Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 30 November 1961
Aircraft Type: Vickers 720 Viscount
Owner/operator: Ansett ANA
Registration Number: VH-TVC
Location: ca 5 km S of Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD) – ÿ Australia
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Component Affected: Lower spar boomLower spar boom
Category: Accident
A Ansett Viscount crashed into Botany Bay, resulting in a rapid loss of altitude and control. The aircraft experienced a structural failure due to tensile overloading of the lower spar boom, exacerbated by manoeuvre and gust loading at speeds exceeding 260 knots. This resulted in a loss of control, leading to a significant increase in speed to at least 260 knots, potentially triggering an in-flight structural failure.A Ansett Viscount crashed into Botany Bay, resulting in a rapid loss of altitude and control. The aircraft experienced a structural failure due to tensile overloading of the lower spar boom, exacerbated by manoeuvre and gust loading at speeds exceeding 260 knots. This resulted in a loss of control, leading to a significant increase in speed to at least 260 knots, potentially triggering an in-flight structural failure.

Description

The Ansett Viscount crashed into Botany Bay, nine minutes after takeoff from Sydney. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The cause of the accident was the failure in flight of the starboard outer wing in upward bending due to tensile overloading of the lower spar boom at station 323, probably induced by a combination of manoeuvre and gust loading when the speed of the aircraft was in excess of 260kts. The circumstances and available evidence carry a strong implication that the in-flight structural failure was preceded by a loss of control with a consequential increase in speed to at least 260 knots. The most probable explanation for the loss of control is that the aircraft entered an area of unexpected turbulence of such severity as to deprive the pilots of full recovery.”

Primary Cause

Tensile overloading of the lower spar boom due to manoeuvre and gust loading at speeds exceeding 260kts.Tensile overloading of the lower spar boom due to manoeuvre and gust loading at speeds exceeding 260kts.

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