Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 2 October 1971
Aircraft Type: Vickers 951 Vanguard
Owner/operator: British European Airways – BEA
Registration Number: G-APEC
Location: 1 km E of Aarsele – ÿ Belgium
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 63 / Occupants: 63
Component Affected: Rear pressure bulkheadRear pressure bulkhead
Investigating Agency: AIBAIB
Category: Accident
A Vanguard aircraft experienced a catastrophic accident en route from London to Salzburg. The rear pressure bulkhead ruptured, triggering a severe decompression and subsequent loss of control. The aircraft spiraled downward, resulting in a crash in a field adjacent to a highway. Corrosion was found in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead, indicating a significant degradation of the bonding material.A Vanguard aircraft experienced a catastrophic accident en route from London to Salzburg. The rear pressure bulkhead ruptured, triggering a severe decompression and subsequent loss of control. The aircraft spiraled downward, resulting in a crash in a field adjacent to a highway. Corrosion was found in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead, indicating a significant degradation of the bonding material.

Description

En route from London (LHR) to Salzburg (SZG) at an altitude 19000 feet the rear pressure bulkhead ruptured. An explosive decompression of the fuselage occurred, causing serious interior damage and severe distortion of upper tailplane skin attachments. The tail surfaces subsequently detached, causing the airplane to enter a steep dive. The Vanguard spiraled down out of control and crashed in a field next to a highway. During the investigation corrosion was found in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead underneath plating that was bonded to the structure. The bond was completely delaminated in this area and the bulkhead material literally eaten away. Fluid contamination, perhaps from the lavatory, was thought to have been the root cause for the corrosion. CAUSE: “The accident was caused by the rupture of the rear pressure bulkhead, which led to the separation both tailplanes in flight and caused the aircraft to dive into the ground.”

Primary Cause

Rupture of the rear pressure bulkhead.Rupture of the rear pressure bulkhead.

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