No Bottom Prior to 1963. And the Crash of Swissair Flight 306.
The Postcard
A Comic Series postcard published by Bamforth & Co. Ltd. of Holmfirth, Yorkshire. The artwork was by Taylor, and the card was printed in England.
The card was posted in Plymouth on Tuesday the 3rd. September 1963 to:
Reg, Fred and Dot,
c/o James Blackford,
Scrapyard,
Fifth Road,
Newbury,
Berks.
The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:
"3/9/63.
Dear All,
Having a marvellous time,
the weather is pretty good
with very little rain.
On Sunday we went for a
sea trip from Plymouth to
Looe and back.
There was a bar on the
boat so we were all right.
Yesterday we went to
Paignton which is where
we got the card, and today
we went on the Hoe.
Love John".
The Crash of Swissair Flight 306
So what else happened on the day that John posted the card to Reg, Fred and Dot?
Not a great deal else of interest happened, but on the following day, the 4th. September 1963, all 74 passengers and 6 crew on board Swissair Flight 306, a Caravelle jet airliner on its way to Rome via Geneva were killed when the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from Zürich. The crash was the result of an in-flight fire leading to hydraulic failure and loss of control.
(a) The Crash
Zürich Airport was in dense fog when the plane was due to take off at 06:00. At 06:04 the flight was allowed to taxi to runway 34 behind an escorting vehicle. At 06:05 the crew reported that they would taxi halfway down runway 34 to inspect the fog and then return to the take off point. This was done using high engine power in order to disperse the fog. Around 06:12 the aircraft returned to runway 34 and was allowed to take off, which it did 06:13, and started to climb to flight level 150, its cruising height.
Four minutes later people on the ground noticed a white trail of smoke coming from the left side of the aircraft. Shortly after, a long flame erupted from the left wing. Around 06:20 the aircraft reached a height of about 2700 m. At 06:21 a MAYDAY message was issued. The aircraft then began to descend, entering a gentle left turn before losing height more quickly. It then went into a final, steep dive.
At 06:22 the aircraft crashed into the ground on the outskirts of Dürrenäsch, approximately 35 km from Zürich Airport.
(b) Probable Cause of the Crash
The subsequent investigation determined that the aircraft's brakes had overheated due to the application of full engine power during taxiing. This caused the magnesium wheels to burst, one of them on the runway prior to departure.
Upon retraction of the landing gear, the hydraulic lines in the gear bay were damaged. This was caused either by the wheels that had exploded, or the bursting of the other wheel rims during the climb.
Subsequently, spilled hydraulic fluid ignited when it came in contact with the overheated landing gear rims. The fire damaged the gear bay, followed by the wing. Finally losing its hydraulic pressure, the aircraft became impossible to control.
The cabin and the cockpit were filled with smoke, adding to the predicament of the crew. Control of the aircraft was lost totally at around 06:18, and the ensuing final dive and impact destroyed the aircraft.
(c) Safety Modifications Resulting From the Crash
As a result of this accident, all Caravelles were modified to use non-flammable hydraulic fluids.
(d) Casualties and Aftermath of the Crash
The crash severely affected the small village of Humlikon in the Canton of Zürich: 43 of its 217 citizens (20% of the population) had boarded the plane to visit a farm test site near Geneva.
Among those who perished were the entire local council, all members of the local school board, and the village's post office clerk. A number of children who were orphaned were looked after at home by relatives. There were 74 Swiss nationals on board as well as two Americans (one dual citizenship with Iran), one Briton, one Egyptian, one Israeli, and one passenger either from Belgium or Austria.
Further problems arose with the upkeep of the local farms, but people from the nearby villages helped. Apprentices came from local firms, students, firemen, soldiers, boy scouts, railroad workers and policemen, as well as volunteer school children, and even from abroad to help. Approximately 600 tons of potatoes were harvested manually, corn was threshed and the new crop seeds were sown in time. Just over a month after the crash, a new council was elected by the 52 remaining eligible voters in Humlikon.
No Bottom Prior to 1963. And the Crash of Swissair Flight 306.
The Postcard
A Comic Series postcard published by Bamforth & Co. Ltd. of Holmfirth, Yorkshire. The artwork was by Taylor, and the card was printed in England.
The card was posted in Plymouth on Tuesday the 3rd. September 1963 to:
Reg, Fred and Dot,
c/o James Blackford,
Scrapyard,
Fifth Road,
Newbury,
Berks.
The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:
"3/9/63.
Dear All,
Having a marvellous time,
the weather is pretty good
with very little rain.
On Sunday we went for a
sea trip from Plymouth to
Looe and back.
There was a bar on the
boat so we were all right.
Yesterday we went to
Paignton which is where
we got the card, and today
we went on the Hoe.
Love John".
The Crash of Swissair Flight 306
So what else happened on the day that John posted the card to Reg, Fred and Dot?
Not a great deal else of interest happened, but on the following day, the 4th. September 1963, all 74 passengers and 6 crew on board Swissair Flight 306, a Caravelle jet airliner on its way to Rome via Geneva were killed when the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from Zürich. The crash was the result of an in-flight fire leading to hydraulic failure and loss of control.
(a) The Crash
Zürich Airport was in dense fog when the plane was due to take off at 06:00. At 06:04 the flight was allowed to taxi to runway 34 behind an escorting vehicle. At 06:05 the crew reported that they would taxi halfway down runway 34 to inspect the fog and then return to the take off point. This was done using high engine power in order to disperse the fog. Around 06:12 the aircraft returned to runway 34 and was allowed to take off, which it did 06:13, and started to climb to flight level 150, its cruising height.
Four minutes later people on the ground noticed a white trail of smoke coming from the left side of the aircraft. Shortly after, a long flame erupted from the left wing. Around 06:20 the aircraft reached a height of about 2700 m. At 06:21 a MAYDAY message was issued. The aircraft then began to descend, entering a gentle left turn before losing height more quickly. It then went into a final, steep dive.
At 06:22 the aircraft crashed into the ground on the outskirts of Dürrenäsch, approximately 35 km from Zürich Airport.
(b) Probable Cause of the Crash
The subsequent investigation determined that the aircraft's brakes had overheated due to the application of full engine power during taxiing. This caused the magnesium wheels to burst, one of them on the runway prior to departure.
Upon retraction of the landing gear, the hydraulic lines in the gear bay were damaged. This was caused either by the wheels that had exploded, or the bursting of the other wheel rims during the climb.
Subsequently, spilled hydraulic fluid ignited when it came in contact with the overheated landing gear rims. The fire damaged the gear bay, followed by the wing. Finally losing its hydraulic pressure, the aircraft became impossible to control.
The cabin and the cockpit were filled with smoke, adding to the predicament of the crew. Control of the aircraft was lost totally at around 06:18, and the ensuing final dive and impact destroyed the aircraft.
(c) Safety Modifications Resulting From the Crash
As a result of this accident, all Caravelles were modified to use non-flammable hydraulic fluids.
(d) Casualties and Aftermath of the Crash
The crash severely affected the small village of Humlikon in the Canton of Zürich: 43 of its 217 citizens (20% of the population) had boarded the plane to visit a farm test site near Geneva.
Among those who perished were the entire local council, all members of the local school board, and the village's post office clerk. A number of children who were orphaned were looked after at home by relatives. There were 74 Swiss nationals on board as well as two Americans (one dual citizenship with Iran), one Briton, one Egyptian, one Israeli, and one passenger either from Belgium or Austria.
Further problems arose with the upkeep of the local farms, but people from the nearby villages helped. Apprentices came from local firms, students, firemen, soldiers, boy scouts, railroad workers and policemen, as well as volunteer school children, and even from abroad to help. Approximately 600 tons of potatoes were harvested manually, corn was threshed and the new crop seeds were sown in time. Just over a month after the crash, a new council was elected by the 52 remaining eligible voters in Humlikon.