VH-ECF. Hawker Siddeley HS-125-3B. c/n 25069.
Ordered new by Qantas Empire Airways Limited - September 08, 1964 Cost of aircraft was 1,000,000 pounds Australian Powered by Bristol Siddeley Viper 521 engines Originally built as a Series 1B aircraft but modified by Qantas to Series 3B standard Constructed at Chester and fitted out as a Boeing 707 trainer First flown at Chester - 1966 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ECF - July 08, 1966 Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Limited Accepted by Qantas at Chester - July 08, 1966 Aircraft had flown 56 hours to date Departed Hatfield on delivery flight to Australia as QF070-D102 - July 04, 1966 Arrived Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport at conclusion of delivery flight - July 08, 1966 Delivery route: Hatfield - Athens - Beirut - Bahrain - Karachi - New Delhi - Calcutta - Bangkok - Kula Lumpur - Jakarta - Denpasar - Darwin - Mount Isa - Sydney Flight crew: Captains T. Chaseling Operated first training flight Sydney - Melbourne (Avalon) - August 02, 1966 Ferried Sydney - London to compete in the BP England - Australia Air Race - December 1969 Departed London (Gatwick) at start of race - January 01, 1970 Route: London - Brindisi - Damascus - Bahrain - Karachi - Nagpur - Rangoon - Singapore - Denpasar - Meekatharra - Adelaide (Parafield) Crossed the finish line at Adelaide with elapsed flying time of 27 hours 30 minutes 29 seconds - January 02, 1970 Flew Adelaide - Sydney (Bankstown) - January 02, 1970 Total flight time: 29 hours 0 minutes 29 seconds Flight crew: Captains A. Dobson, S. Beeson, H. Faulkinar; S/O Huggett; Engineer M. Pruss Aircraft won the Executive Jet Class award Operated final training flight Sydney - Melbourne (Avalon) - Hobart - Sydney - September 29, 1972 Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport Aircraft had flown 5,290.41 hours Sold to MacAlpine Aviation, Luton, Bedfordshire, U.K. - September 20, 1972 The quoted sale price was $AUD 485,000 Arrived Luton at conclusion of ferry flight - November 28, 1972 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 28, 1972 Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-BAXI - November 1972 Sold to Denis Vanguard International Ltd (Switchgear) - 1976 Aircraft was reregistered as G-BAXL - ? Engines were upgraded to Rolls-Royce 522 Tyne Sold to Slender You (U.K.) Ltd - May 11, 1989 Aircraft was reregistered as G-OBOB - July 25, 1989 Aircraft was destroyed when it crashed into a field near US Highway 63 - January 30, 1990 Crash site was 5 kms east of Colombia Regional Airport, Montana Aircraft was on a flight from Crossville Memorial Airport, Tennessee to Kansas City (Johnson Executive), Montana 2 crew members and 1 passenger were on board at the time 1 crew member killed - 2 survivors were badly injured At the time of the crash the aircraft was on descent from Flight Level 310 when both engines flamed out Cause was attributed to an inadequate preflight inspection and water contamination in the fuel Deice fluid (methanol) was low and subsequent ice formation blocked the fuel filters Darkness was also a related factor Aircraft had flown a total of 8,720 hours Fuselage observed in existance at White Industries, Bates City - October 02, 2007 |