Travel back in time with the Viscount
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Rhodesia
VP-YND - Air Rhodesia - January 1968 to February 1979
Transferred from Central African Airways (CAA) due to a corporate name change. Taken at Beira Airport, Mozambique circa June 1970.
Photo source - Tony Ward collection
Aircraft Summary
Central African Airways Corporation (CAA)
This aircraft c/n 101, a V.748D, was built for Central African Airways Corporation (CAA) as VP-YND and first flew on Thursday, 14 June 1956 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
During its life it was also owned and/or operated by Air Malawi and Zambia Airways
Its final owner/operator was Air Rhodesia as VP-YND.Its fate:-
Shortly after departing from Kariba Airport, Zimbabwe Rhodesia at 17:06 hours 12 February 1979 while on scheduled flight 827 to Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe Rhodesia, the Viscount was hit in the jet pipe of the No.2 Rolls-Royce Dart engine by a heat-seeking SAM-7 (Soviet 9K32 Cтрела (Arrow) Strela-2) surface-to air-missile. The port wing burst into flames and the aircraft crashed out of control into a ravine in the Vuti African Purchase area.
Fighters from Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe Peoples Revolution Army (ZIPRA) were held responsible for shooting down the aircraft.
A memorial dedicated to all those killed on this aircraft and also those who were killed during the earlier attack to VP-WAS (C/N 297) was unveiled in the gardens of the South African Voortrekker Monument at Pretoria, South Africa 2 September 2012.