26 April 2024
This website is regularly archived by the British Library who selectively archive websites with research values that are representative of British social history and cultural heritage.

Museum search


Viscount Survivors


59 of the 444 Viscounts built survive as complete airframes or major components. Some are in very good condition and are looked after by museums while others are just wrecks. They can be found in 24 countries.

Viscount history


Discover the history of the Viscount with film, video, contemporary reports from the pages of Flight Magazine, our newsletters, and aircraft operational records and photos from our database.


Share your photos and stories


Our 'Live Magazine' is used by members and non-members to share their Viscount photos and stories with fellow enthusiasts located throughout the world in real time.

You are able to send in your photos, stories and comments by Facebook, Twitter or email and we will post them for all to enjoy.

Contact us


Join the Vickers Viscount Network
for FREE


Featured pages

Our website contains over 20,000 pages of photos and information that can all be accessed from the menu at the top of every page. Here are a few to get you started.



This website does not use cookies or capture your details


Established 2005
Vickers Viscount Network
A Virtual Museum dedicated to the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount
   

Viscount c/n 63

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 63
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

This V.701C series Viscount was built for
British European Airways Corporation (BEA) as G-ANHC

It first flew on Wednesday, 1 December 1954 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 506 engines.


Photo of Viscount c/n 63
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
British European Airways Corporation (BEA) as G-ANHC.

Its fate:-
Crashed after a mid-air collision with Italian Air Force Canadair built F-86E Sabre fighter MM19830 at 23,500 feet above Nettuno, near Anzio, Italy, during flight BE142 from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Luqa Airport, Malta via Capodichino Airport, Naples, Italy 22 October 1958.

The accident was attributed to an 'Act of God', since neither of the pilots saw the other aircraft before they collided.

A contributory cause of the accident was the deviation of the Viscount from the airway which placed it in a prohibited area reserved for military activities.

Sadly all 26 passengers and 5 crew died in the accident.


Operational record
Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount G-ANHC

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1953 to October 1954

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-ANHC - c/n 63 - a V.701C series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

August 1949
Discussions concluded between Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and British European Airways Corporation (BEA) regarding the specification for the V.701 aircraft.

Accommodation for 47 passengers at a gross weight of 53,000 lbs was specified.

3 August 1950
Order placed by British European Airways Corporation (BEA) for 20 V.701 aircraft which was later increased to 26.

This was the 23rd V.701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

12 December 1953
Registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

Production Aircraft No. 44 - the 44th production V.700 series Viscount built,
was the 15th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 19th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F03/701C. Sales Order No. F03/87A. Stock Order No. F12/22B.

11 June 1954
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

9 August 1954
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

22 October 1954
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

25 October 1954
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


Photo of British European Airways Corporation (BEA) Viscount G-ANHC

Country of Registration United Kingdom

October 1954 to October 1958

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-ANHC - c/n 63 - a V.701C series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

25 October 1954
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA), Bealine House, Ruislip, Middlesex.

1 December 1954
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

19 December 1954
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

19 December 1954
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir Leopold McClintock'.

Francis Leopold McClintock was nicknamed 'The Arctic Fox' after his expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, who died during a voyage in 1847 in search of the illusive North West Passage.

It was fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines and designated as a Type 701C.

1954 to 1962
The original ‘cutlass’ design propeller blades were gradually replaced by new symmetrical ‘needle’ blade propeller sets.

From photographic evidence, both propeller types were fitted to Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3, Mark 505 and Mark 506 engines and many aircraft flew with an ‘intermix’ of both types of propeller blades.

23 April 1956
This aircraft was used to carry Soviet premier Nikita Krushchev and Marshal Bulganin from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to City of Birmingham Airport, Elmdon, West Midlands, England and then on to RAF Marham, Norfolk, England.

26 April 1956
This aircraft was used to carry Soviet premier Nikita Krushchev and Marshal Bulganin from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, Scotland.

18 June 1956
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester all flew from Bromma Airport, Stockholm, Sweden to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England at the conclusion of a Royal visit to Sweden.

This was the first Viscount to carry HM Queen Elizabeth II.

22 October 1958
Crashed after a mid-air collision with Italian Air Force Canadair built F-86E Sabre fighter MM19830 at 23,500 feet above Nettuno, a small fishing village near Anzio, Italy, during flight BE142 from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Luqa Airport, Malta via Capodichino Airport, Naples, Italy. All 26 passengers and 5 crew sadly died in the accident.

The fighter pilot from Practica di Mare airbase, Captain Giovanni Savorelli survived after he was thrown out of his aircraft and luckily his parachute opened uncommanded. He was found injured, hanging in a tree. Three other F-86Es in the same formation landed safely.

The accident was attributed to an 'Act of God', since neither of the pilots saw the other aircraft before they collided.

A contributory cause of the accident was the deviation of the Viscount from the airway which placed it in a prohibited area reserved for military activities.

11 November 1958
Registration cancelled as aircraft destroyed.

Total time 9,110 hours and 4,555 total landings.

On 21 April 2006 the memorial stone was unveilled.
On 21 April 2006 the memorial stone was unveilled

21 April 2006
A memorial stone was unveilled near the crash site.

The stone is in the shape of a Viscount tail and has the aircraft registration G-ANHC on it, and on the base is a list of the names of all those on board.

The memorial was designed by Terry Bannon whose Father, Radio Officer James Bannon was on board this ill-fated flight. Terry also negotiated with the local authorities to gain permission to erect this memorial and they were very helpful and sympathetic.

Access to the memorial is often restricted as it lies within a military base used for testing weapons.

Relatives, friends and local officials gathered at the memorial stone to pay their respects.
50th Anniversary

25 October 2008
Relatives, friends and local officials gathered at the memorial stone to pay their respects to those lost in this tragic accident.

Special 50th Anniversary plaques made by Terry Bannon were presented to the local officials by Terry's wife Nuala.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

The Vickers Viscount Network is always interested to hear from anyone who has information or photographs to help complete the story of the Viscount. If you can help please contact us at
Information@VickersViscount.net.


Click here for more details about the Vickers Viscount Network

This website has been designed, built and is maintained by Geoff Blampied, Norwich, Norfolk, England.