19 April 2024
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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.

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

Viscount c/n 192

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 192
Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC)


India flag India

This V.768D series Viscount was built for
Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) as VT-DIE

It first flew on Tuesday, 30 July 1957 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.


Photo of Viscount c/n 192
Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC)


India flag India

Its final owner/operator was
Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) as VT-DIO.

Its fate:-
Crashed at Patipura, near Lalitpur which is 32 miles / 51 kms south of Agra, India 11 September 1963. While operating flight 420, the night mail service between Madras, Nagpur and Delhi, India, it went into a steep dive and crashed into a field near the village of Patti in the Majha region of the Indian state of Punjab. Despite an extensive investigation the cause of this accident could not be determined.


Operational record
Photo of Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) Viscount VT-DIE

Country of Registration India

August 1957 to August 1957

Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC)

VT-DIE - c/n 192 - a V.768D series Viscount
India registered

Originally allocated registration VT-DIE but not taken up. Presumably someone felt that this was an inappropriate registration. Sadly, it didn't prevent it from crashing in September 1963.


Photo of Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) Viscount VT-DIO

Country of Registration India

August 1957 to September 1963

Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC)

VT-DIO - c/n 192 - a V.768D series Viscount
India registered

1955
An order for five Type 768D were placed by Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC).

This was the 1st aircraft delivered to IAC.

Production Aircraft No. 210 - the 210th production 700 series Viscount built,
was the 161st Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 165th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Stock Order No. F23/32B. Production Order No. F01/768. Sales Order No. F01/86B.

10 February 1957
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

10 April 1957
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

30 July 1957
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

8 August 1957
Acceptance test flight successfully carried out under contract by Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell which lasted for 40 minutes.

12 and 14 August 1957
Training flights of IAC crews carried out under the contract guidance of Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England.

15 August 1957
Officially handed over to Mrs Pandit, Indian High Commissioner to London in a ceremony at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England.

It had English titles on the port side of the fuselage and Hindi script on the starboard side.

IAC crew training flights continued at Blackbushe, Hurn and London Airport, all under the contract guidance of Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell.

18 September 1957
Departed from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England on delivery to India under the contract guidance of Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell and IAC Captain Jang.

It routed via Rome, Italy (3 hr 25 min) - Beirut, Lebanon (2 hr 40 min) - Bahrain (3 hr 55 min) - Karachi, Pakistan (3 hr 55 min).

20 September 1957
Arrived at Safdarjung Airport, Delhi, India on delivery to Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) named as 'Madhya Pradesh' in a 44 seat configuration.

It had English titles on the port side and Hindi script on the starboard side.

24 September 1957
Commenced IAC crew training flights out of Delhi under the contract guidance of Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell.

28 September 1957
Commenced route proving flights across India and also Rangoon, Burma under the contract guidance of Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell.

7 October 1957
Inaugurated the first Delhi - Calcutta (2 hr 50 min) - Rangoon, Burma (2 hr 30 min) IAC Viscount service under the contract guidance of Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell with IAC Captains Jang and Sandhu.

8, 10, 12, 16 February 1958
Noted at Safdarjung Airport, Delhi, India carrying out crew training flights under the contract guidance of Hunting-Clan Chief Flying Instructor Brian Alexander Powell.

11 September 1963
Crashed at Patipura, near Lalitpur which is 32 miles / 51 kms south of Agra, India.

While operating flight 420, the night mail service between Madras, Nagpur and Delhi, India, it went into a steep dive and crashed into a field near the village of Patipua in the Majha region of the Indian state of Punjab near Lalitpur which is 32 miles / 51 kms south of Agra, India.

All 13 passengers and 5 crew were sadly killed.

Despite an extensive investigation the cause of this accident could not be determined.

Total time 14,381 hours and 5,552 total landings.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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