__NOTOC__ The 1957 Aqaba Valetta accident happened on 17 April 1957 when a twin-engined Vickers Valetta C.1 transport aircraft,

serial number A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it. Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...

''VW832'', of 84 Squadron,

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

crashed and was destroyed after departing from

Aqaba Airport Aqaba Airport ❲also known as King Hussein Int'l Airport ❳ ( ar, مطارالملك الحسين الدولي) is an airport located in the vicinity of Industrial City (Aqaba International Industrial Estate – ), northern suburb of Aqaba in ...

in Jordan following wing failure due to turbulence. The crash is the deadliest air disaster in the history of Jordan.

Accident

The Valetta was returning British Army troops from Jordan to the United Kingdom following the end of the Anglo-Jordanian Treaty. The Valetta had three crew and most of the 24 passengers were from the

10th Royal Hussars The 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 11th Hussars (Prince A ...

. The aircraft departed Aqaba at 10:23, bound for a stop at Mafraq Airport in North Jordan and then

RAF Habbaniya Royal Air Force Habbaniya, more commonly known as RAF Habbaniya ( ar, قاعدة الحبانية الجوية), (originally RAF Dhibban), was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniyah, about west of Baghdad in modern-day Iraq, on the banks of the E ...

in Iraq. At about 10:30 the aircraft hit turbulence causing the wing to fail, the aircraft spun into the ground 20 miles North North West of Aqaba, it burned and was destroyed killing all on board. The bodies were returned to

and were buried with full military honours in the RAF/CWGC cemetery on 27 April 1957.RAF Form 540 AIR29/1320 The National Archives, Kew, London. The bodies lie in Plot 5 Row B Graves 1–7. The personnel who died were 3 RAF crew, 18 10th Hussars troops, 5 REME soldiers and 1 Army Catering Corps soldier.

Investigation

The Board of Inquiry found ''the accident was due to the failure of the port main spar of the outer wing which had resulted in the disintegration of the wing round the fracture and damage to the rear fuselage and tail''. The board also said it found that spar failure was due to over-stressing and they suggested this was due to the extreme air turbulence which was known to have existed in the area at the time. The board said they had found no sign of a fatigue failure.

References

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aqaba Valetta accident Aviation accidents and incidents in 1957 Aviation accidents and incidents in Jordan Accidents and incidents involving the Vickers Valetta Accidents and incidents involving Royal Air Force aircraft