British European Airways Flight 706

BEA Flight 706

G-APEC at London Heathrow in 1965.
Accident summary
Date 2 October 1971 (1971-10-02)
Summary Explosive decompression, leading to structural failure and loss of control
Site Aarsele, Belgium
Passengers 55
Crew 8
Fatalities 63 (all)
Injuries (non-fatal) 1 (minor, ground)
Survivors 0
Aircraft type Vickers Vanguard
Operator British European Airways
Registration G-APEC
Flight origin London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
Destination Salzburg Airport, Austria

British European Airways Flight 706 was a scheduled flight from London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport (SZG), by Vickers Vanguard G-APEC, on 2 October 1971. Whilst en route at 19,000 ft (5,791 m), 35 minutes after takeoff,[1] the rear cabin pressure bulkhead failed. The resulting depressurisation of the tail section caused the surfaces of the tailplanes to separate, weakening them to the point that they broke off. Without a horizontal stabiliser the aircraft entered an uncontrollable dive. The aircraft crashed near Aarsele, Belgium, killing all 63 passengers and crew on impact.[2] A piece of debris from the aircraft struck a passing car, causing minor injuries to one of its occupants.

Investigators, in attempting to determine the cause of the accident, found corrosion in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead underneath plating that was bonded to the structure. The bulkhead had been eaten away. Fluid contamination, perhaps from the lavatory, was thought to have been the root cause for the corrosion.[3] The corrosion was not detectable by then-current inspection techniques. The Belgian Civil Aeronautics Administration wrote the report and the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch had accredited personnel assisting the investigation.[4]

Two notable fatalities among the passengers were the British hat designer Otto Lucas and an Austrian academic, René Marcic.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "BEA Vanguard Lost." Flight International. 7 October 1971. p. 557.
  2. ↑ "63 persons are killed in fiery air accident." United Press International (UPI) at the Wilmington Star-News. Sunday 3 October 1971. Volume 42, No. 5. One-A. Retrieved from Google News, 1 of 26, on 19 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Aviation Safety Network Aircraft accident Vickers 951 Vanguard G-APEC Aarsele
  4. ↑ "Vanguard Report Issued." Flight International. 11 January 1973. p. 51
  5. ↑ "Tail pieces found 3 miles from Belgium air crash". Bangor Daily News. UPI. 4 October 1971. Retrieved 22 September 2014.

Coordinates: 50°59′27″N 3°26′20″E / 50.99083°N 3.43889°E / 50.99083; 3.43889

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