VH-EBU Boeing 707-338C

VH-EBU. Boeing 707-338C. c/n 19294-550.

Was also registered as: P2-ANH; N707MB; 9Q-CDA; N707HW; OB-T-1264; B2426; G-EOCO; AF93-0597.

This aircraft was ordered new by Qantas Airways - ?

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle (Renton) - December 14, 1966

First flown at Renton as VH-EBU - February 13, 1967

Accepted by B. Langevad for Qantas Airways at Seattle (Boeing Field) - March 08, 1967

This was the 21st Boeing airliner delivered new to Qantas Airways

It was the 21st Boeing 707 delivered to Qantas

The aircraft was named 'City of Broken Hill'

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBU - March 08, 1967

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Sydney

Departed Seattle (Boeing Field) on the delivery flight to Australia - March 28, 1967

It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith - 11:35 local) on completion of the delivery flight - March 30, 1967

Delivery route: Seattle - Honolulu - Nadi - Sydney

Operated its first revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Christchurch - April 06, 1967

It was the first Qantas 707 to have the revised 'Qantas' titles applied - May 11, 1967

It was endangered by bushfires whilst on the ground at Melbourne (Avalon) during crew training - January 08, 1969

Quick actions by the aircrew and engineers saved aircraft by moving it around the airfield to escape the fires

It underwent wing life modification work with Lufthansa in Hamburg - August 1969

Operated its first freighter service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Minneapolis as QF150 - March 31, 1970

This aircraft was involved in the famous 'Mr Brown' extortion bid - May 26, 1971

It had departed Sydney (Kingsford Smith - 11:30 local) for Hong Kong as QF755 (Captain W. Selwyn)

'Mr Brown' demanded payment of $A 500,000 to reveal the location of an altitude sensitive 'bomb' on the plane

A subsequent mid-air search failed to locate any device and the aircraft diverted to Brisbane and landed safely

Two men were later arrested and jailed over this extortion attempt

It was the first Qantas Boeing 707 to appear in the new 'ochre' livery - November 04, 1971

Operated the final Qantas London (Heathrow) - New York service (Capt. K. Nicholson) as QF533 - April 01, 1973

Operated a Cyclone Tracy relief flight Darwin - Brisbane carrying 247 passengers - December 27, 1974

This uplift included 157 adults, 46 children and 44 infants

Operated a Cyclone Tracy relief flight Darwin - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) carrying 270 passengers - December 28, 1974

The aircraft was renamed 'City of Wollongong' - April 1975

It was renamed 'City of Parramatta' - July 01, 1975

Operated the inaugural Qantas Sydney - Port Moresby service as QF25 - September 18, 1975

Chartered by Prime Minister Malcom Fraser for the vist to Peking, China - June 20, 1976

Operated the inaugural Sydney - Tokyo service (Captain B. Eburn) as QF21 - November 01, 1976

Operated its final revenue service Tokyo - Sydney (Captain Z. L. Krawczyk) as QF22 - November 03, 1976

Withdrawn from use at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - November 03, 1976

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 03, 1976

The aircraft had flown 32,283 hours 14 minutes

Sold to ITEL Capital Service Corp - November 03, 1976

Leased to Air Niugini as the registered operator - November 26, 1976

Entered onto the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register as P2-ANH - November 26, 1976

Used in the training Air Niugini flight crews at Avalon, Victoria

Operated its first Air Niugini revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Port Moresby - January 02, 1977

Flew a proving flight Port Moresby - Kagoshima, Japan - January 06, 1977

Arrived Sydney (Kingsford Smith) for major overhaul by Qantas - June 03, 1979

The aircraft had flown 40,172 hours with 16,661 cycles to date

Returned to service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Port Moresby - June 30, 1979

Operated its last Air Niugini service Port Moresby - Brisbane - Sydney - September 25, 1979

Withdrawn from use at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) having flown 40,821 hours with 17,132 cycles - September 28, 1979

Returned to ITEL Capital Service Corp at the end of the lease - September 28, 1979

Advertised for sale with the asking price of $AUD 5,000,000 - November 18, 1979

Leased to Air Niugini and operated in the standard livery - December 1979

Leased to Air Niugini and operated in the standard livery - February 15 - March 28, 1980

Returned to storage at Sydney (Kingsford Smith)

Ferried Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Hong Kong for overhaul and modification by HAECO - August 10, 1980

Leased to Air Niugini as the registered operator - September 1980

Returned to ITEL in Sydney at end of lease and stored - October 08, 1980

Ferried Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Hong Kong for storage - November 1980

ITEL Corporation was placed in liquidation with a writ attached to the aircraft preventing Air Niugini using it - ?

An attempt by GATX Financial Services to purchase the aircraft failed - March 09, 1981

It was observed at Hong Kong without Air Niugini titles and logo - April 27, 1981

Sold to International Air Leases, Miami, Florida - June 14, 1981

Cancelled from the New Guinea Aircraft Register - June 15, 1981

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N707MB - June 17, 1981

It arrived at Miami for overhaul in preparation for its next lease - June 17, 1981

Leased to Arrow Air as the registered operator - June 18, 1981

Operated its first MAC passenger charter service Harrisburg - San Juan - August 29, 1981

Returned to International Air Leases at the end of the lease - September 1981

Leased to Amco - September 06, 1981

Sub-leased to Zaire Cargo and rolled out in the standard livery at Miami - September 13, 1981

Entered onto the Zaire Aircraft Register as 9Q-CDA - September 13, 1981

Registered AMCO (Airline Management & Consulting & Operations)

Ferried Miami - London (Gatwick) on delivery to Zaire Cargo - September 27, 1981

Returned to International Air Leases at the end of the lease - May 05, 1982

Cancelled from the Zaire Aircraft Register - May 1982

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N707HW - May 05, 1982

Registered to International Air Leases

Leased to Arrow Air in the basic Zaire Cargo livery - May 05, 1982

Sub-leased to APA Cargo - May 05, 1982

Returned to Arrow Air at the end of the sub-lease - December 1982

Leased to TAISA (Transportes Aereos Internacionales SA), Lima, Peru - January 1983

Entered onto the Peruvian Aircraft Register as OB-T-1264 - ?

Entered service with 'Train Cargo' titles - February 27, 1983

Returned to International Air Leases at the end of the lease - December 1984

The aircraft was placed in storage at Miami

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N707HW - January 1985

Reregistered to International Air Leases, Miami, Florida

Sold to Shanghai Airlines - July 1985

Entered onto the Chinese Aircraft Register as B2426 - ?

Ferried Miami - Shanghai on delivery to Shanghai Airlines - July 1985

The Chinese Government initially refused permission for Shanghai Airlines to operate the aircraft and it was stored

Commenced operations with Shanghai Airlines once operating approval had been granted - December 1986

Sold to Tracor Aviation, USA - November 1988

Ferried Hong Kong - Santa Barbara for engine hush-kitting and modification - November 1988

Sold to Export Air Leasing Inc, Miami, Florida - December 1988

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N707HW - ?

Sold to Comtran International Inc, San Antonio, Texas - September 20, 1989

Leased to Anglo Cargo Airlines, England - October 05, 1989

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - October 05, 1989

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-EOCO (CofR G-EOCO/R1) - October 05, 1989

Registered to Anglo Cargo Airlines, Crawley

Returned to Comtran International - February 1992

Sold to Omega Air Inc - May 1992

Sold to Grumman Aerospace for conversion to E-8C Joint-STARS - May 17, 1992

Ferried to Davis Monthan in the Anglo Cargo livery - May 181992

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - September 02, 1992

Departed Davis Monthan as '67-30053' for Lake Charles, LA for conversion to E-8C - June 17, 1993

The aircraft was re-serialled 'AF93-0597' - February 1997

Handed over to 93rd Air Control Wing, U.S.A.F. at Melbourne, Florida as AF93-0597 - November 25, 1997

Designated an E-8C P-3 (3rd Production Aircraft)

It was observed at Warner Robins AFB with the tail code 'WR' - April 28, 2001

The aircraft was badly damaged during an air-to-air refuelling accident over Qatar - March 13, 2009

The number two fuel tank ruptured in flight due to over-pressurisation causing extensive wing damage

It made a safe emergency landing at the Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar

The estimated cost to repair the damage was around $US 25,000,000

It was deemed to be uneconomical to repair and was therefore declared a 'write-off'

The cause of the accident was traced to a civilian subcontractor who inadvertently left a test plug in the fuel vent system

This occurred during programmed depot maintenance

As the aircraft was only in the air for a short period of time before the air-to-air refuelling took place it had not

burnt off enough fuel from the Number Two tank that would have allowed the 'dive flapper' valve

to open when the over-pressurisation of the fuel tank commenced

The aircraft was reported to have been broken up at Al Udeid Air Base - February 2012

VH-EBU. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - 'City of Broken Hill' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1967.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-410.)

The 'City of Broken Hill' Coat of Arms.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1950-179.)

The 'City of Broken Hill' aircraft name plaque.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1950-180.)

VH-EBU. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - 'City of Broken Hill' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1967.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-257.)

VH-EBU. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - 'City of Broken Hill' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, July 10, 1967.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-484.)

VH-EBU. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - 'City of Broken Hill' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1968.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-485.)

VH-EBU. Qantas Australia - 'City of Broken Hill' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 04, 1971.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4604-977.)