Incident Overview
Date: Friday 23 November 1962
Aircraft Type: Vickers 745D Viscount
Owner/operator: United Airlines
Registration Number: N7430
Location: 10 km WSW of Ellicott City, MD –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17
Component Affected: Left horizontal stabilizerLeft horizontal stabilizer
Investigating Agency: CABCAB
Category: Accident
A Viscount aircraft, flying at 6000 feet en route from Newark to Washington, struck a flock of whistling swans. Two swans were struck, with one penetrating the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer, causing damage to the elevator and leading to uncontrollable flight. The aircraft subsequently crashed into the ground in an inverted position.A Viscount aircraft, flying at 6000 feet en route from Newark to Washington, struck a flock of whistling swans. Two swans were struck, with one penetrating the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer, causing damage to the elevator and leading to uncontrollable flight. The aircraft subsequently crashed into the ground in an inverted position.
Description
The Viscount was flying at 6000 feet, en route from Newark to Washington when it penetrated a flock of whistling swans. At least two of which were struck by the aircraft. One swan, which was struck penetrated the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer and egressed from the rear surface causing damage to the elevator as it did so. This so weakened the structure that failure occurred which rendered the plane uncontrollable. The Viscount eventually struck the ground in a nose-low inverted attitude. PROBABLE CAUSE: “A loss of control following separation of the left horizontal stabilizer which had been weakened by a collision with a whistling swan.”
Primary Cause
Loss of control following separation of the left horizontal stabilizer which had been weakened by a collision with a whistling swan.Loss of control following separation of the left horizontal stabilizer which had been weakened by a collision with a whistling swan.Share on:
