VH-RMI Vickers V.832 Viscount
II
(c/n 416)
VH-RMI
flew its first Ansett service in March 1959. Whilst
operating flight AN149 from
Mt.
Isa to Brisbane via Longreach on 22 September 1966 Capts. K. Cooper and
J. Gillam
reported a fire in the # 2 (port)
engine as a result of cabin pressurization blower failure. This
quickly spread to the port wing
fuel tank resulting in failure of the port wing spar. The aircraft
broke up in the air as it was
descending into Winton, Qld. and crashed at Nadjayamba Station
killing all four crew
members and 20 passengers. Greg Banfield's representative
photos of
this doomed airline were both taken at Mascot:
(above), in March 1961 and (below), depart-
ing the airport in 1965 and
now sporting the V tail logo. Finally, at the foot of the page is
an
image from the CAHS
collection showing -RMI in yet another variation of the tail markings
employed by Ansett-ANA.