On 24 January
1967 DCA's HS.125-1B VH-CAO was landed wheels-up at Avalon, Vic., whilst on a training detail. The pilots, two Examiners
of Airmen, were performing a flapless landing and became distracted
by the need to give way to a departing Mirage.
The aircraft skidded to a halt on the runway and a fire broke out in the rear fuselage due to leaking fuel. The fire was quickly extinguished by the Airport Fire Service and there were no injuries.
In the photo below, the aircraft is removed from the runway while an accident investigator documents the damage.
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The aircraft was, however, extensively damaged and it was taken by truck to Hawker de Havilland at Bankstown for repairs, arriving on 25 February (above). During the repair process, the opportunity was taken to replace the orignal Viper 521s with increased-thrust Viper 522s as the aircraft was considered somewhat underpowered with the original engines. The aircraft thus became an HS.125-3B.
While VH-CAO was being repaired, DCA chartered Qantas Empire Airways' HS.125 VH-ECE to replace it. VH-ECE was one of two HS.125s operated by QEA for training Boeing 707 crews. VH-ECE arrived at DCA's Essendon base on 6 March 1967.
VH-CAO returned to Essendon from Bankstown on 25 July 1967.
(Photos: all CAHS collection except - 2nd from top - The Sun / 5th from top - Roger McDonald)
< Click on the image at left to read an account of VH-CAO's accident from DCA's Aviation Safety Digest No 51, July 1967.
This is a 1 MB .pdf file!
To read more about the cover photo of issue #51 of the Digest, click here.
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