This aircraft was ordered new by Boullioun Aviation Services

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle - November 1996

First flown as 'B-18676' - December 06, 1996

Powered by CFMI CFM-56-3C1 engines

Accepted by Boullioun Aviation Services at Seattle (Boeing Field) - December 19, 1996

Entered onto the Taiwanese Aircraft Register as B-18676 - ?

Registered to Boullioun Aviation Services

Leased to China Airlines of Taiwan as the registered operator

Returned to Boullioun Aviation Services at the end of the lease - December 10, 1998

Entered onto the Irish Aircraft Register as EI-TVB - December 10, 1998

Registered to Boullioun Aviation Services

Leased to Virgin Express Ireland as the registered operator

In service with Virgin Express Ireland - December 1998

Operated its last Virgin Express Ireland service Brussels - Milan (Linate) - Brussels - January 26, 2001

Ferried Brussels - Dublin for maintenance - January 27, 2001

Ferried Dublin - East Midland for repainting in preparation for its next lease - February 11, 2001

Cancelled from the Irish Aircraft Register - February 15, 2001

Leased to Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Ltd

It was observed at East Midlands in the standard Virgin Blue Australia livery as 'VH-VGE' - February 15, 2001

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-VGE - February 16, 2001

Registered to Boullioun Aviation Services

Leased to Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Ltd as the registered operator

Departed East Midlands on the ferry flight to Australia - February 16, 2001

Arrived Brisbane on completion of the ferry flight - February 19, 2001

Ferry route: East Midlands - Izmir - Muscat - Bangalore - Kuala Lumpur (Subang) - Broome - Brisbane

Operated the inaugural Virgin Blue Brisbane - Canberra service as DJ560 - July 12, 2001

Operated its final revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Brisbane as DJ253 - February 10, 2003

Departed Brisbane on return to the lessor as DJ9081 - February 16, 2003

Arrived Belgium aon completion of the ferry flight - February 18, 2003

Ferry route: Brisbane - Darwin - Kuala Lumpur (Subang) - Bangalore - Muscat - Cairo - Brussels

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 20, 2003

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-VES - February 20, 2003

Registered to Boullioun Aviation Services

Leased to Virgin Express Airways, Belgium as the registered operator

In service with Virgin Express Brussels - Milan (Linate) - Brussels - March 04, 2003

Virgin Express and SN Brussels Airlines merged to form Brussels Airlines - March 25, 2007

It was observed at Lisbon in the new Brussels Airlines livery as OO-VES - May 18, 2007

Operated its inal revenue service Brussels - Malaga - Brussels as SN3737 / 3738 - August 17, 2012

Ferried Brussels - Southend on return to the lessor and end-of-lease maintenance as BEL9901 - August 20, 2012

Ferried Brussels - Miami for freighter conversion - November 10, 2012

Stored at Miami awaiting conversion to freighter configuration

Cancelled from the Belgian Aircraft Register - November 2012

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N493AC - November 20, 2012

Registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee, Salt Lake City

Ferried Miami - Oklahoma City - Moses Lake for storage following freighter conversion - April 27, 2013

The aircraft is now designated a Boeing 737-43QSF

Ferried Moses Lake - Everett (Paine Field) - July 14, 2013

It was observed at Everett (Paine Field) in the standard Ethopian Airlines Cargo livery - August 13, 2013

Test flown at Everett (Paine Field) as N493AC - August 29, 2013

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - September 04, 2013

Entered onto the Ethiopian Aircraft Register as ET-AQV - September 04, 2013

Departed Everett (Paine Field) as ETH9201 on the ferry flight to Italy - September 06, 2013

Arrived Rome (Fiumicino) on completion of the ferry flight - September 10, 2013

Ferry route: Everett - Winnipeg - Goose Bay - Keflavik - Rome

The aircraft was damaged beyond repair whilst landing at Accra Airport - January 10, 2015

It was operated the service Lome - Accra as KP4016

On landing the aircraft veered to the right departing the runway and spun 180 degrees

The landing gear, nose section and right wing all sustained subtantial damage

The starboard engine was torn off the wing and ended up in front of the aircraft

The three crew members were uninjured but the aircraft was considered to be a write-off

To view further information regarding this accident please click 'HERE'

VH-VGE. Virgin Blue - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, September 2001.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-187.)

VH-VGE. Virgin Blue - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 2002.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4620-478.)

VH-VGE. Virgin Blue - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 2002.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4620-554.)

OO-VES. Virgin Express - in the standard 'Virgin Blue' livery at Geneva Airport, July 2003.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-261.)