The Vickers Viking Incident List provides an overview of incidents resulting in death or total loss of Vickers Viking aircraft .
From 1946 to 1965, 57 Vikings were destroyed, 55 of them in accidents. At around 34 percent, this is an unusually high rate for a post-war commercial aircraft. In 22 of them there were a total of 342 fatalities. Examples:
On April 5, 1948, a Viking 1B operated by British European Airways (BEA) (G-AIVP) collided with a Soviet Jakowlew Jak-3 fighter aircraft during its approach and crashed out of control about three kilometers from Berlin-Gatow airfield , Germany . The Soviet pilot had flown illegal aerobatic maneuvers there. All 15 people in the two machines were killed.
On May 14, 1948, a Viking 1B operated by Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina (FAMA) (LV-AFL) had engine problems on a test flight. The pilots decided to make an emergency landing at Junin Airport ( Argentina ), 210 kilometers west of the destination airport Buenos Aires-Jorge Newbery . In poor visibility, however, there was a crash landing on farmland, which led to the collapse of the landing gear and the outbreak of fire. All 5 crew members survived the crash landing unharmed.
On October 8, 1948, when a Viking 1B of Indian National Airways (VT-CEJ) took off from Delhi-Palam Airport to Calcutta, the left tire burst . The machine broke out and left the runway, whereupon the landing gear collapsed. It came to a total loss. All 19 passengers and the 4 crew members survived.
On February 8, 1949, a Viking 1B of Det Danske Luftfartselskab (DDL) (OY-DLU) crashed into the Oresund while approaching Copenhagen Airport near Barsebäck, Sweden . All 28 people on board were killed.
1950s
On October 31, 1950, a British European Airways (G-AHPN) Viking 1B was deliberately flown below the decision height at London Heathrow Airport in heavy fog . When the go-around attempt was unsuccessful, the machine hit the ground and exploded. Of the 30 inmates, 28 were killed.
On May 8, 1951, a Viking 1 of the British Hunting Air Travel (G-AHPD) had an engine failure shortly after taking off from Bordeaux Airport , France . During the subsequent belly landing, all 32 occupants survived, but the aircraft was irreparably damaged.
On February 17, 1952, a Viking 1 of the British Hunting Air Transport (G-AHPI) was flown into the Monte la Cinta mountain in Sicily ( Italy ). The machine was on its way from Nice to Malta and should finally fly on to Nairobi (Kenya). All 31 occupants, 5 crew members and 26 passengers, were killed. The cause of the accident was a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
On December 15, 1953, a Vickers Viking 1B of the Egyptian Misrair (SU-AFK) crashed after taking off from Cairo-Almaza Airport eight km east of the same. The machine was on its way to Luxor . All six inmates were killed.
On December 20, 1953, a Viking 1B of the British Eagle Aviation (G-AHPO) was recorded as a total loss after a landing accident on an icy runway at Nuremberg Airport . The three-person crew of the cargo flight survived.
On 15 September 1954 a Viking 1B crashed Egyptian MisrAir (SU-AFO) on the airport Cairo Almaza from. The machine was on a test flight after a major inspection. When going around with a simulated engine failure, there was a stall and crash. Three of the four crew members perished.
On March 17, 1955, a Central African Airways (VP-YEX) Viking 1B touched down in front of the runway during a heavy rain shower at Salisbury Airport (Rhodesia) and slipped another 300 to 400 meters. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. All 28 occupants, 5 crew members and 23 passengers survived.
On October 5, 1956, a Central African Airways (VP-YMO) Viking 1B crashed on a training flight three kilometers north of Salisbury Airport (Rhodesia). The two pilots were killed.
On May 1, 1957, a Viking 1B of the British Eagle Airways ( G-AJBO ) crashed while approaching Blackbushe Airport after the left engine failed during takeoff. The machine hit the runway threshold 1200 meters. Of the 35 occupants, only one survived.
On September 26, 1957, a Viking 1B (D-ADEL) belonging to the Karl Herfurtner air shipping company rolled over the end of the runway while landing at Son Bonet airfield on Mallorca and was irreparably damaged.
On March 7, 1958, a Viking 1B of the Egyptian Misrair (SU-AGN) crashed into Lake Manzala while approaching Port Said Airport . The machine coming from Athens had evaded Cairo due to weather reasons. Eight of the 26 people on board were killed.
On September 2, 1958, the Viking 1 G-AIJE of British Independent Air Travel returned on a cargo flight to Nice about 15 minutes after taking off from London Heathrow due to engine problems. It was not possible to maintain altitude and the machine continued to sink until it hit. The three-person crew who were alone on board perished, as well as four people on the ground. The airline was accused of poor maintenance by unqualified personnel, overloading and failure to allow the pilots to rest as the causes.
On October 17, 1958, the pilots of a Viking 1B of Deutsche Flugdienst (D-BELA) on a cargo flight from London Heathrow to Düsseldorf Airport via Belgium shut down the right engine due to low oil pressure and initiated an alternative landing in Brussels . Since the altitude could not be maintained, the master ordered the engine to be restarted, which the co-pilot carried out without using the checklist. This led to an inextinguishable engine fire, whereupon an emergency landing was carried out in a field near Kamershoek near Zele (Belgium). After the three crew members got off the plane, it exploded.
On September 5, 1959, the pilots led a Viking 1B of the French Airnautic (F-BFDN) on a cargo flight from Athens Hellinikon to Bastia at Traliceto, near Tizzano on the southwestern tip of Corsica, 200 meters from the beach a ditching through. The machine was damaged beyond repair. Both pilots (the only occupants) swam ashore and survived. The cargo on the way to Edinburgh consisted of the equipment of a US ballet group.
On December 22, 1959, a Viking 1B of the British Eagle Aviation (G-AMGG) came off the track when landing at Inezgane airfield near Agadir ( Morocco ) due to a punctured tire. All 36 occupants survived the accident. Due to the amount of damage, the machine was written off as a total loss.
1960s
On February 4, 1961, a Viking 1B of the LTU (D-BALI) skidded at the start of a cargo flight at Düsseldorf Airport and brushed against the hut of the ILS transmitter. The three crew members survived, with two pilots being slightly injured. However, the aircraft suffered a total loss.
On August 9, 1961, a Viking 3B of Cunard Eagle Airways ( G-AHPM ) crashed into a mountain, 54 kilometers northeast of Stavanger ( Norway ). The pilots had deviated from the usual approach route on the way from London Heathrow to Stavanger Airport . All 39 inmates were killed.
On September 11, 1963 a Viking 1B of Airnautic (F-BJER) flew on the way from London-Gatwick to Perpignan airport in the mountain Pic de la Roquette, almost 50 km southwest of the destination airport. All 40 occupants, 4 crew members and 36 passengers were killed as a result of this navigation error. This was the most momentous accident involving a Vickers Viking.
On February 8, 1965, the landing gear of an Airnautic Viking 1B (F-BJEQ) collapsed when taking off from Calvi Airport . The machine was irreparably damaged, ten people on board survived.
↑ Josef Krauthäuser and Ulrich Kappner: Flying is there for everyone: From the Vickers Viking to the Airbus A 330. The history of LTU . NARA-Verlag, Allershausen 1996. ISBN 3-925671-21-8 , p. 18 and p. 145.
