ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 27178
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| Date: | Wednesday 11 October 1933 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Vickers Viastra II |
| Owner/operator: | West Australia Airways |
| Registration: | VH-UOM |
| MSN: | 2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 12 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Redcliffe, Perth, WA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Maylands, Perth, Western Australia |
| Adelaide-Parafield, SA (ADL/YPAD) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
This Vickers Viastra II was one of two imported by West Australian Airways in 1930-31. The other was VH-UOO. They were built at Vickers' Supermarine Works at Southampton. A third was ordered but not accepted.
Based on experience gained with the first machine, VH-UOM's construction differed in several respects: the gauge of the wing skin panels was increased due to buffeting from the slipstream, the tailwheel tracking was improved and triplex safety-glass windows replaced the original panels which had proved unsatisfactory.
VH-UOM was shipped to Fremantle, arriving on 29 September 1931. During assembly at Maylands it had a searchlight fitted for night landings. Officially registered as VH-UOM on 8 October 1931. In WAA airline service the Viastra had an unhappy career, suffering numerous engine failures, mostly caused by the gearing of their Bristol Jupiter XIs.
Combinations of different Jupiter engine models and propellers, including 4 bladed propellers from RAAF Wapitis were tested. In addition, the leading edge wing slots caused problems, and the type suffered many forced landings. They were known at the time as the Vickers "Disasters".
After a run of forced landings across the Nullabor Plain between Perth and Adelaide, VH-UOM's career came to an abrupt halt on 11 October 1933 when, soon after taking off from Maylands, a Jupiter engine seized and the wooden prop splintered, resulting in a forced landing in a market garden in the Perth suburb of Redcliffe.
The aircraft was being flown by veteran Captain Harry Baker with 11 passengers bound for Kalgoorlie and Adelaide. The aircraft was a complete write off but the hardy passengers set off again for Adelaide a few hours later in a DH.66, with the same pilot Harry "Cannonball" Baker.
Sources:
1. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-UOM.html
2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-148259345/view
3. http://www.ozaviation.com.au/PastAirlines/WesternAustralianAirways/WesternAustAirways.html
4. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-198-viastra-ii-redcliffe
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-U.html
6. https://email.ipage.com/index.php/15-aeroplanes/84-register-australia
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 26-Jun-2010 09:40 | penguin832 | Updated [Aircraft type, Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 07-Apr-2014 20:11 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 08-May-2014 01:06 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Damage] |
| 15-Jul-2020 11:46 | Sergey L. | Updated [Source] |
| 07-Jun-2022 19:14 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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