Incident Overview

Date: Monday 18 January 1960
Aircraft Type: Vickers 745D Viscount
Owner/operator: Capital Airlines
Registration Number: N7462
Location: 11 km ENE of Charles City, VA – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 50 / Occupants: 50
Component Affected: Engine ice protection systemsEngine ice protection systems
Investigating Agency: CABCAB
Category: Accident
A Viscount aircraft, en route from Washington to Norfolk, experienced a catastrophic crash due to a delayed arming of engine ice protection systems in icing conditions. The aircraft failed both engines, resulting in a rapid dive and impact with trees. The crew attempted to manually restart the engines, ultimately restarting engine 4, which triggered a circling descent and subsequent crash.A Viscount aircraft, en route from Washington to Norfolk, experienced a catastrophic crash due to a delayed arming of engine ice protection systems in icing conditions. The aircraft failed both engines, resulting in a rapid dive and impact with trees. The crew attempted to manually restart the engines, ultimately restarting engine 4, which triggered a circling descent and subsequent crash.

Description

En route from Washington to Norfolk at an altitude of 8000 feet in icing conditions, two engines failed. While descending to a lower altitude, the remaining two engines also failed and the propellers autofeathered. The crew tried to restart the engines and put the aircraft into a dive trying to drive the propellers out of the feathered position as they were not able to unfeather them normally. Eventually they managed to restart engine no. 4. Applying full power to this engine caused the Viscount to enter a circling descent until it crashed into trees with almost no forward velocity. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The accident was attributed to the delayed arming of the engine ice protection systems while flying in icy conditions, resulting in the loss of engine power and attendant electrical energy required to unfeather propellers and relight sufficient engines to maintain flight.”

Primary Cause

Delayed arming of engine ice protection systems while flying in icy conditions.Delayed arming of engine ice protection systems while flying in icy conditions.

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