Flight and Disaster
Gerry Bull and other BOAC engineers examined the aircraft for Flight 201. Previously the same team examined BOAC Flight 781(a Comet that broke up at altitude in that January) prior to its final flight.
Flying as SA201, Yoke Yoke took off from London for Rome at 13:00 UTC on Thursday 7 April 1954, on the first leg southwards to Johannesburg, arriving at Rome approximately two and a half hours later, at 17:35 UTC. On arrival at Rome engineers discovered some minor faults, including a faulty fuel gauge and 30 loose bolts on the left wing, which delayed the aircraft's departure by some 25 hours before Yoke Yoke was ready to depart for Cairo on the evening of Thursday 8 April.
The aircraft took off for Cairo at 18:32 UTC under the command of Captain William Mostert, and climbed rapidly towards its cruising height of 35,000 feet (11,000 m). The crew reported over the Ostia Beacon at 18:37 UTC, passing through the altitude of 7,000 feet (2,100 m). The weather was good, but with an overcast sky.
Another report was made by the aircraft, first at 18:49 UTC at Ponza, where it reported climbing through 11,600 feet (3,500 m) and another at 18:57 UTC when it reported passing abeam of Naples. At 19:07 UTC, while still climbing, the aircraft contacted Cairo on the long range HF radio and reported an ETA of 21:02 UTC.
This was the last message heard from Yoke Yoke, as sometime after, aircraft disintegrated in the night sky at around 35,000 feet (11,000 m), killing everyone on board.
After repeated attempts at re-gaining contact by both Cairo and Rome were made, it was realised that another Comet had been lost. Initial news of the accident was leaked to the press by a German radio station which had been monitoring the radio transmissions.
Three days after the incident, The New York Times carried a piece covering the event.
| “ | Britain today weighed the cost of a stunning blow to her proudest pioneer industry - jet civil aviation - as the crash of another Comet airliner was confirmed. Twenty-one persons, including three Americans, were believed to have died when the plane was lost in the Mediterranean. The discovery of at least six bodies and bits of wreckage floating in the sea about 70 miles (110 km) south of Naples put a pall on the last hopes for the British Overseas Airways Corporation craft, missing since 6:57 o'clock last night.
Tonight the Minister of Transport, A. T. Lennox-Boyd withdrew from all Comets the certificate of airworthiness that the aircraft won on Jan. 20, 1952, 'pending further detailed investigations into the causes of the recent disasters.' This second, unexplained Comet crash in three months came less than three weeks after the sleek four-jet de Haviland airliner had been restored to commercial service with about 60 safety modifications. They had been grounded for 10 weeks since the previous Comet crash Jan. 10 into the Mediterranean near the island of Elba with 35 dead. Early today they were grounded again. Sir Miles Thomas, chairman of the airline, said the new crash was 'a very great tragedy and a major setback for British civil aviation.' |
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—The New York Times, April 10, 1954 |
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Bull said that he felt difficulty accepting the fact that the same circumstances that occurred with the BOAC flight occurred with the South African Airways flight.
Read more about this topic: South African Airways Flight 201
Famous quotes containing the words flight and, flight and/or disaster:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Bertrans De Born (fl. 12th century)
“When disaster waves, I try not to wave back.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)