try secured a victory that should have been historic. However, the events of the following day overshadowed the game, the Triple Crown, and the resulting Grand Slam, as 75 fans who had witnessed Thomas's triumphant try in Belfast lost their lives in a plane crash near a Welsh village. On the afternoon of Sunday, March 12, 1950, these supporters boarded an Avro 690 Tudor V plane named Star Girl at Dublin Airport, having travelled there from Belfast after the previous day's match. Spirits were high; they had just seen history made and were eager to return to Llandow Airfield, a former RAF base 15 miles west of Cardiff, to celebrate the victory on home turf. Tragically, they never arrived. As the plane, which had participated in the Berlin Airlift of 1948, began its descent over the Vale of Glamorgan, everything seemed normal, with the loved ones of those on board eagerly awaiting the aircraft's landing. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here At just past 3pm, onlookers noticed that the aircraft was flying alarmingly low for its approach to the runway. The pilot swiftly reacted by ascending slightly to avoid coming in too low. After rising a few hundred feet, the engines stalled, and to the shock of those watching, the plane descended rapidly. It crashed in a field near Sigingstone, a hamlet near Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan. Tragically, out of the 83 passengers on board, 72 perished immediately, with eight more succumbing to injuries later; only three miraculously survived. Gwyn Anthony, one of the survivors, recounted to a South Wales Echo journalist, "The engines opened up, followed by a steep climb. I realised a plane that size didn't manoeuvre in that manner." He continued: "I swivelled round with my safety belt on and braced myself against the seat. Next thing I remember was a bang... things flying about." Another survivor, Mel Thomas, owed his life to being in the aircraft's cubicle at the time of the crash. After a demanding four-month recuperation in a St Athan military hospital, he recalled in a 2010 interview: "It was the cubicle which saved my life, I'm sure. There were two nurses who looked after me constantly in the hospital and they were both lovely. But when I came round I asked where my friends were and they would not tell me that they were dead." The catastrophe left villages and communities across Wales profoundly devastated. Llanharan RFC was deeply affected by the crash, losing seven members. The eighth member on board, Mel Thomas, survived the longest, passing away in 2011 at the age of 86. The club still commemorates the tragedy on its badge and a memorial graces the clubhouse bar. Clubs in Abercarn and Risca were also impacted by the disaster, with families across south Wales mourning the loss of loved ones. This weekend a commemoration event was held to mark the 75th anniversary of the Llandow Air Disaster. Relatives, rugby clubs. villagers and the Royal Air Force representatives gathered in the village of Sigingstone just yards away from where the tragedy happened, with a flypast from Royal Air Force aircraft. The Llandow crash, which claimed the lives of 80 people - 75 passengers and five crew - was the world's worst air disaster at that time. Regulations, training and safety protocols have significantly evolved since the 1950 disaster. At that time, there were no flight simulators, so pilots may not have necessarily encountered such challenging conditions before. A public inquiry held in the months following the crash was inconclusive, but uneven luggage loading was suggested as a possible cause. There were no weight restrictions on luggage then. Additional seats had been added inside the plane due to high demand, leading to theories that the extra weight contributed to the plane's instability and the subsequent shift in the centre of gravity, causing difficulties as it neared its destination. Today's air travel is far more advanced and sophisticated, with each airline issuing strict guidelines on baggage weight. Moreover, the International Air Transport Association establishes safety standards for airline safety and security globally. Llandow Airfield, inaugurated in 1940, ceased operations in 1957. The airfield's name is now indelibly linked with an event 69 years ago that made global headlines and graced the front pages of national newspapers. The Western Mail established a disaster fund for the grieving communities, raising over £40,000, equivalent to nearly £1.4m today. Just two weekends after what remains the country's most devastating air disaster - it was the worst in Britain until 1972 - Wales triumphed over France 21-0 in Cardiff, securing their first Grand Slam since 1911. Before the match began, those who had tragically lost their lives 13 days earlier were commemorated with a minute's silence and a poignant rendition of Last Post, before a shocked and packed Arms Park.