Accidents and Incidents Involving the de Havilland Comet - Boac Flight 781, South African Airways Flight 201, Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 322 (Paperback)

Chapters: Boac Flight 781, South African Airways Flight 201, Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 322, British European Airways Flight 284, United Arab Airlines Flight 869. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 26. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: On 10 January 1954, British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight 781 a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 registered G-ALYP, took off from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy, en route to Heathrow Airport in London, England, on the final leg of its flight from Singapore. At about 10:00 GMT, the aircraft suffered an explosive decompression at altitude and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing everyone on board. Of the 29 passengers, 10 were children. Chester Wilmot, a prominent Australian journalist and military historian working for the BBC, was one of those killed. Gerry Bull, a former BOAC engineer, said that when he inspected the aircraft in Rome he looked for "incidental damage." He did not find any, so he believed Flight 781 was fit for flight. Bull and the same team of engineers later examined South African Airways Flight 201 before its final flight. On 10 January 1954, the flight took off at 09:34 GMT for the final stage flight to London. 31-year old Alan Gibson, who served as the captain, was one of the youngest pilots at BOAC. At about 09:50 GMT a passing BOAC Argonaut G-ALHJ was in contact with Captain Gibson. During a radio communication about weather conditions, the conversation was abruptly cut-off. The last words heard from Captain Gibson were "George How Jig, did you get my..." About this time wreckage was seen falling into the sea by a fisherman. Heathrow Airport initially listed Flight 781 as being delayed; around 1:30 PM the airport took the flight off of the arrivals board. That day's edition of The New York Times carried a piece about t...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=368627