Is Technology too Out-of-Date? (Kazakhstan Airlines 1907 & Saudi Arabian Airlines 763)

Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907

Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763

12 November 1996

It was the end of the year. Every goes on holidays on this term. It was also some people returning to Jeddah like people who got on  Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763. They were just preparing a few things for a flight that started at New Delhi International Airport. It was a good evening, very good for a smooth flight. One of the controllers on duty that time was V.K. Dutta who was responsible for both Kazakhstan Airlines 1907 and Saudi Airlines 763. He was a senior air traffic controller so he is usual in handling so many flights.

"Saudi 763. You are cleared for take off as requested by you, over. Have a good flight. I will guide you from here, over and out" said Dutta during the take off permission. So, there we had a huge Boeing 747 that was on a long journey back to Saudi Arabia. After that, came a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin IL-76 that took off a few minutes before the Saudi jet. So there we go a journey that they will never return from. The Saudi started there first request that was asking to climb to 10,000 feet. "Roger Saudi 763, you're cleared for flight level 100. Please give extra info every few minutes please? We have limited radar at Delhi, over." said the controller to 763. They followed every single instruction given by the air traffic controller. 

At that time, the Kazakh plane was at 23,000 feet and they want to descend further to 15,000 feet. Dutta which was on that time allowed the jet to descend further with one option that was always look for upcoming traffic and always give reports every few minutes. This is just the first part that caused the planes to crash. Then, the controller said to them that he wants reports of their position and height. The Kazakh crew made a report and then followed by the Saudi jet. Not long afterwards, "Saudi Airlines 763 here. Requesting to descend to flight level 140, over" said captain of flight 763. He gave permission and then asked them to hold request of further climbing as they were almost near the Kazakh jet.

He also said to look for the Kazakh plane which was heading to the opposite position they were moving. They followed the order and started looking for the Kazakh jet. Suddenly, an unsual thing happen. BOOOMMMM!!! A collion occured and finally resulting a plane crash. All 346 passengers died on board both jets. How could the planes collide in mid-air??? Well this is how it happened. As further investigations took place,  they found out that the Saudi jet did not keep a steady altitude at 14,000 feet. And the Kazakh crew saw them, but it was too late to do anything that time. 

The only last words recorded in the Saudi cockpit recorder was this, "Ashadualla Illa Ha Illalah Muhammada Rasullah". How golden was these words that were said by the crew before death. After that, all 346 lives, 346 hopes and 346 dreams were destroyed and extinguished in just a few seconds. This made much changes to the aviation indutry in India mostly and caused a major change in aviation history.

Because of a human... (Pan Am 1736 & KLM 4805)

The Photo of Pan American Airways Flight 1736

The photo of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 4805

27 March 1977

Next to the shores of Africa, the small green islands floating on warm seas. The two small island mentioned were united and called the Canary Islands. Mostly, people will go here to enjoy the 

sunny beaches. The passengers on Pan Am 1736 and KLM 4805 though they were on their way to paradise but on this case they were on the road to hell.  

It began on a Sunday afternoon as Pan Am flight 1736 took off from Los Angeles Airport on their way to Gran Canaria. KLM flight 4805 was half an hour behind them so that is why the KLM landed earlier at Tenerife. The story of why they were redirected to Tenerife was the Gran Canaria Airport was closed after a bomb exploded. "Pan American flight 1736, the airport is closed. Redirect to Tenerife via 13 VOR" said the Gran Canaria controller on duty. "Gran Canaria, can we circle around the airport until it reopens? We have another 2 hours a fuel left with us. Please give us permission, over" questioned Captain Grubbs to the controller. "Negative. I repeat the airport is closed. please redirect to Los Rodeos via 13 VOR." said the contoller. Without further hesitation, the Pan Am pilot followed orders and redirect itself to Los Rodeos Airport.

The controller then informed the KLM crew and it was proved to be bad news to Captain Yaakub (Jacob) Veldhuyzen Van Zanten and the crew on board as KLM can only allow minimum stopovers during flights and limits in flying or so called "Flight regulations". So the crew were forced and cannot hesitate about the redirection to Los Rodeos. Then, here is the first caused of this disaster. Its because of a terrorist bomb, many people died. Now, at Tenerife, the KLM landed first and then followed by the Pan Am. The people on the KLM are brought to the terminal while the Pan Am passegers were forced to stay in the cabin because to fully passenger packed terminal. This decision made all the passengers on board so unhappy since they were trapped in there for almost 9 hours. For almost 2 hours, the airport then reopened and the Pan Am and KLM were forced to wait for the other aircrafts there to take off first. They were further delayed because of the decision of Van Zanten to refuel there.

For 3 hours on the tarmac, finally they were ready for take off. The KLM started to go down the runway while followed by the Pan Am. This formation was called "back track". Since Los Rodeos had only one runway that time, the planes were forced to follow behind each other. The plan is the KLM will stop at the end of the runway and the Pan Am will use the exits to give way for the KLM to take off and then followed by them. At that time, the airport started to go into a foggy condition and this usually would happen everyday. As the KLM reached and turned onto the runway (facing the Pan Am), he said, "Ok. Were in position now...(The powering of the engines were heard)" suddenly Van Zanten 's co pilot said, "Wait! We dont have any Air Traffic Control clearance!". "Go ahead, ask for it now, genius." said Van Zanten again. Suddenly, when the co-pilot was informing take off clearance from the controller, he said, "We're going!".  The engines were powered up and the rumbled down the runway.

The Pan Am that time was just approaching the exit and about to turn off the runway. When Grubbs saw the lights of the KLM speeding towards him, he screamed, "Look at that! God damn it! That son-of-a-bitch is coming straight at us!!!". He applied full throttle and tried to get off the runway. The last words from Van Zanten was, "God, damn.". He pulled up to avoid the Pan Am plane which nearing them. Fatally, the plan did not work. the KLM slammed into the Pan Am resulting the first class of the Pan Am to be destroyed. Then, it continued to fly for 500 meters and slammed itself onto the ground resulting a fireball. All the passengers on the KLM died while 61 people including the cockpit crew of the Pan Am survived. After the investigation, they made different reports according to the countries involved. The American investigators blamed Van Zanten for the crash, the Spanish also blamed Van Zanten and the Dutch blamed Air Traffic Control at Los Rodeos.

The Remains of KLM 4805(After collision)

The remains of Pan Am 1736 (After collision)

BOAC Flight 781 (Explosion Over the Mediterranian)

January 1952
British Overseas Airways Corperation Flight 781 was on it's way to London when suddenly, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the British-made De Havilland DHC106 Comet crashed at sea. All British people were stunned of this crash as one of the worst commercial aviation crashes ever happened to Britain. How could this newly manufactured aircraft suddenly crash at sea? In this blog, you will know why it happen....

It started on a beautiful sunny morning in Singapore as Flight 781 went for a quick stop before heading to London in the UK. The jet was an original British-made De Havilland DHC106 Comet. It was the best that the company had. It's famous for its 4 ghost engines which is categorized as new style as much that Boeing and Douglas (that time) can make were just large propeller powered aircraft. It was also the time of the fading of World War II (WWII) so some enemy countries are trying to make a new business relationship together. One of those leading countries were Britain. This became a new icon in aviation history (at that time).

It was a sunny day and BOAC 781 was having final preperations before the takeoff to London. "It was in good shape when I inspected the aircraft. It had no fatigue cracks that are so serious at all. I just can't believe why I sign the jet in shape for takeoff. I never though that this crash could happen in just a few hours...." said Jerry Bull, one of the senior BOAC Engineers who inspected the aircraft that time. He said that he met the crew of the flight during luggage transfer at the tarmac. Both pilots were still young and have a long life journey... but what can we say about it... accidents happen anyway.

After all the inspections were done, it was time for flight 781 to takeoff. It would be taking off the last time and will never come back and no one on board knew that they would never make it to London. "Yoke Peter! Yoke Peter! Please continue your takeoff after the Arganot in front of you..." said the controller. "Affirmative... Yoke Peter out." replied flight 781. The plane took off afterwards and confirmed to fly above the Mediterranean Seas to reach London. So, this could be one of the most stupidest decision that the crew ever did that makes the difficulty to all the investigators. This fact has made a change to all the parts of the investigation mostly the difficulty to solve the case.

They then decided to chat along with the Arganot in front of them which was slowly going to be passed by them. "George Peter what's your status now?" "Status is clear in front of us Yoke Peter. A clear blue sky as we say" " Roger George Peter." "Yoke Peter, do you have any reports behind us?" "Negative George Peter, we...(cut-off and sudden lost of transmission)" "Yoke Peter. Yoke Peter, do you copy? Yoke Peter? Come in please." said the Arganot pilots. The pilots quickly informed Air Traffic Control about the sudden lost of transmission. The controllers could not believe the tragedy happened  and quickly tried to make contact with the missing Comet. Unfortunately, they must accept that flight 781 had crashed.

The grim of reporting to the families of the dead start at that moment. Much people cried hearing the news from BOAC airport staff. Families are gripped to their knees when first hearing about the death of their loved ones on board. Now, the investigation takes place after informing the families. This task will be a tough egg to crack as technology back then were so very antic and not even used in the 21st century. We usually use crash simulators to estimate what happens during a crash time. For the investigators, its going to take more than a year to solve this mysterious disaster. it going to take more than 25 members to make this investigation a sucess and also takes patients and precious time to get everything right.

They then start to come up with so many theories that may some look logical by mind and some others were not so supported. One of the first theories to be though by the investigators were active sabotage. They think that an active sabotage occurred in the flight by terrorist countries or enemy countries. They believe that this could be a payback mode from another country towards Britain. This theory was mostly supported by them but they can't just skip to the conclusion. So, they started doing some very in tense research to confirm the theory. Sadly, much of them who though of it were so wrong and was so out of what really happened. They did not find any data of the passegers that make any awkwardness for the crash and also did not find any sign of a bomb explosion on board the flight.

The investigators were back to square one. As searching for more theories, they found out one theory that made a break through to the investigators. The started to build a huge water tank which was so deep to sink a De Havilland Comet skin. This project took months to complete but all those hard work paid off. They sunk the Comet and then made several water pressure test to make a simulation as if the plane would be flying. A one moment, they found the full break they'd been looking for. The aircraft skin crack after a few thousand cycles and collapsed underneath the frame of the windows causing a huge hole on the aircraft.

After that, they went to a conclusion. The De Haviland Comet had crashed at sea because of manufacturing defect. It was a weakness in the creation of the aircraft skin that caused the crash. It gave a huge loss of life and creates danger to whoever gets on a De Havilland Comet. Since then, all the designs of the windows on every Comet and they decided to change the type of metal used to build the frame of the aircraft. Unfortunately, the Comet became an unfamous icon after this tragedy and Douglas and Boeing rule the industry of aviation. Now, Airbus and Boeing are the most competitive rivals in the history of commercial aviation.