East African Airways VC 10 accident 1972 Addis Ababa [Archive]

Centaurus

26th Sep 2006, 14:14

On 18th April 1972, an East African Airways VC 10 registration 5X-UVA crashed on take off at Addis Ababa. The aircraft hit a car jack on the runway during a night take off, experienced nosewheel tyre burst, aborted the take off and went off the end of the runway killing many aboard. It was later discovered the main wheel anti-skid systems of the wheels had been incorrectly connected which resulted in significant loss of braking capability.

ICAO produced an accident report. Can anyone point me in the right direction to read the report or any links. There are links available but only to very much abbreviated reports.

jabberwok

27th Sep 2006, 02:26

East African Airways, Super VC10, 5X-UVA, accident at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 18th April 1972. Report No. AI 11/72, dated 1st February 1973, released by the Imperial Ethiopian Government, Civil Aviation Administration.

A 21 page summary of this report is contained in ICAO Circular 132-AN/93, Aircraft Accident Digest No. 21, published in 1/1978. I have a copy of this but I do not know if the truncated data would be sufficient for your needs. There are no appendices and only on of the original diagrams (the FDR trace).

You are correct in your assessment as the probable cause is given as:

"The accident was due to a partial loss of braking effort arising from incorrect reassembly of part of the braking system, as a result of which the aircraft could not be stopped within the emergency distance remaining following a properly executed abandoned take off procedure."

HEATHROW DIRECTOR

27th Sep 2006, 06:44

Here's a snap I took of the aircraft at London Airport (Heathrow to kids) in January, 1967: http://www.brendan-mccartney.fotopic.net/p34505760.html

Sorry for the poor quality - it was re-photographed from a dirty old slide.

Interestingly, it was an VC10 with brake problems which gave me a bad scare during my early days at Heathrow. I cleared the a/c to land on 10L.. it touched down part way down the extension and, in a cloud of smoke, stopped just as it reached the main part of the runway - shortest VC10 landing I ever saw. It had landed with its brakes on! How? Why? I never heard and the crew had made no mention of any problems prior to landing.

jabberwok

27th Sep 2006, 13:07

How to get 156 people in a VC10 cockpit?

Must have been an impressive landing. The only aircraft I ever saw land with brakes on was a tiddly little Mooney. Even so it produced copious amounts of smoke, did a very nice 360 on the runway and ended up on the grass.

Slapped wrist - I'm diverging from topic. :=

Albert Driver

27th Sep 2006, 14:24

There were several similar VC10 incidents around that time. IIRC there was a problem wth the brake return line which could allow the brakes to pressurise with the parking brake off.
I believe one aircraft came to a grinding halt on the runway intersection at Melbourne, to the considerable displeasure of the airport authorities and, I imagine, not a few would-be air travellers in the State of Victoria.
It took some time for the problem to be diagnosed and for a while VC10 pilots were continually having their feet inspected! (to ensure heels were on the floor and away from the brake pedals on landing).

Nothing to do with the tragic accident at Addis, though.

WHBM

27th Sep 2006, 16:29

If I recall correctly the pax in the Addis Ababa accident largely escaped but were then trapped up against the boundary fence, and the fuel fire then spread across the intervening ground and overwhelmed them.

jabberwok

28th Sep 2006, 02:07

Sadly WHBM, that is correct. Had it been daytime they might have seen the danger they were in.

Centaurus

28th Sep 2006, 11:07

Jabberwok. Thanks for the ICAO Digest reference. I'll try and obtain a copy through local sources.

Heathrow Director. Your photo turned out surprisingly clear and thanks.

Also to others thanks for the replies. I was considering writing a magazine article on the subject hence the reason for my query.

Jhieminga

28th Sep 2006, 11:23

I have followed this thread with interest. I have a very short summary of this sad accident on my website as I was unable to find more information about it, but obviously I would very much appreciate the opportunity to add more to the story. I don't think that I could get my hand on that ICAO circular, but if anyone does and would be able to provide a copy or scan I could perhaps use that to add to the information on my site. Also Centaurus if this does evolve into an article could you let me know?

My main goal is to provide information about the VC10, there are no commercial links here. It's just a hobby that got out of hand ;).

(My website can be found by clicking here (http://www.vc10.net))

Thanks!

possel

28th Sep 2006, 12:13

<snip>

It's just a hobby that got out of hand ;).

Yeah, that's we all say...

forget

28th Sep 2006, 13:07

That is a brilliant site Jhieminga, well done:ok: :ok:

peter davis

28th Sep 2006, 21:44

KeMac

4th Oct 2006, 08:30

My sister and I flew on this very aircraft in January 1970 (Nairobi-Entebbe-Rome-LHR) and I still have the EAA information pack folder from the flight.
I have to say I always thought EAA were a very good airline

HEATHROW DIRECTOR

4th Oct 2006, 13:50

EAA VC10 crews had a great sense of humour too. One evening a colleague asked if they were ready to copy their clearance.. "Affirmative". So he put his mic next to his lunchbox and pounded out an "Afro-beat" type rhythym. The pilot immediately came back with "Say again the squawk".

Don't make 'em like that nowadays!

DH106

4th Oct 2006, 14:45

gruntie

4th Oct 2006, 20:24

They had 5 - including the last one built - though at the time it was maybe still to be delivered. My own last flight with EAA was also in Jan 1970 from Entebbe to London, maybe even the same one.....as a trainee spotter I used to keep a logbook, but unfortunately lost track of it years ago. Some great memories though - it wasn't so much an airline, more like a club.

KeMac

5th Oct 2006, 12:33

Definitely 5X-UVA? I think I recall EAA had 3 or 4 Super VC-10's.

Absolutely 100% definite. I started collecting aircraft reggies in 1967 and I know this is going to sound a bit sad but in my log book of aircraft travelled on I also make a note of the seat number I occupy as well as the aircraft/airline/date/reg/route and anything unusal about the flight.

I also flew on BEA Vanguard G-APEC from Turnhouse to Heathrow 8 months before it went down over Belgium in October 1971.

Mr_Grubby

5th Oct 2006, 20:32

http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.gurry/Dadsphotos/EAAVC10small.JPG
5X-UVA
Picture postcard taken from their inflight info pack when I flew with EAA in 1967 from Aden to Nairobi on Comet 5Y-AAA.
Clint.

jabberwok

6th Oct 2006, 02:11

5H-MOG. Rare EGGP visitor.
http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/WebAircraft/5H-MOG_VC10.jpg

Beautiful aircraft.

wayoutwest

6th Oct 2006, 09:48

the british have made the best looking aircraft in the world.the vc10 which i first traveled on to australia back in 1973 5 stops.the viscount and the one eleven which passed over my house on its maiden flight also the ambasador what a beutiful aircraft.sorry i have to dry my eyes.

T6NL

9th Oct 2006, 20:44

I have heard it said that the VC10 was the fastest airliner flying until Concorde first took to the air - and since 2003 it is again! Does anybody disagree?

DCDriver

10th Oct 2006, 22:21

The CV990 Coronado held that accolade, I thought.

treadigraph

11th Oct 2006, 06:41

I thought the Trident was also faster than the VC-10... However the dear old Funbus has outlasted them all, unless any CV-990s are still airworthy?

DH106

11th Oct 2006, 11:28

I thought the Trident was also faster than the VC-10... However the dear old Funbus has outlasted them all, unless any CV-990s are still airworthy?

I think there would be only 2 contenders for potentially airworthy 990's:

N8357C stored at El Paso for some years, which used to regularly run it engines but hasn't for some time apparently. There were moves afoot to save this aircraft from scrapping recently.

EC-BZO - last of the Spantax 990's still stored in a remote corner of Palma. This one looks well negelcted and would probably need plenty of work(i.e. cash)

sedburgh

11th Oct 2006, 14:33

There's one at Mojave that looks in reasonable condition :

http://www.btinternet.com/~philip.morten/images/20051022_201139-1.JPG

DCDriver

11th Oct 2006, 14:54

There's a beautifully preserved Swissair example at the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne, but they would never be persuaded to fly it again!
kostet zuviel geld, gal!

DH106

11th Oct 2006, 14:55

There's one at Mojave that looks in reasonable condition :

Yes you're right.
The piccie doesn't want to show, but I think you're referring the ex. APSA one that's the oldest surviving 990. Might be possible to get it airworthy but it's been there for many years.

Actually - thinking about it the heavily modified NASA 990 that was retired a few years ago from Shuttle gear testing duty was probably the last 990 to fly, so it's probably the closest of the surviving 990's to airworthy

DH106

11th Oct 2006, 14:57

There's a beautifully preserved Swissair example at the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne, but they would never be persuaded to fly it again!
kostet zuviel geld, gal!

Getting it to a runway would be the hardest thing, since they floated it to the museum on a barge, minus fin from an airfield across the lake :)

treadigraph

11th Oct 2006, 17:24

I remember seeing that Coronado at Mojave in 1999, and some of the TWA 880s were still there too. Passed through El Paso the following year coutesy Southwest, but don't recall one there. Blimey, we're well off topic now.

I lived in Kenya (aged 8) at the time of the accident at Addis... a family friend was one of the victims, on her way home to London on a shopping trip I think. I'm glad I didn't know (or understand) the full circumstances of the crash at the time...

WHBM

12th Oct 2006, 08:30

There's a beautifully preserved Swissair example at the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne, but they would never be persuaded to fly it again!
It's also missing the outboard sections of the wings, and possibly one or two other somewhat vital parts !

Romeo Echo

13th Oct 2006, 01:20

Just to add another personal note on the Addis crash. I also lived in Kenya at the time and remember it as a 12 year old due to fly out from Nairobi soon afterwards. It was one of the flights used by parents to fly their children back to UK for school, known to many of us as 'Lollipop' flights. Many of my contemporaries where on that flight. I recall accounts of some very brave individuals amongst the survivors who did great things to save some of the children.

I do not recall the source of the information but I remember reading that a loading hook had fallen off the previously departing flight. The VC10 hit it and suffered tyre loss (I thought it was the starboard undercarriage), followed by failure of the starboard engines due to debris ingestion. It may have been a report that was published in the Daily Nation or The (East African) Standard.

Hermel

28th Feb 2010, 20:38

My grand-aunt told me today about this accident (so I googled it and found this page). Her husband was on the plane and survived the crash. He was in the middle of the plane and it was cut off a few rows in front of him, allowing him to escape. Must have been horrible as many children in the rear of the plane burnt to death...

RedhillPhil

1st Mar 2010, 09:11

I can remember reading in an issue of the Guiness book of records that the Trident 2 was the fastest airliner. There were a couple ofl others that come to what I laughingly refer to as my mind. It listed the Canberra PR9 as the RAF's fastest non-afterburning jet and the Pegasus as the RAF's most powerful non afterburning jet.
Sorry, topic wander - it's me age.

TrafficPilot

1st Mar 2010, 18:07

Flashback time!

Mention of the CV-990 reminded me of "Top Trumps" (remember the cards?).
When I was at boarding school we used to play aviation Top Trumps for hours at weekends. CV-990 was a good card to have! From memory only Concorde and the TU144(?) beat it in terms of top speed.

The VC-10 beat them all for beauty though:ok:

Oh how simple life was then!

WHBM

1st Mar 2010, 20:48

Convair 990 :

I don't know whether the claimed Mach 0.91 speed of the Cv990 is the design speed or what it actually achieved, which was less. Failure to come up to design spec was one of the reasons behind its failure.

Looking at an American Airlines timetable for 1965, when it was in full operation alongside a large 707 fleet and the first 727s, it is apparent that on sectors where different types are scheduled there is no difference in timetable time allowed between the Convair and its Boeing counterparts. Even the 727 kept up with it on routes like New York to Chicago.

Perhaps the most surprising thing is how much times have expanded on these routes nowadays; New York to Chicago is around 2 hrs 00 min by all types (one 707 in 1 hour 57 min), whereas today in the American timetable the standard allowance is 2 hrs 40 min. What with much shorter turnround times in the old days as well, those 1965 jets were off the gate again and on their way on westward by the time current types would be arriving.

Dan Winterland

2nd Mar 2010, 01:27

I was informed that BOAC used to cruire the VC10 at .86 to .88 I was told. Fast, but others were up there as well. The 747 typically cruises at .86.

pjac

2nd Mar 2010, 23:56

The NASA 990 was purchased from Garuda. An American crew test flew the 'plane when it came out of the hangar at Jakarta-then flew it to Hong Kong/HAECO to have the resultants snags of the machine attended to, prior to flying it back to the States.

folkyphil

2nd Mar 2010, 23:59

5X-UVA...

I recall sitting on the Brooklands Racetrack embankment (Weybridge) watching her first engine runs.

Lunchtime at Brooklands Technical College...a quick walk down to the river, scamble up the embankment to get a view of the airfield, eat sandwiches, wait for "Bournemouth Belle" to scurry past, then dash back in time for afternoon lectures...happy days!

Jhieminga

4th Mar 2010, 10:57

I see that this thread has resurfaced. I have updated the information regarding this accident on my site based on the aforementioned ICAO digest:
Incidents and Accidents (http://www.vc10.net/History/incidents_and_accidents.html#5X-UVA%20Addis%20Ababa%2018%20April%201972)

Panop

8th Mar 2010, 15:02

A personal note. I always felt an affinity for UVA as I was fortunate enough to be at Brooklands when she took off on her maiden flight to Wisley in 1966. Somewhere under a vast pile of my lifes's collection of bits and pieces is my old reggie spotting log book with the exact date. One day I'll dig it out.

BAC used to do guided factory tours of their adjoining Weybridge works on Saturday mornings which you could go on for free if you wrote a letter showing interest and, on one of my my days (I went twice as I found it so interesting), UVA's maiden take off was a bonus highlight. The tour was fascinating in itself as VC10s (mainly the RAF ones from the part cancelled BOAC order if I recall) plus Concorde fuselage sections were in production there at the time.

However, the sight and sound (aaahh Conways!) of 5X-UVA, resplendent in that beautiful (then brand spanking new) EAA scheme, roaring south away from the rail embankment (they had to stop the trains whenever there was a take off to avoid jet blast blowing a passing Southern Region train from the vertical) is something I will never forget. Sadly I got no photos as cameras were banned from the factory tours for obvious reasons.

The terrible fate of that beautiful bird and, worse, its innocent occupants just a few years later is very sad.

Spooky 2

8th Mar 2010, 19:02

By chance, would anyone recall the flight crew names involved in this accident, and did they survive?

Planemike

8th Mar 2010, 22:13

The accident is described in some detail in Peter Davis's excellent book EAST AFRICAN ..... An Airline Story.

Flight crew comprised Capt. John (Paddy) Vale
First Officer Ronald Botto,
Flight Engineer Brian Twist
Navigating Officer Frank McNabb.

Three of the flight crew died in the accident, Brian Twist died three days later.

Planemike

Chris Scott

3rd Apr 2010, 14:38

'Morning Colin,

I was a co-pilot on VC10s with BCAL from 1971 - 1974. Used to spend quite a lot of time at Nairobi and Entebbe. Forgive me for stating what may seem the usual platitudes, but we were shocked, saddened, and perhaps a bit dismayed by your father's accident.

Round about that time, we started practising double-engine failures on take-off on our sim checks, having recognised the possibility of a shattered nose-gear tyre being ingested by more than one engine; probably on the same side. Whether the sudden emphasis was a spin-off from the Addis inquiry, I cannot remember.

A year or two ago I saw a super photo of an EAA Super VC10 on take-off from Brooklands. May've been on PPRuNe, but am unable to find it today.
(Can anyone help?)

As you may have seen, there are many other VC10 pics here though. (Have found that if you use the PPRuNe search to find VC10 stuff, you need to do separate searches for "VC10" and "VC 10" [i.e., with the space inserted after "VC"].)

Regards, Chris

Earlier on this thread, there was a discussion on how fast the VC10 was (believe she's now more restricted than in those days). Max IAS was, in fact, modest: significantly lower than the B707-320.

As Stanley Eevil said here (http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/340198-vc-10-pilots-please.html),
VMO was 337 at sea-level, reducing linearly to 317 at FL200;
then increasing linearly to 329 [sic] at FL310.

MMO was 0.86 (true) (0.886 indicated) (no air-data computer to make the correction).

In early days, they probably cruised flat-out (range permitting) "on the bell".
By 1971, we normally cruised at M0.835 (M0.86 indicated); after 1973 (fuel crisis) M0.82 (M0.845 indicated).

Jhieminga

7th Apr 2010, 08:16

Hello Colin,

I have gathered some information on the accident and compiled a story for my website here: Incidents and Accidents (http://www.vc10.net/History/incidents_and_accidents.html#5X-UVA%20Addis%20Ababa%2018%20April%201972)
If you want more details then don't hesitate to contact me through PPruNe or the address on my site.

flyawaybird

9th Apr 2010, 02:30

Dear Mr. Botto,

My name is Mary Wairimu and I used to work for EAA as a cabin crew.
Currently I live in New Jersey and my email address is: [email protected]

If you so wish you can write to me.

Mary:)

flyawaybird

15th Apr 2010, 01:35

Hello there!

Please go to airliners.jet and browse for EAA VC 10s. You will see them there. Last Christmas I used the EAA VCs for post cards greetings.

Good Luck!

Flyawaybird:)

flyawaybird

15th Apr 2010, 01:48

Hi,

My name is Mary former EAA Cabin Crew, now residing in New Jersey. If you wish you could write to me at the following email address and will tell you all i know of the Accident:
[email protected]

Was a bit in rush.

Bye for now.

mary

flyawaybird

23rd Apr 2010, 01:42

Hi Chris,

EAA had 5 Super VC 10 including the UVA involved in crash at Addis.

You can view all EAA's VC 10s at the airliner.net. Also If you visit the youtube, there is one flying at airshow in Kenya in 60's by Capt. Ratcliffe has a beautiful piece of music in the show. At youtube too, if you look for international flights landing in Athens, there is a beautiful EAA VC 10 there.

Good luch.

Mary:D

VictorGolf

23rd Apr 2010, 16:39

Colin, I've sent you a PM.
Ozplane

exem657

26th Apr 2010, 12:03

Saw a Vulcan land at Goose with brakes on. - 8 tyres popped , and as team leader I was politely requested by the American controller "to get that ***** thing off the ***** runway else he'd do it with a bulldozer!
The teenage copilot who forgot to release the parking brake before landing and cannot be named because of data protection ,went on to become one of our best display pilots.
Wonder if he reads this stuff!

flyawaybird

7th Jun 2010, 20:23

Hi Colin,

Hope you are ok. Have been temporarily cut off emails due to a transfer after my patient's condition deteriorated. Right now I am borrowing someone's wireless laptop to send this message. will get in touch once reconnected. Hope you enjoy flying.
I miss the airline connections and career. It is a job not in comparison with any other. It was exciting and full of happy times.

bye for now, i have to go.

Flyawaybird

ADMM

1st Jun 2012, 14:50

Some of the postings earlier suggest that this was a night-time take-off. That is wrong - it was daylight. I was on the viewing balcony as it set off for take-off, and my 12-yr old sister was on board.

Unfortunately, although she survived the crash, she was badly burned, and died a week later, after receiving wonderful care in the hospital in Addis, and by the RAF, who flew her and a number of others back to UK. She died on 25 April at RAF Halton Hospital.

Planemike

1st Jun 2012, 22:21

ADMM.............

Welcome to the forum. Very sorry to hear that you lost your sister in the accident at Addis Ababa.

Planemike

parabellum

2nd Jun 2012, 00:40

I too heard somewhere that it was some form of hook on the runway rather than a car jack, one report actually said it was a meat hook?

Jhieminga

2nd Jun 2012, 07:13

It was a jacking pad from a locally based Cessna 185, not a car jack or meat hook. See here for more about this accident: Incidents and Accidents (http://www.vc10.net/History/incidents_and_accidents.html#5X-UVA%20Addis%20Ababa%2018%20April%201972)

The accident occurred around 9:38 in the morning, at least that's the time noted in the accident report for the start of the take off.

Welcome to the forum ADMM!

Centaurus

3rd Jun 2012, 11:14

The multi failure of some of the brakes during the rejected take off was rotten luck for all those involved. Most landings in airline aircraft do not involve maximum brake application and thus the defects present at the time of the VC 10 accident would not have been apparent. In fact it is quite possible to go from servicing schedule to servicing schedule without ever realising one or two of a multiple wheel/brake system may be dodgy. Unless of course a high speed abort on a limiting runway just happens to occur - and then it is too late.

For example it happened to this writer many years ago; fortunately it was a happy ending:

I recall taking over a 737-200 of Air Nauru that had flown from Hong Kong – Manila – Guam. There was a crew change at Guam for sector Guam – Ponape – Nauru. During the walk around at Guam after the previous crew had left the aircraft for the pub, I noticed one of the four brake units appeared cold compared to the other three. The others were hardly warm as expected for a 10,000 ft runway so I thought little about it.

Ponape runway was relatively short. Landing and braking nothing unusual. Refuelled and did another walk around and again found one brake cold while the others were still warm. Pondered this although warm air from adjacent brake made it difficult to assess a possible problem. . Landing at Nauru I decided to use moderate braking and from experience knew that on arrival at the terminal the brakes would normally be quite hot since Nauru was a short runway. After pax disembarked I checked the brakes by waving my hand near them and discovered same single brake stone cold.

Wrote up the snag and engineer discovered that brake had been disconnected from the brake system. Must have happened during servicing at Hong Kong but not picked up by previous crew. Shows how important the walk around inspection is providing it is done with diligence. The danger was if a high speed abort was necessary when only three brakes would have worked.

flyawaybird

3rd Jun 2012, 19:36

Jhieminga

incidents and accidents

I have now read your update on EAA VC 10 accident in 1972.
I must say it is well written.
However, I would like to draw your attention to a Mr. Douglas Alan Johnson, who has emailed me at my private email address: [email protected]
He claimed he and his wife were survivors on that flight. I directed him to get in touch with PpruNe but so far I have not seen his report at PPrune. Perhaps you may get in touch with whim at [email protected]
He might have an interesting story to tell us at PPruNe. Currently he is residing at Uruguay unti 5th June 2012.
Over to you if you will
flyawaybird (Mary):ok:

alan95616

19th Feb 2013, 05:40

My sincerest condolences to the individuals who shared their personal stories of loss associated with this crash. I went to boarding school in Addis and we saw the column of smoke from the crash rising in the distance. They posted newspaper articles in our dorm -- I guess thinking we might have family involved. Then, for some ill-conceived reason, the proctor of my dorm decided to take us out to see the wreckage. Absolutely horrifying and haunting. I swear I could feel the pain from people there -- luggage debris everywhere. I could barely breathe for years during take off, could never sit by a window, and we flew everywhere. Again -- my sincerest condolences to everyone who lost family and friends.

flyawaybird

19th Feb 2013, 18:35

Alan95616

Thank you for sharing of this famous VC 10 accident.
You are not the only one haunted, I am and hard come from London
on the same ill-fated A/C. I lost my best friend who I had only chatted on my arrival in NBO. Furthermore, as one of the airline staff, it was so sad to loose majority of the crew and pasengers, not to mention an airliner i loved so much.:sad:

flyawaybird

22nd Aug 2014, 01:03

Hi Folks,

FYI, we had a very memorable EAA Reunion in London on 26th July 2014 at former Skyways Hotel, now Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow Hotel.
For those that missed this great day, you can access East African Airways website to read all about it there and also find the information on video to watch.

The event was well organized, my hat off to the two pilot concerned, and it was very well attended from as far as, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, USA and the list goes on. Not even the wild horses could have kept me away from the EAA Reunion. We had brought a lot of gifts on request, for auction. We raised quite a bit of money. Plenty to talk about, eat and drink (Tusker Beers, juu!). We also watched an interesting video partly on EAA and the rest on Kenya and Tanzania during the colonial rule, special events etc.. We had close to 130 attendees present, considering a lot of EASTAF have passed on. My trip continued on eight-days tour to Germany. Very interesting. I really enjoyed myself. :ok:

Just a piece of information those interested in the former airline.

Regards

flyawaybird

Planemike

22nd Aug 2014, 08:36

flyawaybird.........

Indeed it was a memorable reunion. My great regret was that there was not enough time to chat to everyone.

Jerry and Erik did a wonderful job........ Congratulations to them both!!!

guywoodland

13th Nov 2015, 18:50

Hi
I am looking for any information about this crash. My dad watched this plane take off with a friend of his who had two daughters on board. They witnessed the whole incident and unfortunately the two daughters died.

My father who at the time was with the British embassy had to visit the crash site to aid in the recovery of bodies.

Any information would be gratefully received.

Regards

Guy

Jhieminga

15th Nov 2015, 16:23

Hello Guy,

There is quite a lot of information in this topic itself, but if you want the details then perhaps the official accident report might be of interest. If you follow this link: Incidents and Accidents (http://www.vc10.net/History/incidents_and_accidents.html#5X-UVA%20Addis%20Ababa%2018%20April%201972)
then you'll end up on my website where you'll find a short story about the accident and a link to the official report at the bottom of that story.

flyawaybird

24th Nov 2015, 03:24

EAA Reunion

Hi Planemike
We are going to have another EAA Reunion on June 18th, 2015 at the same venue and rates negotiated are only up by GBP3.00 than what we paid last time. The last reunion was a real good success and we couldn't get better organizers than Jerry and Erik. From the plan details, I see, it will be much better than the previous one. :D

Planemike

24th Nov 2015, 12:19

flyawaybird..............

Take it you mean 18 June 2016 ?? Really do I hope I receive an invitation to attend this one.....!!!

India Four Two

24th Nov 2015, 16:47

Jhieminga,

Thanks for the link. I've just read the accident report. It mentions that the investigators were able to tell how much work had been done by each of the brake units. How was that determined?

The report infers that of the cockpit crew, only the FE survived. Is that correct?

Planemike

24th Nov 2015, 17:25

India Four Two......

"""The report infers that of the cockpit crew, only the FE survived. Is that correct?"""

See my post No: 42.....

Hillster

26th Jul 2018, 13:06

I was 10 years old and at Warwick boarding school in England. The Easter holidays were over and we were all returning for the new term. My best friend Chris Townshend and his younger brother never made it back. So tragic.

dvlcom777

21st Apr 2021, 08:51

A BBC radio 4 program called Life Changing has just been broadcast in the UK. It features a 30 minute interview with a women who as a young child watched the crash. She was there with her parents to watch her two sisters fly back to the UK for boarding school. Neither of her sisters survived. The interview focuses on the crash and its effect on her and her family. It's very moving and shows how such events have long lasting effects.

Jhieminga

21st Apr 2021, 20:07

The programme is available online, see here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v8w8
I've just read the accident report. It mentions that the investigators were able to tell how much work had been done by each of the brake units. How was that determined?
I suspect that they looked at the wear on the brake discs and linings. From the original certification testing they will have known how much wear is produced by having a brake unit absorb energy to its maximum capacity. When other units have less wear, you can then compare the levels of wear. It's not precise, but the difference must have been significant enough.

I realise that it's a long time ago that you asked this question, but better late than never.

rickyricks

21st Apr 2021, 20:31

I heard this programme and found it very informative and sad at the same time. Well worth a listen.

Gavvin Starrkey

23rd Apr 2021, 10:37

Hi

My Aunt was on that plane she survived the crash but died later. Awful she was 12 also.

Jhieminga

24th Apr 2021, 09:07

Another interesting account here: https://storylines.rafbf.org/cold-war-years/vc10-crash-ethiopia-1972/ from one of the RAF crewmembers who flew the survivors and their family back to the UK on XR808.

134brat

26th Apr 2021, 13:59

Accident investigators found that EAA maintenance staff had "...fitted restrictor pads incorrectly in one brake unit and a transfer unit in another was in it's reverse position. The result was that No.2 brake was being operated by No.1 anti skid and vice versa. This would have reduced braking efficiency slightly but No.2 rear anti skid had a rubber ring where a hydraulic coupling was fitted preventing No.2 anti skid from releasing No.1 brake, causing the tyre to burst. The cross couple would have caused a brake pressure loss of about 70% and the report cited incompetence in engineering as the cause of the failure to stop."

This is quoted from Modern Civil Airliners No.1 by Martin Hedley. Published by Ian Allan books in 1982.