What Happened to G-AZLT at Leeds?

[Midland 331]

This was the Viscount that became G-BMAT and G-OHOT with BWA. Sadly destroyed in 1994 near Uttoxeter due to icing.

I understand that it experienced a heavy landing or ran onto the grass at Leeds on a wild night in 1981/2. It was hangared for some time there, dismantled, and taken to EMA where it was rebuilt. A high-hours Viscount captain claimed that it handled better than any other he'd flown, so I heard.

I've always been intrigued to know what caused such damage.

I jump-seated with an Aussie crew Leeds-London who said that the incident was seriously "hushed up". I'm surprised that the press never got hold of it.

Cheers

r

[GBALU53]

It was doing a freighter sector if I remember correctly or a positioning flight so a lower news priorty if at all?

[Midland 331]

I'd beg to differ there, as it was operating the last northbound (BD420). I was a student in Leeds at the time, and heard about it via my father, a BD empolyee, the next day. It was a truly wild night in downtown Leeds, so Yeadon would have been even more "interesting".

Thanks for the reply.

r

[Helen49]

It landed on a very wet runway with a strong cross wind and touched down very deep. It could have been much worse! Negligible injuries, just bent metal and hurt pride. BMA did the same thing twice at LBA.....once on Rwy15 and the other on Rwy 33....both narrow escapes!
H49

[Midland 331]

Helen49

H49 thanks very much. I knew that there were two, one being less "hushed" than the other. I understand that the main spar on Viscounts can be a weak spot. I suppose that the "hump" on 33/15 at Leeds did not help matters.

It must have been an interesting ride for the punters...

Thanks again.

r

[The AvgasDinosaur]

http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19940225-1&lang=en
The end:{
Hope it helps.
Oddly enough I cant find it on the AAIB site even though I have a copy of the report on my shelf as published by HMSO
Be lucky
David

[Midland 331]

David,
Thanks for this.
it was more the Leeds incident I was curious about - It must have been some "arrival" to break an aeroplane to that degree.

The extended centreline of 32 passed over the University campus, and it was always interesting to hear the 4 Darts, the noise often altering in pitch, and see a Viscount crabbing down the ILS just below the overcast.

Does anyone else think that the A320 has a bit of a Viscount noise about it?


r

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Midland 331, The cause of the crash of G OHOT at Utoxeter back in 1994 was 'Fuel Contamination'

The Aircraft was on a Freight Flight from EDI - CVT, when all of a sudden over the Midlands one of the 4 Engines stopped!

I cant remember what happened to the other 3 Engines, I Tink they lost 1 more before crashing into a wood outside Utoxeter.

Sadly one of the 2 Pilot's was killed instantly on impact, I the other was in a 'bad' state, and I hope he/she has recovered.

The Aircraft was on a parcelforce contract night flight.

The AAIB found traces of 'Water' in the fuel, and this caused the engines to seize up!

It just showed that even Commercial's can get water contamination just as easy as a C152?

You don't hear about this happening as much nowadays, But you would have thought Vickers would have allowed for this happening on the Rolls Royce Dart Engine.

Regards.:ugh:

[Midland 331]

Midland 331, The cause of the crash of G OHOT at Utoxeter back in 1994 was 'Fuel Contamination'

The Aircraft was on a Freight Flight from EDI - CVT, when all of a sudden over the Midlands one of the 4 Engines stopped!

I cant remember what happened to the other 3 Engines, I Tink they lost 1 more before crashing into a wood outside Utoxeter.

Sadly one of the 2 Pilot's was killed instantly on impact, I the other was in a 'bad' state, and I hope he/she has recovered.

The Aircraft was on a parcelforce contract night flight.

The AAIB found traces of 'Water' in the fuel, and this caused the engines to seize up!

It just showed that even Commercial's can get water contamination just as easy as a C152?

You don't hear about this happening as much nowadays, But you would have thought Vickers would have allowed for this happening on the Rolls Royce Dart Engine.

Regards.:ugh:

Thanks.

However, my question is about G-AZLT at Leeds when working for Midland. As per the first posting in the thread...

r

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Affirmative Midland 331, I just thought I'd add that about it's final resting place!

GAZLT was that used on the LHR run from LBA regularly? I am a long time 'Midland' fan, but the DC9 era is more my department.

Was it 1988 the last year of the Viscount flying, I know GAZLT was an 802 series.

Living not far from LBA, and knowing many other people who work/ed at LBA I have not found much information on the crash, As is the case with the Tristar Run-away back in 1985.

If you contact HMSO or the CAA you may be able to purchase the report.

Regards.:rolleyes:

Regards.

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

Midland 331: If you mean the noise an A320 makes when it's descending on intermediate approach, then yes, I've been struck by the similarity. :)

[Midland 331]

Midland 331: If you mean the noise an A320 makes when it's descending on intermediate approach, then yes, I've been struck by the similarity. :)

Typically over Central London...

r

[bean]

G-AZLT was a series 813 not an 802 It was powered by Dart R Da 7's & was purchased by BMA from South African Airways in 1972.

The series 802 was built for BEA & were considerably less powerful.

I believe the accident referred to actually occured in 1980. The CAA registration database appears to confirm this as it shows the first registration date for G-BMAT as 30th March 1981

[bean]

I've now found a book which tells me that the aircraft met it's accident landing on runway 15 at LBA on 6th October 1980: that it was transported by road to EMA 13th February 1981 & was rebuilt using the wings of series 814 G-BAPD which had been withdrawn from use by BMA & was in storage. The book confirms the re regristration to G-BMAT on the date which I quoted in my previous post

[Helen49]

ByAlphaindia

Viscounts were the main aircraft used on the Leeds Bradford - Heathrow route during the period after BMA took over from BA on the route in 1980. So of course all the fleet visited Leeds. [They had also been used on the East Midlands - Leeds - Glasgow routes after they replaced the HP7s, Argonaut, DC3 etc!]

DC9s replaced Viscounts on the Heathrow route after the Leeds runway was extended.

Returning to the subject of the over-runs at Leeds, 'LT landing on runway 15 narrowly averted disaster by turning on to the grass south of the main runway and thereby avoided going down the embankment. Similarly the Rwy33 over run avoided going through the fence and on to the main Bradford - Harrogate Road by turning on to the grass south of Rwy 33. As I said before both could have been much worse and both were caused by late touch downs on wet, cross wind affected runways.

The Tristar also ran off the end of the by this time Rwy 14, due to late touchdown. It landed on a dry runway with about a 5kt headwind, carrying a full load of passengers and tankering fuel from Palma. The touchdown was well after the 'aiming point' and in fact very close to where the 'aiming point' had been prior to the runway extension.....leaving some 1300m for stopping.

H49

[Midland 331]

Bean,

>I've now found a book which tells me that the aircraft met it's accident landing on runway 15 at LBA

Thanks very much. I have a vague recollection of seeing the lights of this particular aircraft as it hurtled downwind for 15 on th efateful night. Or maybe I'm wrong. There were lots of windy, dark nights in Leeds.

That overrun area at the 32/33 threshold end is seriously steep, IIRC.

H49, can you confirm that one of the wet-leased Airways Cymru B1-11s once landed on 28? This was a story circulating in Midland at one time. The story goes that the "arrival" was so firm that all the oxygen masks deployed in the cabin.

r

[noflybywire]

Is it only me of does anyone else think that the Saab 2000 has a touch of Vanguard wings and tailplane about it. I saw one a while back on approach to JSY and it looked interesting from the ground,:ooh: :ooh: :ooh:

[llanfairpg]

Surprised no one has mentioned the Viscount at LBA that took the top of a lamp post off on 15 approach

[Midland 331]

Do tell!

I was amazed at how long the Tristar sat at the stop end of 14 before removal

Was 32 still in use for arrivals (with restrictions) at that time? That tail sat a fair way into the air..

I wonder how much the "hump" in the runway influenced all these events?

On a similar subject, a Genair SD360 F/O said that their GPWS used to go off on very short finals to 32 due to the terrain charactersitics.

r

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Who remembers the Air France Caravelle that went off the end of 24 at Manchester in the '60s? It sank into the mud and took ages to dig out.

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Helen 49 Thanks for that,
The Tristar was GBBAH, I Tink - Molly Mcgreedy Rose?

It landed too high and too fast down R15, well beyond the intersection, The Captain nearly did the same thing again at LGW about 9 months later!!

I have being told that the Captain was a mexican looking Fellow, Who was working on lease to B Airtours.

There was a 'Funny' incident about 14 years ago when a 'russian' 154 don't know which Airline visited LBA and the crew decided to go shopping down at Guiseley's Comet store.

In the end they loaded the 154 to it's limits with fridge freezers, and on departure LBA refused to clear the 154 for a Departure due to the MTOW, So the Captain signed off the clearance himself and they went on their way!!

There was the Aviaco DC9 that left tyre marks in the 'plants' at the end of 15 cemetery end, It departed at night and lifted away well after the loop!!

A BY 732 Posn from Glasgow once landed on R10.

And finally in the LBA hall of fame there was the Virgin 742 pleasure flight that departed on R14, and immediately made a hard right turn above plane tree hill, there were rumours that 'Branson' who was onboard was at the controls??

Regards.;)

[Helen49]

Byalphaindia

I think you will find that the L1011 was 'AI'.

The Captain of the VC8 which took a Victoria Avenue street lamp out claimed that the glass found on the LBA runway was from a taxiway light at Dublin, he also said that the F/O was flying the aircraft. What he could not explain was that the glass was white [not blue], nor could he offer an explanation concerning the missing street lamp!! Fortunately the wheels hit the lamp shade and not the post!

H49

[Airbanda]

There was the Aviaco DC9 that left tyre marks in the 'plants' at the end of 15 cemetery end, It departed at night and lifted away well after the loop!!


Was this Aviaco 9 before the extension?

Thirteen November 76 was one of those days when LBA was above the freezing fog covering the rest of the UK. I arrived around 14:00, expecting no more than the usual stuff and some joshing wih my fellow spotters, to be advised, I think by Colin Addison, the Aviaco was due as a Brum div. EC CTS duly landed; IIRC so new it was not in CAM. Parked on stand 6 and awaited it's pax arriving by bus.

Departed direct Tenerife off Rw33 c18:00 with 56 sob. Difficult to judge things through the terminal window in the dark but the concensus was it rotated at/shortly after the 10/28 intersection.

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Helen 49, APPOLOGIES for saying it was AH, IT was a long time ago & alot has happened since then!!

Airbanda, As far as I am aware The Aviaco DC9 incident was before the Runway extension at LBA.

As well as the L10 incident, It is a long time ago & I have slept since then!!

You do know that Colin Addison died many years ago do you?

Regards.:sad:

[Midland 331]

>Thirteen November 76 was one of those days when LBA was above the freezing fog covering the rest of the UK.

This is the "bonkers" thing about LBA - occasionally, it's the only place open, and ends up parking aircraft on taxiways and absolutely everywhere...r

[gregers]

AH LBA, my old stomping ground as a youth, I have flown in BMAT from heathrow to LBA (BD412) and the landing was a bit bumpy due to a very turbulent day, the pilot was a Captain Murphy as i recall. I spent the flight sat next to a USAF groundcrewman and really made him feel safe by explaining the aircratf had been rebuilt with the wings of another Viscount after it had slid off the runway we were about to land on, (strange how he was rather quiet after that???) i was there on the day that the tristar went over the edge but missed seeing her go all the way to the end of the runway but some of us in the terminal knew it was going to end in tears. we were releaved it didn't end in fatalities to be honest though as he apeared to come in high and fast. as for the Virgin 747 take off i have some piccies of that as i was stood on the grass airside next to the Yorkshire Light hanger that day. i will try find them and get them posted. anyone here hear of the either Herald or F27 that lost an engine on takeoff and flew down the valley towards Kirkstall, turned towards cookridge and made it back to the runway?. its something i was told about at LBA but never had it confirmed.

I remember Colin Addison, a really nice guy. and a damn good photographer. sorry to hear of his passing.

all the best.

Greg

[Midland 331]

Much "Viscountness" here, plus more on G-AZLT and "Alidair's Glider", G-ARBY:-

http://www.vickersviscount.net/

r

[DH106]

>>A BY 732 Posn from Glasgow once landed on R10.

Absolutely right - must have been some sight. I used to work for a time one night a week behind the bar at the aero club and mixed with many to the controllers. On senior controller told me that a Britannia 737-200 definitely landed on R10 (now R09 - over the Tarn). When I asked about the landing he said "well - he sure used it ALL stopping".


Another question for you LBA oldies (long shot...I know):- unusual movements, Aug 1978. One day in this month, there must have been a horse race on somewhere - York perhaps. An ABC Argosy G-BEOZ landed. I was a kid at the time and scrambled up the the airport on my bike & took a few piccies of them unloading what looked like horse boxes. On the way home, a BAF Carvair landed - I have a piccie of it arriving over the raised R33 threshold from Scotland Lane - but I never got the reg :{ :ugh:. Anyone recorded the reg? From the livery it must have been either G-ASDC or G-ASHZ. Be great to know so many years later.

[Exasperated]

Midland 331, The cause of the crash of G OHOT at Utoxeter back in 1994 was 'Fuel Contamination'

The Aircraft was on a Freight Flight from EDI - CVT, when all of a sudden over the Midlands one of the 4 Engines stopped!

I cant remember what happened to the other 3 Engines, I Tink they lost 1 more before crashing into a wood outside Utoxeter.

Sadly one of the 2 Pilot's was killed instantly on impact, I the other was in a 'bad' state, and I hope he/she has recovered.

The Aircraft was on a parcelforce contract night flight.

The AAIB found traces of 'Water' in the fuel, and this caused the engines to seize up!

It just showed that even Commercial's can get water contamination just as easy as a C152?

You don't hear about this happening as much nowadays, But you would have thought Vickers would have allowed for this happening on the Rolls Royce Dart Engine.

Regards.

Not true the AAIB Accident report states

Viscount Crash - 25 February 1994

Aircraft Accident Report 3/95

Report on the accident to Vickers Viscount 813, G-OHOT near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire on 25 February 1994

SYNOPSIS

The aircraft, which was engaged on a freight (packages) flight to Coventry, took off from Edinburgh at 1843 hrs in weather conditions of rain and snow. After takeoff, the aircraft climbed in cloud to FL 190, descending again so as to be at FL 180 when crossing the Manchester VOR. During the further descent, at 1932 hrs, still in cloud and approaching FL 150, the No 2 engine failed and the propeller autofeathered. Less than a minute later the No 3 engine started to run down and the crew requested an immediate descent and navigational assistance from ATC radar. At that time the aircraft was 16 nm from Manchester Airport and was descending through FL 140. At 1937 hrs, when unsuccessful attempts had been made to re-start Nos 2 and 3 engines, the crew declared an emergency with Birmingham Airport requested as the diversion. At this time the aircraft was descending through 9,400 feet, some 28 nm from Birmingham and 17 nm from East Midlands. No 2 engine was re-started successfully but, during this process, No 4 engine failed. Despite further attempts to re-start Nos 3 and 4 engines, the remainder of the flight was conducted on the two left-hand engines alone. Throughout this report the term 'engine failure' means an engine that has flamed out as a consequence of ice ingestion.

The aircraft was subsequently unable to maintain height and latterly the commander was unable to control the aircraft in yaw. The aircraft struck the ground and an intense fire consumed the cabin section between the rear of the flight deck and the front of the empennage. The commander did not survive the impact, but the seriously injured first officer was assisted from the flight deck wreckage by two bystanders and taken to hospital. There were no other crew members or passengers.

The following causal factors were identified:

i) Multiple engine failures occurred as a result of flight in extreme icing conditions.

ii) Incomplete performance of the emergency drills by the crew, as a result of not referring to the Emergency Checklist, prejudiced the chances of successful engine re-starts.

iii) Crew actions for securing and re-starting the failed engines, which were not in accordance with the operator's procedures, limited the power available. The drag from two unfeathered propellers of the failed engines and the weight of the heavily iced airframe resulted in a loss of height and control before the chosen diversion airfield could be reached.

iv) Poor Crew Resource Management reduced the potential for emergency planning, decision making and workload sharing. Consequently, the crew had no contingency plan for the avoidance of the forecast severe icing conditions, and also was unaware of the relative position of a closer diversion airfield which could have been chosen by making more effective use of air traffic services.

Two safety recommendations have been made.



Viscounts had a well known predilection to icing especially in the descent at low power and several fatal accidents have been attributed to icing especially in the tail.

Ex

[WHBM]

In the early 1980s I did a day return business trip fom Heathrow to Leeds. During the day the fog came down and by the time I was taken back to LBA about 1700 the flight was cancelled.

They were running round organising a coach to Heathrow when I chanced upon a business contact also sat waiting for it. We both then cancelled our tickets and took a cab off the rank direct to Heathrow T1 car park. Unusually for an airport the poor cab driver seemed never to have driven outside Yorkshire before (except when he had no doubt arrived at LHR from his stereotypical homeland) and kept doing "how much longer" comments like the kids do ! We had to give him part of the fare at an M1 services for fuel. But it was great, we must have got to our cars in the Terminal 1 car park, in the days when you could park there for the day without needing to take out a second mortgage on the house, at least a couple of hours before the coach passengers, and my half of the cab fare was notably less than what we got back on the plane fare later.

[DH106]

Any of you 'old time' LBA spotters remember (mid 70's I think) an Aer Turas DC-4 / C-54 which used to come in occasionally over a period.
It had a landing 'incident' on one trip where it apparently burst all of it's main gear tyres on landing and spent quite some time parked on the 'pan' until it was made airworthy again. Looking at Aer Turas's fleet - I think this must have been EI-ARS ?

I have another fond memory as a kid cycling up the now built-over old access road from Scotland Lane. At one point I remember standing on a wall or something to peep over the fence that obscured the old hanger apron (about the position where all the Jet2 aircraft now park on the extended main apron). I was amazed to see a Viscount sitting on it's belly in the process of being scrapped. BEA colours, so G-AOHH or G-AOHK perhaps.

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Hi DH106, Thanks for that, Can you remember if the VC8 was in the old or later BEA colours, By the reg sounds like it could have been a 700 srs??

You will remember Northeast VC8'S then on the LHR.

I will try and find out about the Aer Turas on the pan.

As always, LBA is one big secret when it comes to it's past History.:*

[bean]

G-AOHH Viscount 802 broken up Leeds 1976
None of the BEA 700s were scrapped.:rolleyes: They all went to other operators

No BEA 800 series Viscounts were withdrawn from service or scrapped until 1975/76

[DH106]

Hi BYALPHAINDIA :)

The VC8 I saw was definitely in BEA blue stripe/red wings colours which I think was the last BEA livery before the BA colours. I distinctly remember the red wings as I could see the top of them as it sat on it's belly slightly tilted towards me.

Both G-AOHH & HK were series 802's and were scrapped at LBA circa 1976 - although I only saw ONE at the time being scrapped so presumably they were stored/broken up one after the other sometime in 76 rather than together.

Apparently there was a 700 broken up at Leeds, but much earlier in 1970 - G-AVIY, s/n333 of BKS - but this was way too early for my anecdote, I'd only be 5 at that time :p

[GotTheTshirt]

BYALPHAINDIA
The fuel problem is the fact that the water in the C150 remains separated from the fuel whereas jet fuel is hygrosopic :hmm: and absorbs the water.
The jet engine is quite capable of handling water in the fuel the problem is that the fuel filters hold the water and at altitude it freezes. The Jet engine filters were much finer than the petrol engine filters
We had this problem on early Darts and the problem was fixed by filter bypass and heating the fuel.

[ZeBedie]

Does anyone else think that the A320 has a bit of a Viscount noise about it?
Maybe so but has there ever been an engine with a more distinctive sound than the Dart? I remember thinking how odd it was when I first flew a Dart powered aircraft to hear that familiar sound from inside the aircraft - it had been an everyday noise throughout my childhood. I miss it now.

[DH106]

Maybe so but has there ever been an engine with a more distinctive sound than the Dart?
Absolutely! :) I can still hear in my mind the distinctive noise of a Viscount winding up to takeoff power. Quite loud, and so distinctive - no turboprop these days gets even close. They all seem to be very low pitched by comparison.

[Helen49]

I'm fairly sure that several of the BKS V700s were scrapped on the 'old apron' at LBA....as stated above, down where Jet 2 park these days....or for those who remember just east of the YTV hangar where their Jet Ranger lived for a number of years. Their pilot was a John Leeson who eventually went off to operate an air museum/air park down in the West Country. There was also the B170 which lived on the eastern airfield boundary in the mid 60s just south of the old 28 threshold.......failed to pay outstanding debts and was eventually scrapped in that location!

The violin's out now!
H49

[DH106]

Hi Helen

Didn't know a B170 used to live at LBA - I only really came 'on scene' in the mid 70's.
Can you remember the Aer Turas DC-4 I mentioned above? It really stuck out to me as everything at that time was Viscounts/F27s/748s with the odd Herald. And Aer Lingus were the only jet operator with a handfull of 737s to Dublin per week (1-11 on Sunday if I remember right :))

[WHBM]

In the days when Aer Turas had the DC4 it used to do a lot of stand-in work for UK airlines, given there wasn't a lot of work available at Dublin for it. Cambrian Airways were a regular charterer among others. Presumably it turned up at Leeds for the same reason.

Regarding the noise from Dart-powered aircraft, I would have thought the noise came from the prop tips rather than the engine. Did it have a notably high RPM to account for the high pitch ? And yes, an A320 descending overhead does seem to have a very similar sound sometimes.

[Flap40]

The high pitch whine of the Dart comes from the compressor. The idle speed is around 7,000rpm and full power is 15,000rpm (for -528 & -532. others may vary). The prop speed is approx 1/10th of the engine.

[OwnNav]

I did a jump seat trip in Brown Air's Gulfstream I on the LBA - Humberside - Oslo service they then did. The GI had twin Darts and you certainly needed ear protection if you spent any time near them on the ground.

[Helen49]

I have no recollection of the Aer Turas DC4s being used for anything other than horse charters, usually to/from Dublin. They were fairly frequent visitors in the horse racing season that is until they changed the DC4 for a CL44 after which I don't recall seeing them again. Not enough runway!

In addition to the B170 scrapped at LBA, BKS used a B170 [GAMLJ] into LBA on occasions, again transporting horses.

I think the first Aer Lingus BAC 111 to visit was a Leeds United Charter in about 1965/66, fairly soon after Runway 15/33 was opened and in the days when LUFC really was a football team!! It parked on what was stand 4, somewhere around the present day stand 8!

H49

[Mooncrest]

I too have heard tales of various ex BA and BEA Viscounts meeting their at end at LBA but I'm not old enough to remember.

G-WLAD, an Airways Cymru 1-11 leased to BMA did indeed land on Runway 28 some time in 86 I believe. It was probably a windy day for a change. I remember seeing it fly past my then home in Adel and wondered what was going on. But, according to the book, a landing on that runway in those conditions was possible and permissible. I believe all the pax oxygen masks tried to evacuate themselves from the aircraft on touchdown ! Was Lord Haddock in the Tower that afternoon ? Think he might have been.

I regularly saw the BMA Viscounts make approaches and landings on RW28 but strangely enough never the BA fleet. Probably something to do with the more powerful engines on the 810, greater reverse thrust capacity etc.

The Good Old Days. Viscounts, 748s, noisy jets, Northeast, Britannia, and so on.:) :)

[bean]

Viscounts did not have reverse thrust

[Midland 331]

Capt Tony Belcher, legendary BMA maverick, told me earlier this the year that he used 28 several times when Leeds had it's standard howling and gusting westerly.

As a student at the university circa 1979/80, I do recall a BA Trident 1 or 2 operating in lieu of a BA Viscount. Now I'm sure that someone will be along soon to say that this was impossible. However, the campus was under the 32 centreline, and my eyes didn't deceive me. And it appeared on the same frequencies as the Viscount, so wasn't a training detail.

[Mooncrest]

Bean,
Forgot the Viscount was a prop, not a pure jet. Maybe something to do with propellor pitch.

Helen49, a Private Message awaits.

[DH106]

79/80 was prior the the LBA runway extension, and just before the changeover from BA to BMA. I'm happy to stand corrected on this, but as a young local spotter at the time I'm pretty sure a BA Trident never graced LBA. Would that be feasible - carrying a commercial load out of a 5400' runway? I did see the odd Aviaco DC-9, Stirling Caravelle etc. in the late 70's but I didn't think the Trident was renowned for it's short field performance to say the least :rolleyes:

On the runway 28/10 front, I have it on good authority from one of the controllers that a Britannia 737-200 landed on R10 on one occasion. The controller commented "it used it ALL!"

[Flightwatch]

I flew out of LBA for the last four years of the 60s and I only used 28 once - in a Viscount. I remember it well as the roughest approach I ever made in 45 years of commercial flying, the wind was in excess of 50kts. The Captain, (a WWII Halifax pilot). told me to "pump" the throttles as vigorously as necessary to maintain the correct speed whilst he used both hands to keep the machine aimed in roughly the required direction. I remember well seeing speeds on the ASI anywhere between 60 and 160kts. Runway length was not a factor - controlling the aircraft was. 19/01 was already a taxiway by then, downgraded after a Dak took off the top of some trees on Plane Tree Hill on the 19 approach.

In those days BKS had the GT version of the Trident, the 1E and they never tried to land it there, in fact the Britannia never appeared so far as I know.

[rog747]

do not think BKS ever took the trident 1e to LBA even to show it off new in 1969...
Channel took theirs to Southend to show them off but do not think they did IT's from there.

on topic
re G-AZLT accident i am most puzzled there is apparently no aaib or board of trade archive of the accident...

anyone find one? or a piccie...i am sure the local rag took a pic...it is somewhere lol

viscounts had ground fine pitch i believe...

[Jn14:6]

Viscounts did not have reverse pitch. They has "ground fine" pitch, which effectively produced a "discing" prop.

[Level bust]

I landed at Leeds in a BMA 1-11 in 1970 (21st Aug to be precise) I have no idea which runway we landed on as I was only 13 at the time. BMA had combined 2 loads, the Viscount that was supposed to go Glasgow - Leeds - Luton and the 1-11 that was going Glasgow - EMA - Luton because the Viscount had gone tech.

When we landed, with a full 119 on board, we just about stopped at the end! Those that remained on board were all moved forward, we then sat on the end with engines at full power before rolling. Just as we rotated the end of the runway went passed.

My Father worked for BMA at the time and the rumour going round was once they arrived at EMA the crew refused to take it on to Luton.

[Midland 331]

There are tales of a BMA 1-11 launching from Leeds on a short-lived CDD-LBA-GLA service and causing many calls to the airport from locals.

[DH106]

Aer Lingus used to do LBA-DUB, if I remember rightly something like 3-4 times a week in the late 70's/early 80's. Flights during the week were with 737-200s. but the Sunday flight as usually a 1-11's - which cased many noise complaints if R15 was in use :)

[WHBM]

Didn't a Wardair 747 also go off the end at Leeds (after the extension) ? Wardair did a weekly Leeds to Toronto flight for a few years.

I used the short-lived BMI London City to Leeds service (10 years ago ? someone will know* ), operated by an Atlantic ATR-42 under charter, and was surprised that we came in on 28. What was its length compared to LCY ? [* : Just checked - 2004.]

do not think BKS ever took the trident 1e to LBA even to show it off new in 1969...
Channel took theirs to Southend to show them off but do not think they did IT's from there. I once took most of the Southend length in a C152 !

Channel operated what Trident services they operated from the area out of Stansted, but the main usage of the aircraft was out of Berlin Tegel. One of their pair had a full IT contract from there, while the other stood for much of the time at Stansted being robbed for parts that Channel couldn't afford when they had so little work for the aircraft. Most of what they did do from the UK with it was ad-hoc subcharters.

There are tales of a BMA 1-11 launching from Leeds on a short-lived CDD-LBA-GLA service and causing many calls to the airport from locals.Apparently this was BMA's inaugural One-Eleven flight; mostly their fleet was used on Mediterranean IT charters rather than schedules.

I have no recollection of the Aer Turas DC4s being used for anything other than horse chartersThe Aer Turas DC4 (mostly they only had one) was a quite regular substitute for Cambrian Viscounts from Liverpool in the peak season, presumably at a low time for the horse business, but they must have had the seats in stock. Wonder how it smelled inside ?? !

[DH106]

The Aer Turas DC4 (mostly they only had one) was a quite regular substitute for Cambrian Viscounts from Liverpool in the peak season, presumably at a low time for the horse business, but they must have had the seats in stock. Wonder how it smelled inside ?? ! Anyone recall said DC-4 (EI-ARS?) bursting several/most tyres on landing at LBA and spending quite some time parked on 'the pan' until it was eventually fixed. Mid 70's sometime?