1957 Blackbushe Viking accident
| Industry | Aviation |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | England |
Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence
The 1957 Blackbushe Viking crash took place on 1 May 1957 when a twin-engine Vickers VC.1 Viking 1B operated by Eagle Aviation Limited and registered as G-AJBO, bearing the name "John Benbow", collided with trees near Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire, England. This occurred during its approach following an apparent engine malfunction shortly after take-off. Of the 35 individuals on board, including five crew members, only one passenger survived; the remaining 34 perished.[1][2] The aircraft was also assigned the RAF serial number XF629, which was used exclusively for trooping flights.[3]
Accident
At 21:14, the Viking departed from Blackbushe Airport on a non-scheduled passenger service bound for RAF Castel Benito and RAF Idris in Libya. Chartered by the War Office, the flight carried five crew members, along with 25 soldiers from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, plus one soldier’s spouse, two children, and two civilians from the War Department.[2] At 21:16, the pilot communicated, I have port engine failure, I am making a left-hand circuit to come in again.[1] While executing a left turn to line up for landing, approximately 1200 yards (1,116 m) from the runway, the aircraft struck a wooded area at Star Hill.[1][2] Thirty-four of those aboard lost their lives.[1]
Aftermath
Upon impact roughly 50 yards (46 m) from the A30 road, the aircraft exploded and caught fire. Drivers of nearby lorries were among the first responders to offer assistance. Emergency services including ambulances and six fire engines from the airport rapidly arrived at the site. Additional firefighting units from Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, and personnel of the United States Navy temporarily stationed at Blackbushe also joined efforts.[2]
Recovery teams retrieved twenty-nine bodies while four survivors were transported to Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot.[2] Of those admitted, three later succumbed to their injuries, leaving a single survivor.[4][5]
Investigation
On 5 June 1957, a coroner's inquest took place in Aldershot, concluding that the deaths of the 34 victims were accidental.
Subsequently, a public inquiry commenced in London on 23 July 1957. The findings, released in November of the same year, attributed the accident to a pilot's misjudgment and lapse in skill. The report highlighted that although Captain Jones had accumulated over 6,800 flight hours, including 4,800 on the Viking aircraft, he had not performed a single-engine landing for at least two years. Due to the fire damage, investigators were unable to confirm whether the port engine had indeed failed.
Probable cause
The investigation determined that the primary cause was the captain's inability to maintain a safe altitude and airspeed during the approach to land on one engine following the failure or suspected failure of the port engine.
References
- Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Civil Aviation Authority 1974, p. 8/57
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Template:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ ABC Civil Aircraft Markings log 1955
- ↑ Template:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ "Vickers Viking (G-AJBO) crash, Blackbushe, May 1957". KSH History Forum - South-East History Boards. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
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<ref> tag with name "Times53991" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.- Bibliography
- World Accident Summary. Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom). 1974. ISBN 0-903083-44-2.