LHR nostalgia
Could this have been the incident that Mr Oleo Strut referred to? It would make sense if it had been a 707 as the VC10 histories that are out there would certainly have mentioned an incident like this.
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There were a good few 707 u/c incidents - how about the one which suffered a main wheel collapse on the corner of the inner taxiway at Heathrow just by the G stands. It was fully laden.
As for the VC10 incident - how many of the "experts" on here were actually there when it happened?
As for the VC10 incident - how many of the "experts" on here were actually there when it happened?
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Regarding the 707-436 ex Stansted landing on 28R at LHR. the nose gear doors stayed open but no proper nose gear extension as it had not been properly assembled after maintenance.
I would need to check my logbook for the date, late 1960s would be about it - but I'm pretty sure it was March 31st as I was late home for my sons birthday party!
I would need to check my logbook for the date, late 1960s would be about it - but I'm pretty sure it was March 31st as I was late home for my sons birthday party!
Regarding the 707-436 ex Stansted landing on 28R at LHR. the nose gear doors stayed open but no proper nose gear extension as it had not been properly assembled after maintenance.
I would need to check my logbook for the date, late 1960s would be about it - but I'm pretty sure it was March 31st as I was late home for my sons birthday party!
I would need to check my logbook for the date, late 1960s would be about it - but I'm pretty sure it was March 31st as I was late home for my sons birthday party!
A little more detail, courtesy of the excellent Pete Bish/Brian Piket book on the first 50 years of ATC at Heathrow:
G-APFP's nose gear had retracted with the wheels offset by a few degrees to starboard. When the gear was subsequently selected down, the port nose wheel lodged on the edge of the wheel bay and stalled the activating jack and the emergency lowering system.
Following the landing, a fire caused by burning magnesium in the NLG fairing was quickly extinguished by the AFS.
G-APFP's nose gear had retracted with the wheels offset by a few degrees to starboard. When the gear was subsequently selected down, the port nose wheel lodged on the edge of the wheel bay and stalled the activating jack and the emergency lowering system.
Following the landing, a fire caused by burning magnesium in the NLG fairing was quickly extinguished by the AFS.
I was on duty in the Tower, the night the Chipmunk landed on the Grass to the North of 28R. We never saw it and it was not until the North side Met Office rang the tower about 0615 and asked what the light plane was doing on the grass outside their office, that we became aware of the Chippie. There was no sign of the pilot and Passenger who had scarpered under the cover of Darkness. KCW was the watch manager, oh happy days.
Doug B
Doug B
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Just a few more ramblings to add to my posts 49 and 50 about my time at LHR in Customs from 1962 to 1968, before memory fades and the new runway obliterates familiar places:-
I remember how quiet the then new Terminal 3 Oceanic was before and after the 'wagon trains' morning and evening. It was quite creepy, a huge building and nobody much about. Very handy for a quiet drink and a kip! Noise restrictions limited night flying but there was a regular arrival of a Seaboard and Western CL44 freighter (based on the 'whispering giant' Britannia) at about 3am which I liked to volunteer to go and clear. There were only three crew to deal with, the whole front of the aircraft hinged open
I remember how quiet the then new Terminal 3 Oceanic was before and after the 'wagon trains' morning and evening. It was quite creepy, a huge building and nobody much about. Very handy for a quiet drink and a kip! Noise restrictions limited night flying but there was a regular arrival of a Seaboard and Western CL44 freighter (based on the 'whispering giant' Britannia) at about 3am which I liked to volunteer to go and clear. There were only three crew to deal with, the whole front of the aircraft hinged open
You mentioned a Ghana Airways VC10 landing with its brakes set. That's another one that's new to me, but could it be that we're getting these two confused or was there also a VC10 that landed without an extended nosegear?
ground engineer doing ground-power checks lit up all four on a Comet at the same time in error, and it was lucky the beast was chained down. .
A BEA Comet 4B doing a similar power check did override the chocks, lunged forward, and crashed into hangar doors ahead, which fell forward onto unlucky Trident 'PI which was inside. It was repaired, but was lost shortly afterwards in the Staines accident, and initial investigation was whether the repairs had somehow failed.
Papa India must have had a very unlucky life. Prior to the Staines disaster it had its tail chopped off in the 1968 Ambassador crash at LHR (which was also looked at as part of the Staines investigation).
So it sounds like the hangar incident may have happened while it was being repaired, or some time following its return to service in February 1969.
I remember doing 4-engine runups on Merchantmen where we were pointing at the hangars, but by the time I joined BEA (just as the last Comet was being retired) all the jet detuners were oriented so that aircraft pointed out towards the airfield, so no likelihood of any repetition.
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They might be with us, but their memory is fading.
The Comet over the Viscount chocks was 28Feb68=G-ARGM
The short landing VC15 was EastAf on 10L
oh 26L - I still have the Comet on it's belly pic TKU
The Comet over the Viscount chocks was 28Feb68=G-ARGM
The short landing VC15 was EastAf on 10L
oh 26L - I still have the Comet on it's belly pic TKU
707's LHR
707 as I recall:
Regulars: Alia, BA, Pan Am, TWA, BWIA, Varig, Aerolineas Argentinas, Qantas, SAA, Air India, Singapore, Iraqi, El Al, Nigerian, TAP, Saudi, MEA, TMA, Egypt Air, Kuwait, PIA, Bangladesh Biman, BMA, Sudan, Ethiopian
Occasionally: Air France, Sabena, Aer Lingus
The odd exec aicraft - N108BN is one I recall which I think is now owned by a Mr Travolta?
Regulars: Alia, BA, Pan Am, TWA, BWIA, Varig, Aerolineas Argentinas, Qantas, SAA, Air India, Singapore, Iraqi, El Al, Nigerian, TAP, Saudi, MEA, TMA, Egypt Air, Kuwait, PIA, Bangladesh Biman, BMA, Sudan, Ethiopian
Occasionally: Air France, Sabena, Aer Lingus
The odd exec aicraft - N108BN is one I recall which I think is now owned by a Mr Travolta?
Olympic 707 and 720B
Air Mauritius
Syrian
Air Malta
MSA
Cyprus AW
JAT
Turkish
Iran Air
Kenya AW and Simba cargo 707
EI 707's and (720 in 1960's)
seaboard world
British eagle 1968
BCAL freighter
Tarom
Zambia
LLoyd
Malaysian
EAAC
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Oleo Strut and Dockwell, the Stanwell pub is the Rising Sun. Loving this thread - I started straight from school (Windsor Grammar) in '68 in BEA cargo at Hangar 8, soon moved across to the then-brand-new Cargocentre and well remember legging it across to a small gate in the peri fence on many occasions to get to the pub. When I went back eleven years ago to witness the last Concorde departure I was pleased to note said gate is still there!