The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey . In the aftermath of the Second World War , the Viking was an important airliner with British and several foreign airlines pending the development of turboprop aircraft like the Viscount .
Of the 163 aircraft built 55 aircraft were lost in accidents between 1946 and 1965 with a total of 343 fatalities. The highest number of fatalities (40) occurred in the 11 September 1963 crash of F-BJER of Airnautic.[ 1]
Below is a list of accidents and incidents involving the Vickers VC.1 Viking , by date:
23 April 1945: The prototype G-AGOK was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing at Effingham, Surrey.[ 2]
30 November 1946: T-1 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at El Palomar, Argentina.[ 2] [ 3]
2 September 1947: VL245 of the Royal Air Force King's Flight crashed at Dyce, Scotland.[ 2]
17 September 1947: T-4 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at Aeroparque, Argentina.[ 2]
29 December 1947: OY-DLI of DDL crashed into the sea on approach to Kastrup Airport, Copenhagen, Denmark.[ 2]
6 January 1948: G-AHPK of British European Airways crashed at Ruislip while on approach to RAF Northolt.[ 2]
6 February 1948: VT-CLY of Air India crashed at Bombay, India.[ 4]
27 March 1948: VT-CEL of Indian National Airways flew into the side of Monte Cardo, Corsica in poor visibility killing all aboard.[ 2]
5 April 1948: G-AIVP of British European Airways crashed following a collision with a Soviet Yak fighter over Berlin.[ 2]
21 May 1948: G-AIVE of British European Airways crashed into the Irish Law mountain , Scotland, United Kingdom.[ 2]
14 May 1948: LV-AFL of Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina was destroyed by fire after landing at Junin, Buenos Aires, Argentina.[ 2]
8 October 1948: VT-CEJ of Indian National Airways was damaged beyond repair at New Delhi, India.[ 2]
8 February 1949: OY-DLU of DDL crashed into the sea off Oresund, Denmark.[ 2]
7 April 1949: VT-CIZ of Air India damaged beyond repair after landing with landing gear up on a beach at Marre, India.[ 2]
13 June 1949: YI-ABR of Iraqi Airways was damaged beyond repair when it landed with its landing gear up at Baghdad Airport, Iraq.[ 2]
13 April 1950: G-AIVL Vigilant of British European Airways was badly damaged by a bomb that detonated in the rear toilet compartment, but managed to safely land back at Northolt , with pilot Captain Ian Harvey being awarded the George Medal . The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service with BEA.[ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
27 September 1950: T-8 of the Argentine Air Force was destroyed by fire at El Palomar, Argentina.[ 2]
31 October 1950: G-AHPN of British European Airways crashed in fog at London Heathrow Airport .
8 May 1951: G-AHPD of Hunting Air Travel was damaged beyond repair after a force landing at Beutre, France.
11 November 1951: T-80 of the Argentine Air Forced crashed at Moron Air Base, Argentina.[ 2]
17 February 1952: G-AHPI of Hunting Air Travel crashed into Monte la Cinta, Scilly, Italy en route from Nice to Malta killing all aboard.[ 2]
25 July 1952: G-AHON of Crewsair was damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing at Luqa, Malta.[ 2]
19 August 1952: VL266 of the Royal Air Force crashed.[ 2]
27 October 1952: T-64 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at Moron Air Base, Argentina.[ 2] This aircraft (ex LV-XFM) was used as Presidential aircraft 1948-1952.[ 8]
5 January 1953: G-AJDL of British European Airways crashed at Nutts Corner, Belfast, Northern Ireland.[ 2]
29 March 1953: VP-YEY of Central African Airlines crashed at Mkwaya, Tanganyika.[ 2]
9 June 1953: T-6 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at Praderes, Buenos Aires, Argentina.[ 2]
12 August 1953: G-AIVG of British European Airways was damaged beyond repair at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France.[ 2]
15 December 1953: SU-AFK of Misrair crashed neat Almaza Airport, Cairo, Egypt.[ 2]
20 December 1953: G-AHPO of Eagle Aviation was damaged beyond repair when it overran the runway Nuremberg, West Germany.[ 2]
15 August 1954: G-AIXS of Airwork crashed after stalling on approach to Blackbushe Airport, England, United Kingdom.[ 2]
15 September 1954: SU-AFO of Misrair crashed at Almaza Airport, Cairo, Egypt.[ 2]
28 June 1956: T-5 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at Resistencia, Argentina.[ 2]
10 October 1955: YI-ABQ of Iraqi Airways crashed on take off from Baghdad Airport, Iraq.[ 2]
5 October 1956: VP-YMO of Central African Airways crashed on take off from Salisbury Airport, Southern Rhodesia.[ 2]
November 1956: VK-500 of the Arab Legion Air Force crashed at Aquaba, Turkey.[ 2]
11 January 1957: T-11 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at Aeroparque, Argentina.[ 2]
1 May 1957: G-AJBO of Eagle Aviation crashed at Star Hill near Blackbushe Airport , Hampshire, United Kingdom,[ 2] 34 of the 35 on board killed.
13 May 1957: T-3 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at San Carlos des Barlioche, Argentina.[ 2]
26 September 1957: D-CADA operated by Karl Herfurtner was damaged beyond repair at San Bonet, Palma, Majorca.[ 2]
7 March 1958: SU-AGN of Misrair crashed at Menzalah Lake, Port Said, Egypt.[ 2]
26 April 1958: G-AGRT of Eagle Aviation was destroyed by fire on the ground at El Adam, Libya.[ 2]
2 September 1958: G-AIJE of Independent Air Travel crashed after take-off at London Heathrow Airport.[ 2]
17 October 1958: D-BELA of Deutsche Flugdienst force landed at Zele, Belgium and was damaged beyond repair.[ 2]
28 July 1958: G-AHPH of East Anglian Flying Services, damaged beyond repair when the landing gear collapsed during landing at Southend Airport.[ 2]
7 August 1959: T-92 of the Argentine Air Force crashed at El Polmar Air Force Base, Argentina.[ 2]
5 September 1959: F-BFDN of Airnautic flying from Athens to Bastia Airport crashed into the sea off Southern Corsica.[ 2]
22 December 1959: G-AMGG of Eagle Aviation was damaged beyond repair at Agadir, Morocco.[ 2]
29 May 1960: G-AHOR of Air Safaris was damaged beyond repair after landing with the landing gear up at Tarbes, France.[ 2] [ 3]
24 August 1960: G-AMNK of Don Everall (Aviation) lost an engine on takeoff and crashed into the sea at Heraklion , Crete, Greece.[ 2] [ 9]
4 February 1961: D-BALI of LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen was damaged beyond repair on take off from Düsseldorf, West Germany.[ 2]
9 August 1961: G-AHPM of Cunard Eagle Airways crashed into Mount Holtheia in Norway.[ 2]
14 August 1961: G-AJCE of Independent Air Travel was damaged beyond repair after it forced landed at Lyon, France.[ 2]
11 September 1963: F-BJER of Airnautic crashed in the Pyrenees, France.[ 2] [ 10]
8 February 1965: F-BJEP of Airnautic was damaged beyond repair when the landing gear collapsed during take off at Calvi, Corsica.[ 2]
2 August 1965: G-AHPL of Invicta Airlines was damaged beyond repair on landing at RAF Manston , Kent.[ 2]
Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908 . London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1 .
Bernard, Martin. The Viking, Valetta and Varsity . Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1975. ISBN 0-85130-038-3 .
Eastwood, Tony and John Roach. Piston Engine Airliner Production List. West Drayton, UK: The Aviation Hobby Shop, 1991. ISBN 0-907178-37-5 .