VH-RMQ      Vickers 720C Viscount                                      (c/n  45)

                              

                                     This was originally TAA's VH-TVB delivered in late 1954, and sold to Ansett in October 1962
                                     becoming VH-RMQ..  Greg Banfield's shot of it (above) was taken at Mascot in July 1964.  It
                                     was leased to MacRobertson Miller Airlines in September, 1968 who renamed it 'Quininup'. On
                                     New Year's Eve (31 Dec 1968) the aircraft was operating flight 1750 which departed Perth at
                                     08:29 for a flight to Port Hedland. The flight climbed to FL190, encountering light to moderate
                                     turbulence.   The last radio contact was at 11:34 when the crew reported 30 DME south of Port
                                     Hedland, descending from 7000 feet. The aircraft was seen to descend rapidly and steeply a little
                                     later. The wreckage was found 28 miles from Port Hedland.  Probable cause of the accident was
                                     given as "fatigue endurance of the starboard inner main spar lower boom being substantially
                                     reduced by the insertion of a flared bush at station 143 when the margin of safety associated with
                                     the retirement life specified for such booms did not ensure that this boom would achieve its retire-
                                     ment life in the presence of such a defect."   Translation:  The starboard wing fell off due to improper
                                     maintenance/inspection of the main spar.      All 21 passengers and the crew of 5 were killed.