View Full Version : Viscount G-AOHI 19th Jan 1973
Flap40
21st Nov 2003, 03:20
I was just looking through "An illustrated history of BEA" and noticed in amongst the list of accidents the above mentioned Viscount.
It crashed into a mountain/hill somewhere near Perth while on a test flight from Glasgow with the loss of four lives (all on board).
I've searched on google but can't find any more info. Does anyone have any more? A Location maybe or even an AAIB report?
Jhieminga
21st Nov 2003, 17:52
http://aviation-safety.net/database/1973/730119-2.htm
No info on the AAIB site as far as I can see.
Flap40
21st Nov 2003, 21:48
Thanks to you both. I had looked at that site but missed the referance to Ben More.
I'll try some more "local" research.
Could this accident have been the result of tailplane icing...which was a known problem with some models of the Viscount ? :confused:
I'm pretty sure the accident was due to the crew getting lost and entering a cloud which was full of mountain
mikedurward
29th Mar 2004, 17:47
Hi Flap,
I have all the info you need. I have a copy of the full crash report. My father Walter Durward was the captain of the flight. Want any info?
Mike
Although my home was in Edinburgh when this happened I would have been away at school, but it is the first I have heard of it. On the subject of Viscounts/Scotland does anyone know any details of a Viscount (airline/Reg/exact date) that overan the runway at East Fortune in the early sixties when it was being used as Edinburgh Airport whilst runway work was being carried out at Turnhouse? I assume it would have been BEA.
jabberwok
5th Apr 2004, 11:43
Memory ain't what it used to be but this is what I think I remember..
The aircraft was U/S with a technical fault and when the engineers fixed this the captain elected to take it up on a short test flight. The crew "booked out" for a short flight to the north without confirming if the aircraft was going to be flown IFR or VFR.
The crew and the engineers were on the aircraft for the test flight.
On completion of the tests the aircraft turned back towards Glasgow but hit Ben More (about 34nm N EGPF).
What I cannot recall was whether it was IMC or night at the time of the crash or the final result of the investigation. I know the initial blame was on the crew for descending prematurely but no sane person would drop below MSA so far north of the airport.
JB
mikedurward
7th Apr 2004, 20:21
The crash happened at 14:32 on the 19/01/1973. My father was the captain of the flight. ( Capt Walter Durward). He had 8,346 hours total flying time of which 1,835 had been on Viscounts. All were flown in Scotland. He was an extreamly experienced pilot. If any one would like to see the full copy of the CAA report please feel free to mail me. I will send it by post. Only on the condition that it is returned to me, as it is the only thing I have.
Cheers
Mike
KeMac:
Can't give you exact date but it was April/May 1961 when the BEA Viscount overran the runway at East Fortune