1953 Nutts Corner Viking accident
Encyclopedia
The 1953 Nutts Corner Viking accident was the 5 January 1953 crash of a British European Airways
Vickers Viking
airliner on approach to Belfast-Nutts Corner Airport in Northern Ireland. The Viking, registered
G-AJDL and named Lord St Vincent, was on a domestic flight from London-Northolt Airport
with four crew and 31 passengers on board. Twenty-four of the passengers and three crewmembers died.
a short distance from the aerodrome
. Following the initial impact the aircraft hit further poles; it then hit a mobile standard beam approach van before striking a brick building housing equipment operating the instrument landing system
about 200 yards (182.9 m) from the runway. This impact caused the aircraft to break up. There was a slight fire after the accident.
G-AJDL with manufacturer's serial number
262. It first flew on 28 May 1948 and was delivered to British European Airways
on 30 March 1949. Originally named Vortex by the airline, it was re-named Lord St Vincent around 1951.
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
Vickers Viking
Vickers VC.1 Viking
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 airlines...
airliner on approach to Belfast-Nutts Corner Airport in Northern Ireland. The Viking, registered
United Kingdom aircraft registration
United Kingdom aircraft registration is a register and means of identifcation for British owned and operated commercial and private aircraft, they are identified by registration letters starting with the prefix G-.-Registration:...
G-AJDL and named Lord St Vincent, was on a domestic flight from London-Northolt Airport
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
with four crew and 31 passengers on board. Twenty-four of the passengers and three crewmembers died.
Accident
G-AJDL left Northolt at 7:27, about 25 minutes late. Two hours later it was on approach to Nutts Corner. When the aircraft was 3 miles (4.8 km) out from the runway threshold it was 90 feet (27.4 m) above the glideslope. The aircraft then rapidly lost height and hit the pole supporting an approach lightApproach Lighting System
An approach lighting system, or ALS, is a lighting system installed on the approach end of an airport runway and consisting of a series of lightbars, strobe lights, or a combination of the two that extends outward from the runway end...
a short distance from the aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
. Following the initial impact the aircraft hit further poles; it then hit a mobile standard beam approach van before striking a brick building housing equipment operating the instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
about 200 yards (182.9 m) from the runway. This impact caused the aircraft to break up. There was a slight fire after the accident.
Investigation
A board of inquiry was formed to investigate the accident, chaired by Sir David Scott Cairns, QC. It opened in London on 14 April 1953. After hearing evidence, the board concluded that the pilot, Captain Hartley, made "errors of judgement" but that no moral blame was to be attached to him regarding the accident. The board mentioned that hitting the van stopped any chance of the aircraft reaching the runway, and then hitting the building made a tragedy inevitable. The approach lights were found to not be at the top of the poles, to ease maintenance; although that was not judged a factor in the crash, the lights were moved to the top of the poles following the accident. It was also recommended that when the ILS building was rebuilt that it should be offset from the approach path, or that it should be sited underground.Aircraft
The Vickers Type 610 Viking 1B airliner, powered by two Bristol Hercules 634 14-cylinder radial engines, was registeredUnited Kingdom aircraft registration
United Kingdom aircraft registration is a register and means of identifcation for British owned and operated commercial and private aircraft, they are identified by registration letters starting with the prefix G-.-Registration:...
G-AJDL with manufacturer's serial number
Serial number
A serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
262. It first flew on 28 May 1948 and was delivered to British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
on 30 March 1949. Originally named Vortex by the airline, it was re-named Lord St Vincent around 1951.