Handley Page Hastings

[DHfan]

It wasn't actually an official agreement, it just happened that way. Not least because we couldn't afford the resources to develop transport aircraft at the expense of combat type production.

[topcol]

Originally Posted by papa_sierra

I was stationed at Akrotiri mid 60's doing second line maintenance on the Canberras. One day a Hastings appeared in the circuit making a much more pronounced noise than usual. When it taxied in and shut down, the reason for the pronounced noise became apparent.
The propellers on the inboard engines were twisted out of shape, caused by contact with the sea on a transit from Nicosia to Akrotiri, thus the aircraft flew the rest of the way on the outboard engines. It was rumoured that the Captain had been demonstrating to the copilot the difficulty of judging aircraft hight over a flat calm sea.
A four engine change ensued.
Does anyone else remember the incident?

! remember it well as I was an Air Wireless Mech on Strike Wing at the time and several of us went down to look at the aircraft. It was parked not far from the runway threshold and I seem to recall that all 4 prop tips were bent at perfect right angles. There were quite a few others including a few officers who'd come to have a look at the miraculous aeroplane. The way I heard it was that the Hastings was approaching the threshold when it suddenly dropped too low causing the props to come into contact with the sea but the pilot gave all engines full power enough to plonk it down onto the runway threshold. I remember noticing that the runway began almost at the very low "cliff" edge so the Hastings was pretty low on its approach.

[topcol]

I saw this aircraft not long after after the incident as did several others who were with me at the time and the prop tips were definitely bent at right angles REARwards.