Viscount c/n 78
Operational Record
Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S
Norway
This V.736 series Viscount was built for Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S as LN-FOL It first flew on Tuesday, 8 November 1955 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 506 engines.
During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by British European Airways (BEA), British West Indian Airways (BWIA), BOAC Associated Companies, Airwork Ltd and Transair (UK) Ltd
British United Airways (BUA)
England
Its final owner/operator was British United Airways (BUA) as G-AODH.Its fate:- Damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing at Rhein-Main Airport, Frankfurt, West Germany after a flight from Tempelhof Airport, Berlin, West Germany 30 October 1961. During an approach in poor visibility the plane struck the ground alongside runway 25. The nose undercarriage leg collapsed and three propellers were torn away before the aircraft rolled to a stop. Declared as beyond economic repair and broken up for scrap in late 1962.
June 1955 to July 1955
Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S
LN-FOL - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
Norway registered
circa June 1950
This was the 2nd V.736 ordered by Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S.
Production Aircraft No. 79 - the 79th production V.700 series Viscount built,
was the 43rd Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 47th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
Production Order No. F02/736. Sales Order No. F02/57B. Stock Order No. F33/22B.
18 March 1955
Fuselage assembly commenced.
3 June 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
22 July 1955
Registration LN-FOL allocated to Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S but not taken up.
Re-registered G-AODH for pending lease to British European Airways (BEA).
July 1955 to December 1955
Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S
G-AODH - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
22 July 1955
Re-registered G-AODH from LN-FOL for pending lease to British European Airways (BEA).
8 November 1955
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
5 December 1955
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.
15 December 1955
Leased to British European Airways (BEA).
December 1955 to April 1957
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-AODH - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
15 December 1955
Leased from Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S named as 'R M A Roald Amundsen'.
Total time flown by BEA was 2,044 hours.
31 March 1957
Total time 2,573 hours.
22 April 1957
Returned to Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S.
FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways
April 1957 to April 1957
Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S
G-AODH - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
22 April 1957
Returned from British European Airways (BEA) lease.
24 April 1957
UK registration cancelled.
24 April 1957
Leased to British West Indian Airways (BWIA).
April 1957 to December 1957
British West Indian Airways (BWIA)
VP-TBY - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
Trinidad & Tobago registered
24 April 1957
Leased from Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S.
24 April 1957
Registered to British West Indian Overseas Airways (BWIA) who were part of BOAC Associated Companies Ltd.
13 December 1957
Returned to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England at the end of the lease.
December 1957 to January 1958
BOAC Associated Companies Ltd
G-AODH - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
13 December 1957
Returned from British West Indian Airways (BWIA) lease to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.
1 January 1958
Registered to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).
11 January 1958
Sold by Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S to Airwork Ltd.
January 1958 to February 1959
Airwork Ltd
G-AODH - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
11 January 1958
Purchased from Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S.
11 January 1958
Registered to Airwork Ltd from the previous BOAC entry.
Their registered address was: - 35 Piccadilly, London, W1
11 January 1958
Delivered to Airwork Ltd at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.
13 January 1958
UK Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) renewed.
1 February 1959
Transferred to Transair (UK) Ltd due to a corporate merger.
February 1959 to July 1960
Transair (UK) Ltd
G-AODH - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
1 February 1959
Transferred from Airwork Ltd due to a corporate merger.
16 February 1959
Ferried from Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England to Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England for future operations.
It was converted to 61 seat high-density configuration.
February 1959
It entered service on the 'Colonial Coach Class' service previously operated by Airwork Ltd.
1 July 1960
Transferred to British United Airways (BUA) due to a corporate merger.
July 1960 to October 1961
British United Airways (BUA)
G-AODH - c/n 78 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
1 July 1960
Transferred from Transair (UK) Ltd due to a corporate merger.
2 July 1960
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England on its first day in BUA service.
5 September 1960
Registered to British United Airways (BUA).
30 October 1961
Damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing at Rhein-Main Airport, Frankfurt, West Germany at 17:48 after a flight from Tempelhof Airport, Berlin, West Germany.
The aircraft was operating a service on behalf of British European Airways (BEA).
During a missed approach in poor visibility the plane struck the ground alongside runway 25. The nose undercarriage leg collapsed and three propellers were torn away before the aircraft came to a stop. Among the 4 crew and 12 passengers on board a stewardess injured her leg during the landing and a passenger broke her ankle when she jumped from the plane.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Captain D A Woolfe flew below the critical height during the ILS approach and with a surface visibility which was inadequate, struck the ground alongside the runway. A contributing factor was that at a critical moment information given by the co-pilot was deemed to be erroneous and misleading.'
2 January 1962
Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use.
late 1962
Broken up for scrap at Rhein-Main Airport, Frankfurt, West Germany after the removal of all useful parts, especially the Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines.
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
Total time 9,162 hours and 6,082 total landings.