BEA 'Red Square' Viscount. The 1966 Frankfurt air disaster...or not?

[Viking]

BEA 'Red Square' Viscount.

Welsh Models 1/144 with 26 Decals.

 

 

This is one of my 1/144 models from my slowly building collection of aircraft flown by my father in a flying career just short of 30,000 hours over 40 years. In that whole time, this one was memorable for all the wrong reasons. I was recently looking through his log book(s) and came across this one, which he explained to me as having been a fearful experience.

 

July 18th 1966 was a routine internal German flight from Franfurt, one of many made that week, with my father as first officer paired with the same captain all week and sharing turns as the handling pilot. This was one where he was doing the take off and landing. All pre flight checks completed on G-AOJD, including free and clear movement of all control surfaces, they taxied out and were cleared for take off. Accelerating down the runway, passing V1 and Vr, the aircraft was rotated and left the ground, commencing the climb. 

At this moment the elevator locked solid and there was no fore and aft movement on the control column.  The elevator was locked in the up position. He cut all four throttles, and got the aircraft back on the ground in a not too neat arrival. (Strictly against the rules as once you have passed Vr and left the runway you must carry on and gain height).  '"We broke all the rules, and got away with it, as Frankfurt had a decent long runway, Had this been Templehof we couldn't have done it, and would likely have ended up in the blocks of flats. We taxied back in in complete silence. Not a word was said to me then, or since. I should have been given a real 'rollicking' but nobody ever mentioned it again But you have no time to analyse and think about the situation, you have to act. Every rule in the book tells you not to do it, but there was a disaster going to happen.

 

The cause was found to be a plate covering one of the elevator hinges which had been binding against the elevator as it moved.  This had been happening for some time, and at the moment I pulled back to rotate it had fractured and broken off. Rather than flutter away harmlessly, it shot back and wedged itself in the gap between the servo tab and the elevator itself, causing the jam. The engineers found the strip of metal had bent fully at 90 degrees". 

 

Sobering story, G-AOJD went on to serve until 1976 when it ended its days on the Jersey fire dump . While not a peaceful end it was far better than it nearly had. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The logbook entry that started all this off. It was underlined in black at the time. Flight time is logged as 8 seconds.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

John

[Dave Swindell]

I do like a BEA Red Square model, another excellent one to add to your collection John, and with a brilliant personal story to boot.  

[stevehnz]

Beautiful job on that John, scary story though, I bet your Dad was looking over his shoulder for a while after that, there but for the grace kind of thing. 

Steve.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Awesome model and an awe-inspiring story.

[hurricane39]

Outstanding job on a difficult scale and a fascinating story to boot.

[Tim R-T-C]

What an amazing story and superb model.

[keefr22]

Lovely model again John, cracking build and finish! And if your dad did break the 'rules' it was really some very good airmanship that saved the aeroplane, crew and passengers.....

 

Top job - by father and son

 

Keith

[TallBlondJohn]

Lovely. I think my earliest memory is looking at the window of one of these - maybe even this one - as it flew into Guernsey. I would have been just over three years old

[Bertie McBoatface]

I remember going on holiday with my dad in one of those. Maybe your dad was flying it.

 

That's a cracking model and a good bit of background story too. Thanks!

[Alex1978]

Superb model John,and the very interesting/scary story behind it.

Thanks for sharing

Alex

[corsaircorp]

Great story and great model to illustrate it !!

Congrats !!

Sincerely.

CC

[Skodadriver]

Excellent model and fascinating story John. Thanks for sharing both.

 

Dave G

[Duncan B]

An excellent model and amazing back story. Sometimes the rules have to be broken to avoid something much worse.

 

Duncan B

[Maginot]

What a hair-raising story. Seems your Dad made the right decision. I had a memorable flight to the Gold Coast on a TAA Viscount circa 1968, when I was a child. I remember peering out of the large, oval windows at the ground far below through the clouds and being taken to the cockpit. Oh! And very nice work on the model. Excellent finish.

[Andy Young]

Lovely model John - there's something about the BEA red square scheme that's very pleasing. Nice to see the Welsh Model kit done - I must dig my one out of the stash!. Great story about the aircraft - they were indeed lucky to have a long enough runway!

 

Cheers, Andy

[BerndM]

Awesome build and what a story !

[Sky Keg]

Wow John.  That`s an impressive subject and accompanying story.  😎

 

Mike

[Bandsaw Steve]

Great model and great story. Pleased it had a happy ending.

 

[Fred piket]

Beautiful model, and a great story!

[Winded Penguin]

Great post, great model 👍

[Timo]

Hi John

A great build of a BEA classic, and a great story too.

There's no such thing as 'breaking all the rules' it's just a matter of 'doing the right thing'.  With all that tarmac stretching ahead of you, why not stick it back on the ground in those circumstances. In my mind, a remarkable bit of quick thinking by your Dad (instead of blindly sticking to the rules) saved the day for everyone. Well done your Dad.

Cheers

Tim

[Pantherhawk27263]

Nice build!! Great looking plane and I love the story. 

[noelh]

Your Father was a proper airman. 30,000 hours. I think that may be rare in the modern era. Nearly three and half years in the air. Makes my  logbook look pathetic.

 

Great model and a proper tribute to an old school pilot.

Edited July 5, 2023 by noelh