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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 2057.PDF
As reported last week Ghana Airways are leasing a Convair 990 from Swissair for the, London - Accra route. The aircraft has been chartered until October 31, 1964 AIR COMMERCE SIXTY-SEVEN ACCIDENTS REPORTS on two accidents to British transport aircraft which have never previously been published appear in the ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No 12 just released.* One concerns the BO AC Comet 4 G-APDS which hit a hill approaching Madrid Airport on March 14, 1960, without casualties; and the other is the fatal accident to a Don Everall Viking G-AMNK off Crete on August 24,I960* According to present Ministry of Aviation policy, foreign reports on British aircraft accidents are automatically published in the United Kingdom; but these particular reports, respectively Spanish and Greek, were completed in the days of a less enlightened Ministry policy. The Comet was on final approach to Barajas Airport, Madrid, at night when it hit the Pico del Guarda in the Paracueilos Hills and lost most of its main landing gear. Although engines Nos 2 and 3 were "almost completely inoperative" the aircraft continued to fly for 13min and made an ILS approach to runway 33, landing on the nosewheel and two main undercarriage stumps. The pilot made a perfect touchdown. The damage was as follows: left landing gear strut completely broken off at wing level; right strut broken off 1J metres below wing; left flap partly torn off; right flap partly torn loose; left wing fuel tank torn off; left wingtip damaged: upper portions of left exhaust nozzles completely destroyed. The Spanish Director General of Civil Aviation, whose report was published in November I960, gives the probable cause as: "While approaching the airport the aircraft was flown at an altitude lower than the spot height indicating the position of the Paracuellos Hills." The Greek Ministry of Communications' report on the Don Everall Viking accident off Crete contains what must go on record as an irrelevant smear on the three officers who were killed. "After landing at Heraklion," says the report, "the crew of the aircraft did not rest as much as they might have after a tiring flight, or at least did not rest sufficiently. Witnesses gave evidence that they had consumed some beer. Although the quantity is difficult to establish, •t was in any case in contravention of their own company's rules. It should be noted that the consumption of beer did not take place immediately prior to the plane's take-off but during the period of the crew's stay at Heraklion." After a night take-off run of about 1,800 metres in a temperature of 22°C, and while still in the initial stage of the climb and at a height of 90-100ft, sounds indicating an irregularity in the running °f one or both engines were heard. At approximately 650 metres from the end of the runway the aircraft began to lose height and to bank towards the left. It then crashed into the sea and was completely destroyed. The load consisted of 125 boxes of cigarettes Weighing 2,662kg, and a tool box weighing 15kg. It was established that the take-off weight did not exceed the maximum permissible hy more than 50kg. The report says that, with a Viking, "when the propulsion system has failed during take-off, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to continue height at the weight at which » was operating." Under the heading "Probable Causes" the report concludes: ICA.0 Circular 64-AN/58, ICAO Distributien Officer, International aviation Building, 1080 University Street, Montreal 3, PQ, Canada, P"ce US $5. 75, or from HMSO, PO Box 569, London SEI, sterling univalent. "The cause of the engine failure was not established but the most likely reason appears to be a defective fuel or ignition system. The reason why it was not possible for the aircraft to maintain safe flight after the failure of the engine remains unknown." The ICAO Digest includes reports on 67 accidents occurring between 1958 and 1962, together with statistical information on fatality rates and trends. UNDERCUTTING THE UNDERWRITERS? REPRESENTATIVES of 12 major airlines, including BOAC, BE A, BUA, Lufthansa and KLM, are meeting in London today and tomorrow to discuss the formation of a mutual self-insurance pool. The meeting results from the increasing tendency of airlines, in the face of high premiums, toward self-insurance Flight International, March 14, page 359) and was called by Thomas R. Miller and Son, managing agents of the United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association Ltd, who recently registered the Aviation Mutual Insurance Association. The meeting has been called to discuss the possibility of giving substance to Miller's phantom association which would work on similar lines to the UK Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association. This is nearly 100 years old, is non-profit-making, and meets owners' liabilities on about one-fifth of the world's ocean-going tonnage. The ratification this year of the 1955 Hague Protocol, amending the 1929 Warsaw Convention, doubled the limit of liability for accidents to air passengers and resulted in many insurance com panies and underwriters cancelling policies in order to renegotiate premiums upwards with their client airlines. This has speeded the trend toward self-insurance and many airlines now bear all or part of their hull insurances. Thomas R. Miller and Son, in calling this week's meeting, say that a non-profit-making mutual insurance association, establishing a substantial mutual fund to meet operator's claims, is a natural development of the trend. Passenger, third party and cargo or freight liabilities will be covered, together with legal liability for crew, passengers' baggage, live-saving, quarantine expenses and legal costs. 727s for BWIA, DC-9s for TCA As forecast last week, TCA have ordered six DC-9s and BWIA have ordered three Boeing 727s. F.28 Decision Soon According to a report from the Netherlands, described as based on an official statement, a Government decision on development aid for the Fokker F.28 is to be announced before the end of November. The amount is said to be about £12m. Wheatcroft on Regulation Mr Stephen Wheatcroft, in a lecture to the Royal Aeronautical Society law group in London on Novem ber 27, "Licensing British Air Transport," made five major points: (1) The Licensing Act should be amended to enable the Minister to issue the ATLB with policy directives; (2) The Minister should specifically rule against the parallel designation of British airlines; (3) Air transport policy should be worked out in the context of an overall national transport policy; (4) Approval of international fares should be by the ATLB, not the Ministry; and (5) British tour operators, not airlines, should be licensed by the ATLB for IT services. We hope to review the paper more fully in a later issue.
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