Vickers Viscount question

[Gilles Hudicourt]

I have a question for those who remember working on the Vickers Viscount.

On Nov 1 1958 a Cubana Viscount doing a flight from Miami to Varadero was hijacked. The five hijackers demanded that the aircraft fly to an improvised airstrip in Eastern Cuba where the aircraft was unable to land, after which it tried to land on the airstrip of a sugar plant. The aircraft ran out of fuel on short final, crashed in the Bay of Nipe at night and most people on board died, although there were a few survivors.

So here is my question. It was claimed by the survivors, that the hijackers, who were all dressed in civilian clothes and unarmed at take off, were able, in flight, to recover their arms and uniforms from some "floor compartments".

Does anyone remember if the Viscount had traps that allowed access to the holds from the main passenger cabin or does anyone have any theory to what "floor compartments" those weapons might have been recovered from ? Or was the main baggage hold located in the cabin ?

[Antique Pilot]

There was a luggage/cargo compartment ar the rear of the cabin. It was immediately to the right of the rear cabin door. Quite large with easy access. Not sure what is meant by floor access panels...possibly panels in the cockpit floor to get below.
AP

[Antique Pilot]

I have been in touch with a friend who has been working on the Viscount at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg. He says that there are 2 access panels in the aisle below the carpet. The forward one will get you into the forward cargo compartment. The other panel is to access the batteries. So there is definitely access to the cargo areas from the cabin.
AP

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Thank you very much Antique Pilot.......so the survivor's story is possible.

[Siddley Hawker]

Here ya go.
http://www.vickersviscount.net/Pages_Hi ... ijack.aspx

[Antique Pilot]

Good stuff.
The forward panel is at row 5. Rear panel at or about row 10.

AP

[Gilles Hudicourt]

There is also a Spanish book about it I am now reading.

http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2015/ ... o_reyes_ep