
July 1955 to March 1956
Capital Airlines (USA)
N7404 - c/n 90 - a V.744 series Viscount
United States registered
23 July 1955
Delivered on lease to Capital Airlines from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd with fleet number '323' pending the delivery of their fleet of V.745 and V.745D Viscounts.
Although powered by Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines, this aircraft was fitted with the square tipped propeller more associated with the Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engines.
This was the first Viscount operator in the USA, preceded by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) as the first North American operator with routes into the USA.
26 July 1955
Capital Viscount services commenced between Washington and Chicago; Washington and Norfolk; and Washington via Pittsburgh to Chicago.
20 February 1956
Badly damaged during a heavy landing at Midway Airport, Chicago, Illinois, USA on a flight from Willow Run, Detroit, Michigan, USA due to a propeller control defect affecting at least three engines that resulted in a loss of speed and flare control.
The aircraft had taken off from Willow Run Airport, Detroit, Michigan, USA at 07:00 CST for a flight to Midway Airport, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The flight had been uneventful and at 08:10 CST the aircraft made a righthand turn to finals for a landing on runway 31R at Chicago. When over the boundary of the airport the captain reduced power and called for 47 degrees of flaps. As the first officer moved the flap control to 47 degrees, he felt the aircraft decelerate and settle. Glancing at the instrument panel he noticed 3 of the 4 17-degree pitch lights were illuminated. These lights illuminate when the propeller blades are at a 17 degree pitch angle or below; 21 degrees is normally the minimum in-flight blade angle. Knowing this was an abnormal situation the Captain chose to apply power. Advancing power caused the propellers to immediately seek the lowest possible angle. When the throttles were 3/4 fully forward the aircraft sank quickly, touching down on the east taxiway, 414 feet short of the runway threshold. The aircraft skidded onto the runway on its belly, coming to rest 1,626 feet past the point of first touchdown.
PROBABLE CAUSE: A malfunction of the propeller control switches that resulted in an abrupt loss of lift. It appeared that at least two micro switches had failed, permitting the energizing of the 21-degree pitch lock solenoid. This made it possible for the stops to be withdrawn during the approach. As the crew didn't see the 21-degree pitch lock solenoid warning light, the emergency switch preventing the propellers from going into ground fine pitch range while in flight, was not actuated.
There were no serious injuries amongst the 4 crew and 37 passengers.
Total time 1,541 hours and 1,500 total landings.
circa March 1956
Dismantled into sections and returned to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England and rebuilt as C/N 301, CF-THJ a V.757 for Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA).
This was the first Viscount to be dismantled into sections in order for it to be transported across the Great Lakes and subsequently across the North Atlantic.
The fuselage had to be cut in half in order to get it onto a suitable ship.
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