Hunting Air Travel

Vickers Viking

While cruising at an altitude of 1,040 meters about 65 km south of Palermo in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the north slope of Mt La Cinta. The crash site was reached by the rescuers three days later and all 31 occupants have been killed. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and an engine and a wing were found about 800 meters from the main wreckage.

Vickers Viking

At 1610LT, the aircraft took off for Bovingdon, UK, while on a regular schedule flight from Gibraltar. On throttling down to initial climbing speed, at a height of 50 meters the pilot noted that the speed of the port engine was rapidly decreasing. He shut off this engine and feathered the propeller, opening the starboard engine full out. He then became aware that the aircraft could not maintain its safety speed without losing height and decided to make a wheels up landing on an open space south of the aerodrome. The aircraft slid along the ground for about 100 meters, slewed around and came to a standstill. The copilot was injured, however, the remaining four crew members and twenty-six passengers were unharmed.