26 July 2024
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Viscount Survivors

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

Letter from HRH Prince Philip

See and hear a Viscount

Newsletters

Flight Magazine Reports

Aircraft operational
records and photos

Viscount illustrations
by David Carter


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.


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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.

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information@VickersViscount.net



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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.


In the Beginning

The Turboprop World-Beater

Sir George Edwards

The Rolls-Royce Dart

c/n 1 G-AHRF V.630
The Prototype Viscount

c/n 2 VX217 V.663
The Tay powered Viscount

c/n 3 G-AMAV V.700
The V.700 series prototype

c/n 4 G-ALWE V.701
The first BEA Viscount

c/n 5 G-ALWF V.701
The oldest surviving Viscount

c/n 8 F-BGNK V.708
The first Air France Viscount

c/n 30 EI-AFV V.707
The first Aer Lingus Viscount

c/n 40 CF-TGI V.724
The first TCA Viscount

c/n 44 VH-TVA V.720
The first TAA Viscount

c/n 67 YI-ACK V.735
The first Iraqi Airways Viscount

c/n 70 CF-GXK V.737
The first Canadian DoT Viscount

c/n 71 VP-TBK V.702
The first BOAC Associated
Companies Viscount

c/n 74 G-ANRR V.732
The first Hunting-Clan Viscount

c/n 77 LN-FOF V.736
The first Fred Olsen Viscount

c/n 79 IU-683 V.723
The first Indian Air Force Viscount

c/n 88 N7402 V.744
The first Capital Airlines Viscount

c/n 97 VH-BAT V.747
The first Butler Air
Transport Viscount


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

Viscount c/n 336

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 336
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)


Pakistan flag Pakistan

This V.815 series Viscount was built for
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as AP-AJD

It first flew on Tuesday, 27 January 1959 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 525 engines.

During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd

Photo of Viscount c/n 336
British Midland Airways (BMA)


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
British Midland Airways (BMA) as G-AVJA.

Its fate:-
Crashed on takeoff from Ringway Airport, Manchester, England whilst on a positioning flight to Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, Scotland. 20 March 1969.

It was pre-planned that the flight would be used to carry out some training and that an engine failure would be simulated during takeoff. Shortly after takeoff the No.4 (starboard outer) engine was feathered and the aircraft yawed sharply to starboard, then leveled off and then entered a steeper climb whilst turning and rolling to starboard. The aircraft struck the ground inverted.


Operational record
Photo of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Viscount AP-AJD

Country of Registration Pakistan

February 1959 to July 1964

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

AP-AJD - c/n 336 - a V.815 series Viscount
Pakistan registered

27 January 1959
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

13 February 1959
Delivered to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) now fitted with extended range 'slipper' fuel tanks.

It was noted at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England on the same day.

The PIA titles were in Urdu script on the port side and Bengali script on the starboard side of the fuselage.

circa February 1959
Named as 'City of Lahore'.

3 July 1964
Sold to Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd.


Photo of Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd Viscount AP-AJD

Country of Registration Pakistan

July 1964 to July 1964

Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd

AP-AJD - c/n 336 - a V.815 series Viscount
Pakistan registered

3 July 1964
Purchased from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

3 July 1964
Leased back to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).


Photo of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Viscount AP-AJD

Country of Registration Pakistan

July 1964 to June 1966

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

AP-AJD - c/n 336 - a V.815 series Viscount
Pakistan registered

3 July 1964
Leased from Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd in a later PIA 'green tail' livery still named as 'City of Lahore'.

15 June 1966
Returned to Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd.


Photo of Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd Viscount AP-AJD

Country of Registration Pakistan

June 1966 to March 1967

Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd

AP-AJD - c/n 336 - a V.815 series Viscount
Pakistan registered

15 June 1966
Returned from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) lease to Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland.

21 March 1967
Re-registered G-AVJA.


Photo of Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd Viscount G-AVJA

Country of Registration United Kingdom

March 1967 to June 1967

Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd

G-AVJA - c/n 336 - a V.815 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

21 March 1967
Re-registered from AP-AJD.

A sale to Luxair was not completed.

2 June 1967
Sold to British Midland Airways (BMA).


Photo of British Midland Airways (BMA) Viscount G-AVJA

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1967 to March 1969

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AVJA - c/n 336 - a V.815 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

2 June 1967
Purchased from Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd and ferried from Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland to East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.

8 September 1967
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a Luton Airport weather diversion. The passengers were transferred to Luton by coach.

Crashed on takeoff from Ringway Airport, Manchester, England.
Crashed at Ringway,
Manchester, England

19 March 1969
Diverted from East Midlands Airport, Catle Donington, Leicestershire, Enland to Ringway Airport, Manchester, England due to poor visibility at EMA.

20 March 1969
Crashed on takeoff from Ringway Airport, Manchester, England whilst on a positioning flight to Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, Scotland.

It was pre-planned that the flight would be used to carry out some training and that an engine failure would be simulated during takeoff. Shortly after takeoff the No.4 (starboard outer) engine was feathered and the aircraft yawed sharply to starboard, then levelled off and then entered a steeper climb whilst turning and rolling to starboard. The aircraft struck the ground inverted.

There were four crew on board, Captain I D Wallace, First Officer R A Weeks and Stewardesses S Wallis and Jane Timson. Sadly only Jane survived the crash.

An 'eye witness' account by Lance Shippey: -

Thursday was a fine weather afternoon and l had just been informed that l had been accepted to work for BEA at Manchester flying the BAC Super One-Eleven. I was walking with mail to the terminal building's post office. Crossing the apron beyond the B.O.A.C. cargo office and the parking area for visiting light aircraft l heard the whine of the Rolls-Royce Dart engines from a Viscount. Continuing my journey on foot, l watched BMA G-AVJA taxi to the threshold of Runway 06.

The aircraft lined up and started to roll, becoming airborne fairly quickly as it passed the south side hangar, climbing out opposite the control tower. At around 500-650 feet, the aircraft yawed to the right, and went into a vertical bank, before inverting, and hitting the ground nose first.

After the whine of the Darts stopped, there was a deadly silence, and a few seconds after the impact, a "woosh" as the fuel ignited around the wreckage. An ambulance arrived fairly quickly, along with the fire service, who dowsed the flames with foam.

l spoke to a friend working as station engineer for BMA, an hour or so after the crash. He said that he had rushed to the site, and saw a stewardess standing dazed near the tail section. This would be the sole survivor. The aircraft was on a positioning flight from Manchester to Edinburgh and the sole occupants were two flight deck crew, and two stewardesses. Jane Timson had survived, but the others were sadly killed.

The contents of a Hansard notice referring to the accident discussed between Mr Alfred Morris [by private notice] and the Minister of State Board of Trade, Mr William Rodgers, stated that the crash happened at 16.58 B.S.T. and that the aircraft yawed at 50 ft. As l witnessed the crash, my calculation was the aircraft had reached 500 to 650 feet before the yaw. The accident was captured on roll film. The photographer was an aviation enthusiast, photographing the aircraft from l believe, the parking area near to the Fairey Engineering hangar.

The take off was also being used as a training exercise. with experienced Captain Wallace in command, who was also the BMA safety officer cutting power to one of the Rolls-Royce Dart engines on the starboard wing.


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.