Originally Posted by
Judd
The TAA Viscount 700 Series that crashed at Mangalore in October 1951 was not caused by an airframe fatigue defect. It was pilot error during an attempted three engine take off.
https://aviation-safety.net/database...?id=19541031-0
30 November 1961 VH-TVC right wing failed in thunderstorm,15 killed. That Viscount did not have weather radar when it penetrated the thunderstorm.
As with similar thunderstorm inadvertent penetrations around the world, where an in-flight break up occurred, one theory ( later discussed in the Challenger incident where the aircraft went into unusual attitudes following an encounter with 747 wake turbulence in the Middle East) is that inappropriate pilot input during attempted recovery from an unusual attitude may be a contributory cause of airframe failure rather than definite proof of airframe fatigue failure.
Extract from Court of Inquiry to VH-TVC revealed:Investigation of the accident concluded:
The cause of the accident was the failure in flight of the starboard outer wing in upward bending due to tensile overloading of the lower spar boom at station 323, probably induced by a combination of manoeuvre and gust loading when the speed of the aircraft was in excess of 260 knots. The circumstances and available evidence carry a strong implication that the in-flight structural failure was preceded by a loss of control with a consequential increase in speed to at least 260 knots. The most probable explanation for the loss of control is that the aircraft entered an area of unexpected turbulence of such severity as to deprive the pilots of full recovery.[Note 10]
[3]
[30]The Inquiry gave a strong impetus for greater co-operation between the meteorological service and air traffic control; and for airline aircraft in Australia to be equipped with
weather radar to give pilots of these aircraft the ability to avoid hazardous weather.
[1]
[31] All Australian airliners were required to be equipped with weather radar by 1 June 1963
Judd,
I am well aware of the immediate reasons for each crash.
Are you aware of the "wing filleting" production line to rebuild wings on a regular basis --- never been needed by any other aircraft in airline service in Australia, to my knowledge.
They were a fatigue nightmare, the type of aluminium alloy used in the construction was a major contributor. The approach to structural design dis not help.
I DID NOT attribute all the crashed to fatigue --- you read that in.
Tootle pip!!