VR-NAD crashed en route from Enugu to Calabar with
the loss of the four crew and nine passengers. Structural
failure had caused the port wing to separate and the type
was withdrawn from service pending full investigation and
remedial work. In a hammer blow, just two days after the
grounding WAAC was ordered to suspend flights by the
recalcitrant Doves for modifications.
A sole Douglas DC-3 was procured to cover for the Bristol
170s following the crash and for several weeks this single
aircraft maintained some semblance of a schedule for WAAC.
Desperately short of capacity, four more DC-3s and a Vickers
Viking were quickly pressed in to service to cover the shortfall,
while the Heron order was increased to eight.
Once Heron deliveries commenced in early 1956 the leased
aircraft were phased out and the two Wayfarers returned to
Army service. The rugged and dependable 22-seat DC-3s
proved their worth over WAAC’s demanding route network
and offered the ideal capacity – midway between the outsized
Bristol 170s and the Doves. Seven DC-3s were acquired in
1957 to operate alongside the Herons and the last Wayfarers left
the fleet around the same time. Meanwhile, the Dove fleet was
reduced to just two examples – one chartered to the Nigerian
government for survey work and the other adopting an executive
charter layout.
The eight Herons quickly settled in to their new role, steadily
increasing capacity and frequency as they were worked harder.
However, WAAC still produced an operating loss for the year.
The DC-3s restored confidence in the safety and reliability of
air travel, enabling WAAC to gradually increase its fares and to
develop a strateg y of offering a minimum of one daily round trip
on most of its routes. Some of WAAC’s routes were effectively
public services and the airline received subsidies from theA pre-delivery shot
of three DH Herons
in formation. In the
middle is VR-NCD,
which would be
delivered to WAAC
in December 1955
and later served with
successor Nigeria
Airways. It joined
Itavia in 1960 but
crashed later that
year at Mount
Capanne, Elba.
A ’
C Originally to be
called British West
African Airways,
WAAC operated First
Class Stratocruisers
and Tourist Class
Argonauts to London
in conjunction with
BOAC. The huge
Boeings were operated
in conjunction with
BOAC in a modif ied
livery, with f light crew
taken from BOAC
and cabin crew taken
from both BOAC
a n d WA AC.
A ’
C 22 AIRLINER Classics 2018
ONLY Lagos and Kano, equipped with
VHF and DME, were well set up for
night f lying