DC3 Bombing

Aden Airways DC3 registered VR-AAN was destroyed on 22nd November 1966 at 1220 HRS. 30 persons were killed including the crew, Graham McGlashan and Ahmed Khan, an Indo Arab (i.e. Muslim Indian paternal line, Arab maternal line), both of Shell Oil Company, Major Tim Goschen, the Assistant Adviser at Wahidi, and Amir Mohammed bin Said the Prime Minister of Wahidi.

The aircraft  was enroute to Khormaksar from the hill town of Maifa’ah, the capital of the Federation State of Wahidi, when it crashed into the desert at Wadi Rabta, near Ahwar, 20 minutes after taking off. VR-AAN had made contact with Air Traffic Control during the climb but failed to make a scheduled report an hour later.

Vic Spencer, Chief Pilot of Aden Airways flew out from Khormaksar to search for the overdue aircraft. He located the wreckage and made a difficult landing alongside it. Many of the bodies were strewn around, but the pilot, a friend of Vic's, was still trapped in the cockpit. Using an axe and a jemmy he freed the body and carried it, with the other dead aircrew, back to Aden.

It was found that the crash was caused by detonation of an explosive device placed in an Aden Airways cabin bag in the cabin, on the port side, just above the wing. Though terrorism was suspected an investigation showed that the bomb had been placed by 'Ali, the son of Amir Mohammed bin Said, who wanted to prematurely succeed him as Amir.  Bin Said's son, 'Ali, was described as a nasty piece of work, but a wimp, compared to his evil, but charming, old father who had ruled Wahidi with a rod of iron on behalf of the actual Sultan.

The ill-fated VR-AAN taxying at Khormaksar June 1962
Image courtesy Ray Deacon

"There was a 'flash' message on my desk to say that an Aden Airways Dakota was missing on a flight from the EAP (which worried my mother in London). In fact the aircraft had been on a flight from Maifa’ah in Wahidi and it had been sabotaged by an explosive device placed in a holdall under someone's seat. On board was old bin Sa’id, the state secretary, and Tim Goschen the Assistant Adviser (Wahidi), who had only been coming to Aden for a break to attend a social gathering. Eye witnesses on the ground described a violent explosion: the tail came off and then the nose, and the remains went into a spin from 6,000 feet. It crashed not far from Ahwar. Bodies (in bits) and luggage were scattered over a wide area. Robin had the ghastly job of identifying what remained of Tim."                            Michael Crouch

Diary excerpt of Mrs Viner courtesy of her son, Richard Viner

Following this incident many FRA soldiers boarding FRA-chartered aircraft were upset as their baggage was liable to search, especially if they were carrying it for someone else. The FRA soldiers viewed the searches as an affront to their integrity and it took some effort by the Arab officers to convince the more simple tribesmen that there were other Arabs who would think nothing of planting a bomb in a small case.