Narrative:
The Vickers Viscount had just arrived from London when it was to take off again for a training flight. Takeoff was commenced at 0850 GMT. Just after lifting off, at V2, the training captain (occupying the left hand seat) wanted to simulate a no. 4 engine failure and had to do 3 steps to accomplish this: moving the no. 4 high pressure cock lever to the feather position; pulling back the throttle lever, and; pressing the feathering button. Without noticing the captain moved the no. 3 engine high pressure cock lever to the feather position and throttled the no. 4 engine back. As a consequence the aircraft banked to the right and struck the ground 250yds from the runway, cartwheeling to a stop.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was due to an error by the training captain who operated no.3 high pressure cock lever instead of no.4 when simulating a failure of no.4 engine during takeoff. This resulted in the loss of all power from both starboard engines at a critical point of the takeoff."
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 20 January 1956 |
| Time: | 08:50 UTC |
| Type: |  Vickers 701 Viscount |
| Operator: | British European Airways - BEA |
| Registration: | G-AMOM |
| MSN: | 26 |
| First flight: | 1953 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) ( United Kingdom)
|
| Phase: | Takeoff (TOF) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Blackbushe Airport (BBS/EGLK), United Kingdom |
| Blackbushe Airport (BBS/EGLK), United Kingdom |
The Vickers Viscount had just arrived from London when it was to take off again for a training flight. Takeoff was commenced at 0850 GMT. Just after lifting off, at V2, the training captain (occupying the left hand seat) wanted to simulate a no. 4 engine failure and had to do 3 steps to accomplish this: moving the no. 4 high pressure cock lever to the feather position; pulling back the throttle lever, and; pressing the feathering button. Without noticing the captain moved the no. 3 engine high pressure cock lever to the feather position and throttled the no. 4 engine back. As a consequence the aircraft banked to the right and struck the ground 250yds from the runway, cartwheeling to a stop.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was due to an error by the training captain who operated no.3 high pressure cock lever instead of no.4 when simulating a failure of no.4 engine during takeoff. This resulted in the loss of all power from both starboard engines at a critical point of the takeoff."
Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest No.8, Circular 54-AN/49 (34-35)Photos
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This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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