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East African Airways VC 10 accident 1972 Addis Ababa

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East African Airways VC 10 accident 1972 Addis Ababa

Old 26th Sep 2006, 14:14
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East African Airways VC 10 accident 1972 Addis Ababa

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.
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Old 27th Sep 2006, 02:26
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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."
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Old 27th Sep 2006, 06:44
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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.
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Old 27th Sep 2006, 13:07
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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.
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Old 27th Sep 2006, 14:24
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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.
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Old 27th Sep 2006, 16:29
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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.
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Old 28th Sep 2006, 02:07
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Sadly WHBM, that is correct. Had it been daytime they might have seen the danger they were in.
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Old 28th Sep 2006, 11:07
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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.
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Old 28th Sep 2006, 11:23
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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)

Thanks!
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Old 28th Sep 2006, 12:13
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Originally Posted by Jhieminga
<snip>

It's just a hobby that got out of hand .
Yeah, that's we all say...
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Old 28th Sep 2006, 13:07
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That is a brilliant site Jhieminga, well done
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Old 28th Sep 2006, 21:44
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Eastaf accident

Originally Posted by Centaurus
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.
Suggest you refer to East African: An Airline Story. The incident is dealt with in the book.
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Old 4th Oct 2006, 08:30
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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
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Old 4th Oct 2006, 13:50
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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!
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Old 4th Oct 2006, 14:45
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Originally Posted by KeMac
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
Definitely 5X-UVA? I think I recall EAA had 3 or 4 Super VC-10's.
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Old 4th Oct 2006, 20:24
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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.
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Old 5th Oct 2006, 12:33
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Originally Posted by DH106
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.
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Old 5th Oct 2006, 20:32
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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.
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Old 6th Oct 2006, 02:11
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5H-MOG. Rare EGGP visitor.


Beautiful aircraft.

Last edited by jabberwok; 2nd Mar 2010 at 18:40.
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Old 6th Oct 2006, 09:48
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british aircraft

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.
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