Narrative:
The Viscount landed at London Airport in fog. After touchdown the nose gear failed. The plane skidded some 500yds down the runway before coming to rest. A fire erupted in the nose section of the plane and almost destroyed the entire fuselage.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of Air Traffic Control to notify the captain of a critical deterioration in runway Visual Range during his final approach. In consequence he attempted to land in a visibility which gave him insufficient visual reference with the result that the nosewheels contacted the runway before the mainwheels thereby overstressing the nose wheel unit and fracturing its attachments."
Landing gear collapse
Runway mishap
| Status: | |
| Date: | Thursday 7 January 1960 |
| Type: |  Vickers 802 Viscount |
| Operator: | British European Airways - BEA |
| Registration: | G-AOHU |
| MSN: | 169 |
| First flight: | 1957 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 54 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 59 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | London Airport (LHR) ( United Kingdom)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 25 m (82 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW), Ireland |
| London Airport (LHR/EGLL), United Kingdom |
The Viscount landed at London Airport in fog. After touchdown the nose gear failed. The plane skidded some 500yds down the runway before coming to rest. A fire erupted in the nose section of the plane and almost destroyed the entire fuselage.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of Air Traffic Control to notify the captain of a critical deterioration in runway Visual Range during his final approach. In consequence he attempted to land in a visibility which gave him insufficient visual reference with the result that the nosewheels contacted the runway before the mainwheels thereby overstressing the nose wheel unit and fracturing its attachments."
Classification:
Landing gear collapse
Runway mishap
Sources:
» Survey of accidents to aircraft in the United Kingdom 1960 / CAAPhotos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Dublin Airport to London Airport as the crow flies is 446 km (278 miles).
Distance from Dublin Airport to London Airport as the crow flies is 446 km (278 miles).
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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