BEA Viscount nose wheel collapse in Guernsey

[Oilhead]

Hello - don't know if this is a good place to start. I used to live in Guernsey back in the 60's and 70's and I recall my father was going to the airport to pick my mother up, coming in from London on a BEA Viscount. I seem to recall a dark and stormy night in GCI, and there was a bit of a flap because the Viscount made a bit of a hard landing and the nose gear collapsed. Took a while for her to show up in the terminal. Does that ring any bells? I may have this around my neck but the detail seems to have stuck quite firmly my mind.

I cannot find any reference to this incident - probably occurred in very late 60's -

Any details or recollections would be welcome, either here or to [email protected]

Cheers -

[skwinty]

This the one?

Vickers Viscount c/n 152 Operational Record (http://www.vickersviscount.net/Index/VickersViscount152History.aspx)


17 September 1960
Nose wheel collapsed on landing at Jersey, Channel Islands. Repaired locally and returned to service.

[Oilhead]

Thank you but no - definitely Guernsey - that bit I am certain about! And late 60's -

I appreciate the feedback - no big motive - just one of those bugs in my head.

I recall a landing accident in a DC3 in Jersey (hit approach light poles in fog) but not the VVC.

Cheers -

[skwinty]

Vickers Viscount c/n 342 Operational Record (http://www.vickersviscount.net/Index/VickersViscount342History.aspx)

14 September 1975
Damaged in heavy landing at Guernsey, Channel Islands that resulted in the noseleg collapsing.
G-AZNH

Picture in link.

Maybe this one? :ok:

[bean]

The 1975 accident was Alidair not BEA

[Oilhead]

Well maybe I have questionable memory - I mean I'm 54! It was not as late as 75 and definitely not Alidair, my Mum was only going to get on a plane if it was run by BEA. Perhaps it did not have a nose gear collapse at all but just departed the hard surface - runway excursions - that did not put it on the AAIB radar.

I am grateful to you for the responses!

OH

[skwinty]

Well it was an interesting diversion.

It seems that the Viscount nose gear collapse was quite common.

Incidentally, the very first time I flew was on a Viscount.

Cape Town to Johannesburg with a stop at Kimberley.

Kimberly was still a grass field if I remember correctly.

[Oilhead]

I grew up on Guernsey and yes many flights on Viscounts, mostly BEA to/from LHR when Guernsey was served from there. Sadly a major business/banking and tourism centre like Guernsey is now not served from LHR; one has to go to LGW or STN, nuisance.

I have many good memories of flying in Viscounts. Hard to find a RR Dart these days.

My mother came from Kimberly, Notts.

[skwinty]

One of my memories of flying on the Viscount as a kid was the air hostess handing out boiled sweets to help keep the ear pressures equalised.:)

[Tarman]

A number of years ago I bought a book called 'An Illustrated History of BEA' I havent looked at it for years but your question had me digging it out of the loft!
It has an appendix for incidents relating to BEA operated aircraft.

The only likely incident that I can see happened at Jersey on 26th November 1965, G-APEY had a nosewheel collapse on landing.

Hope that this helps !

Tarman

[macuser]

I have a recollection that back in the 60s BEA had a flight out of Jersey to Guernsey each evening, returning the following morning. I think this was to allow Guernsey-bound or originating passengers access to the more frequent and variety of flights operated out of Jersey.

So, maybe Oilhead's mother was indeed bound for Guernsey but got caught up in the nosewheel incident in Jersey, whilst in-transit as it were.

[Oilhead]

Good point thanks! Could well have been the case. I remember taking the ?8 am? Viscount from Guernsey to Jersey a few times for a family day trip to the Jersey Zoo (Guernsey had no zoo), and back to GCI in the early evening. Good memories...

[macuser]

Oilhead

There you are then! Yes, BEA 8.00am dep from Guernsey seems right. I think the return evening trip out of Jersey was around 2015. It was in the days before fast ferries, of course so your zoo visit was a viable day trip.

Aurigny started frequent inter-island services in 1968.

[ViscountFan]

Viscounts and Jersey - a wonderful combination! Worked on the island for a couple of years in the 70s, and had many flights to and from Southampton (and occasionally Heathrow) on BA Viscounts. Wonderful picture windows to look out of, and so much better than the competing BIA Heralds.

[Pull what]

The captain was Clive Hartley
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/253545-clive-ex-alidair-lamtex-banner-prentice-bhx.html