Ansett-ANA Flight 325
Viscount 700 series similar to VH-TVC
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| Accident summary | |
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| Date | 30 November 1961 |
| Summary | Structural failure of wing in thunderstorm |
| Site |
Botany Bay, Australia 33°58′51″S 151°11′59″E / 33.9807°S 151.1998°E |
| Passengers | 11 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 15 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Vickers Viscount Type 720 |
| Operator | Ansett-ANA |
| Registration | VH-TVC |
| Flight origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Destination | Canberra |
 HMAS Kimbla recovers wreckage from Botany Bay
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Navy clearance divers prepare to search for the right tailplane in waters to the north of Kurnell
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Wreckage of VH-TVC laid out in a hangar.
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Photograph of VH-TVC
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Two photographs of VH-TVC in flight
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On 30 November 1961 a Vickers Viscount aircraft departed from Sydney in the evening for a flight of 128 nautical miles (237 kilometres) to Canberra. There were thunderstorms to the north and south of the airport. From about 9 minutes after takeoff the crew of Ansett-ANA Flight 325 did not respond to radio calls. The flight did not arrive at its destination and authorities received no report of a crash. Throughout the night no-one knew the fate of the aircraft or its occupants.
The next day wreckage and a fuel slick were found on the surface of Botany Bay. The aircraft had been drawn into a thunderstorm and subjected to extreme turbulence. It had broken up and crashed into Botany Bay, less than 3 statute miles from where it took off. All fifteen people on board died. The loss of Ansett-ANA Flight 325 was the first fatal accident suffered by Ansett since commencement of operations as Ansett Airways Pty Ltd in 1935.
Ansett-ANA Flight 325, a Vickers Viscount registered VH-TVC "John Oxley", took off from Sydney airport on runway 07 at 7:17 pm local time for a scheduled passenger flight to Canberra. The aircraft was being leased from Trans-Australia Airlines in exchange for a DC-6B aircraft. On board were the pilot, Stan Lindsay; co-pilot, Ben Costello; two air hostesses, Aileen Keldie and Elizabeth Hardy; and eleven passengers.
Around the time of takeoff there was a severe thunderstorm with very heavy rain to the south of the airport and another to the north. Above Sydney airport there was cloud at about 800 feet (240 m) but no thunderstorm activity. Flight 325 was observed to enter cloud shortly after take off. Five other aircraft took off while this meteorological situation existed.
Flight 325 was directed to take-off and continue heading east towards the Tasman Sea until reaching an altitude of 3,000 feet (910 m), turn around and fly west to a radio navigation aid 6 1⁄2 miles (10.5 km) west of the airport and then turn south-west for Canberra. The crew were to ensure they passed over the airport no lower than 5,000 feet (1,520 m).
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Wikipedia