66 Years ago today: On 1 May 1957 an Eagle Aviation Vickers Viking crashed into Star Hill, UK, killing 34 out of 35 occupants.
Date: | Wednesday 1 May 1957 |
Time: | 21:20 UTC |
Type: | Vickers 610 Viking 1B |
Operator: | Eagle Aviation Ltd. |
Registration: | G-AJBO |
MSN: | 241 |
First flight: | 1947-09-09 (9 years 8 months) |
Total airframe hrs: | 488 |
Crew: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
Passengers: | Fatalities: 29 / Occupants: 30 |
Total: | Fatalities: 34 / Occupants: 35 |
Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
Location: | Star Hill ( United Kingdom) |
Phase: | Approach (APR) |
Nature: | Int’l Non Scheduled Passenger |
Departure airport: | Blackbushe Airport (BBS/EGLK), United Kingdom |
Destination airport: | Tripoli-Idris Airport (TIP/HLLT), Libya |
Narrative:
Viking G-AJBO was on a trooping flight to Idris, Libya when it took off from Blackbushe (BBS) at 21:14 UTC. Two minutes after takeoff the crew reported .. “a port engine failure I am making a left-hand circuit to come in again”. When the aircraft was turning to finals, at 1200yds from the threshold, the left wingtip struck the ground and the aircraft crashed inverted in a wood and caught fire.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: “The failure of the captain to maintain height and a safe flying speed when approaching to land on one engine after the failure (or suspected failure) of the port engine for reasons unknown.”