Viscount incident at Speke (1970s)

[SPIT]

I was on duty at Liverpool Speke Airport one night when a Viscount aircraft belonging to Alidair ??? went into a GPU and tractor belonging to Servisair
Was there any AIB Report made ? as the aircraft had a lot of damage to the fuselage and if so where could I find it :{::{

[DaveReidUK]

On 13th July 1976 at 2248 (I assume UTC, but may be local time) Alidair Cargo Viscount G-ARBY had started to taxy at Speke when the right wing L/E and props struck a power unit and tractor which were being moved from their position under the nose, causing substantial damage.

Details from CAP 404 (Accidents to Aircraft on the British Register 1976) and AAIB Bulletin 8/1976. I don't have a copy of the latter, but the AAIB are usually quite helpful with requests for information if you quote the date and location.

[hector]

It must have been a bit contagious in Alidair! I remember witnessing one of their Viscounts taxiing into it's GPU at LSI sometime in the mid to late 70s. It was in the days when the terminal was at Virkie on the west side of 15/33.

His ground handler had disconnected the GPU and was just about to get in the tractor to move it when the guy called for taxi and then started to move forward. The ground handler saw what was happening and ran backwards frantically waving up at the flight deck to stop. It looked as though the Capt saw him because the nose oleo suddenly dipped as he hit the brakes but just too late. His port inner hit the GPU spraying bits of it all over the airfield.

I watched this happen from the flight deck of another Viscount as we waited for clearance to cross 15/33. It was one of these incidents that you just knew was going to happen but didn't have time to shout a warning over a busy R/T.

I must have a look in the relevant log book. I think I made a note in the remarks column as you don't see something like that every day!

[DaveReidUK]

Looks like the OP didn't really want to know at all ...:ugh:

[WHBM]

LPL incident can't have been too serious, the aircraft was repaired, as G-ARBY was the Alidair one that landed well short at Exeter, out of fuel in 1980.

[Cantiflas]

Joined Alidair some time after the Liverpool event but a captain I was flying with
told me what the incident captain had told him after the event:
" I just did not see it".
It taught me something!

[Capot]

G-ARBY was the Alidair one that landed well short at ExeterI love the word "landed"!

Accurate, in one sense, but hardly very descriptive......

[xtypeman]

Am I right in thinking that the GPU socket on a Viscount is located under the middle of the fuselage. I recall seeing ground guys having to crawl under the fuselage and be very close to the props. One wonders what elf and safety would say today.....

[ZeBedie]

Better that than in the side of the fuselage, just in front of a prop, as is the case with some types.

[SPIT]

Hi xtyperman,
If my memory serves me right the Servisair ground handler (Jerry)??? was on a tractor about to pull the gpu away and the Sta/Inner Prop missed him by 3inches and carved his seat up. I was standing by the terminal but when a piece of GPU cable went over my head and into the wall (you can still see the mark on the wall) I moved so fast as if I had a Re-heater up my a***. :mad::mad:

[DaveReidUK]

Am I right in thinking that the GPU socket on a Viscount is located under the middle of the fuselage. I recall seeing ground guys having to crawl under the fuselage and be very close to the props. One wonders what elf and safety would say today.....

Can't speak for the Viscount, but the Il-18's is certainly in that position. I recall being somewhat nervous on the first few occasions where I had to unplug those. Happy days.