Three minutes after take-off on board Helios Flight 522 the Captain reported a fault to ground control at Larnaca airport: there was a problem with the plane’s cooling system. It seemed minor. ibid.
The F-16 pilots had seen that all passengers on board were wearing their oxygen masks before the crash. ibid.
With so many alarms and warning lights going off in the cockpits why did the pilots continue the journey? ibid.
If everyone on board had succumbed to oxygen starvation, then who were the two people seen in the cockpit? ... The crew list reveals one very strong candidate – the 25-year-old flight attendant ... Andreas was a man obsessed with flying ... These two young flight attendants were trying to save the plane. ibid.
But for air safety expert Kim O’Neill that’s [hypoxia] only part of the answer ... To find the answer Kim decides to investigate previous pressurisation incidents on board 737s ... The loss of pressure was caused by a burnt wire ... The main wire and the back-up run through the same loop ... Helios employees reported a burning smell on Flight 522 only days before the crash ... Even though the plane had lost pressure, all the instruments in the cockpit still looked normal ... Starved of oxygen, the pilots would have become increasingly confused ... This wiring problem with the 737 was highlighted in a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch [2003] ... Kim’s discovery highlights a potential fatal design flaw. ibid.
May 6th 1937: the Hindenburg exploded in flames. It is the most iconic air crash in history. And its cause remains unknown. What Destroyed the Hindenburg? Channel 4 2013
35 passengers and crew died in the inferno. ibid.
The first Zeppelin airship took to the skies above Germany in 1900. ibid.
To build the Hindenburg, the Zeppelin company had to be bankrolled by the Nazi government. ibid.
Theory 1: Sabotage Bomb: The explosive detonation matches the start of the Hindenburg fire. ibid.
No-one has ever found the cause of the leak ... The Hindenburg was tail-heavy for at least eight minutes. ibid.
Theory 2: Static Spark: When the landing ropes hit the wet ground the airframe became earthed as did the skin where it touched the frame. ibid.
The Germans had painted the Hindenburg with the ingredients of rocket fuel. ibid.
St Elmo’s Fire: if the Hindenburg was leaking hydrogen through its air vents, the flammable gas could hit the St Elmo’s Fire on the fin. ibid.
Ventilation Theory: was the ventilation system the Hindenburg’s Achilles’ heel? ibid.
She became charged up in a massive electric storm ... leaked hydrogen into the ventilation ... landing ropes earthing the airship ... St Elmo’s fire appears on the tail: leaking hydrogen hit the flames. ibid.
The end of the Hindenburg meant the end of the age of the airship. ibid.
Everglades near Miami Florida 11th May 1996: ‘I am fishing out at Everglades Park and a large jet aircraft has just crashed out here.’ Crash Files: Valujet Flight 592, 911 call, Discovery 2002
105 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots. ibid.
Paris France July 25 2000: Aircraft impact with Terrain Air France Flight 4590. Crash Files: Concorde, caption
Reports from the control tower were that the Concorde was on fire before it left the ground. ibid.
There had been 57 cases of tyre blow-outs on the Concorde. ibid.
June 1st 2009: Air France flight 447 is en route from Rio to Paris. Then the plane vanishes over the Atlantic. Aviation experts are baffled. Fatal Flight 447: Chaos in the Cockpit, Channel 4 2012
Co-pilot Bonin: ‘I have the impression that we’ve got some kind of crazy speed.’ ibid.
The plane was in one piece when it hit the water. ibid.
Veteran pilot Dubois recognises the bright flashes as St Elmo’s fire. ibid.
Minutes after Captain Dubois leaves the flight deck the weather deteriorates. ibid.
A sharp chlorine-like smell spreads through the cockpit. ibid.
The alarm warns the crew that the auto-pilot has shut down. ibid.
Co-pilot Bonin: ‘Fucking hell I’m not controlling the aircraft!’ ibid.
Once upon a time travelling on an aircraft was like floating on cloud nine. Come Fly With Me (The Story of Pan Am), BBC 2012
For more than half a century Pan American Airways was the symbol of airline superiority worldwide. It took us into the jet age. ibid.
Together Lindbergh and Trippe secured access to exotic new destinations across central and south America ... Trippe called his new planes clippers. ibid.
World War II changed everything. Pam Am clippers were stripped, camouflaged and pressed into service. ibid.
The age of the great flying boats was over. A new era in air travel was about to take off. ibid.
Comet Inquiry: after a series of terrible accidents the [BOAC] Comet was grounded. ibid.
The 747 began service in January 1970. ibid.
Pan Am also played an important role in the Vietnam War. ibid.
The final blow came in December 1988 when Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York exploded in mid-air over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. ibid.
In January 1991 the airline that had once ruled the skies declared bankruptcy. ibid.
US-Soviet crisis over jumbo jet: Airliner shot down with 269 on board, says [George] Shultz. The Times September 1983
Henry Jones: I didn’t know you could fly a plane!
Indiana Jones: Fly – yes, land – no. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989 starring Harrison Ford & River Phoenix & Sean Connery & Alex Hyde-White & Alison Doody & Denholm Elliott & John Rhys-Davies & Julian Glover & Michael Byrne & Robert Eddison & Alexei Sayle et al, director Steven Spielberg
Rendair: The Ultimate Low Cost Airline. Cartoon, cited Taking Liberties
It’s been determined that based on ... inappropriate photographs in a Delta uniform on a website that ... we’re going to terminate your employment. Delta Airlines
The News Parade: Amelia Earhart Lost! Famous aviatrix vanished while attempting to girdle globe. Castle Films
You are also reminded that any inappropriate remarks or jokes concerning security may result in your arrest. Airport Sign