ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 951 Vanguard G-APEC Aarsele
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 2 October 1971
Time:11:10
Type:Silhouette image of generic vang model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Vickers 951 Vanguard
Operator:British European Airways - BEA
Registration: G-APEC
MSN: 706
First flight: 1959-10-17 (12 years)
Total airframe hrs:21683
Cycles:17261
Engines: 4 Rolls-Royce Tyne 506
Crew:Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Passengers:Fatalities: 55 / Occupants: 55
Total:Fatalities: 63 / Occupants: 63
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:1 km (0.6 mls) E of Aarsele (   Belgium)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL), United Kingdom
Destination airport:Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport (SZG/LOWS), Austria
Flightnumber: 706
Narrative:
En route from London (LHR) to Salzburg (SZG) at an altitude 19000 feet the rear pressure bulkhead ruptured. An explosive decompression of the fuselage occurred, causing serious interior damage and severe distortion of upper tailplane skin attachments. The tail surfaces subsequently detached, causing the airplane to enter a steep dive. The Vanguard spiraled down out of control and crashed in a field next to a highway.
During the investigation corrosion was found in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead underneath plating that was bonded to the structure. The bond was completely delaminated in this area and the bulkhead material literally eaten away. Fluid contamination, perhaps from the lavatory, was thought to have been the root cause for the corrosion.

Probable Cause:

CAUSE: "The accident was caused by the rupture of the rear pressure bulkhead, which led to the separation both tailplanes in flight and caused the aircraft to dive into the ground."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: AIB (U.K.)
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 10 months
Accident number: AAR 15/1972
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Explosive decompression
Pressure bulkhead failure
Fuselage failure
Loss of control

Sources:
» Applying Lessons Learned From Accidents : Accident/Incident Summary Japan Airlines Flight 123, Boeing 747, Gunma Prefecture Japan


Follow-up / safety actions
Inspections of other Vickers Vanguard planes revealed similar corrosion in eight other aircraft. Inspection procedures were revised and the airplane was modified to improve access to the inspected area. The frequency of inspections was increased considerably.

Photos

photo of Vickers-951-Vanguard-G-APEC
accident date: 02-10-1971
type: Vickers 951 Vanguard
registration: G-APEC
 

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 London-Heathrow Airport to Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport as the crow flies is 1043 km (652 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

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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Vickers Vanguard

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