The Hindu : dated January 20, 1954: Comets Resume Flying

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - This Day That Age

dated January 20, 1954: Comets Resume Flying

`A ban had been imposed on flights by Comet jet airliners in the wake of the Comet crash with a loss of 35 lives off Elba. The crash was felt to be due to an explosion in mid-air which destroyed the plane. The prohibition of Comets taking to the air was lifted on the 18th, but no plane of the fleet was to be put into passenger operations until a bolt-by-bolt inspection of every Comet had been completed. Sir Miles Thomas, Chairman of BOAC, the main airline flying the Comets, visited the jetliner's hangars located in London airport, probably inquiring into reports of lack of adequate security measures. A London reporter said earlier, that he had been able to tour the whole airfield on the 17th, without anybody even asking him for identification. Meanwhile BOAC's Sales Manager in Lebanon, Mr. L. Bennet, had a talk with the Lebanese Director of Civil Aviation of Beirut. The meeting was held on a direction given by Lebanon's President, Mr. Camille Chamoun. After the talks, Mr. Bennet said, "Sabotage of the plane is a possibility, but not yet an established fact. It is, therefore, unfair to suggest a possibility of sabotage done at Beirut airport. If sabotage had indeed occurred, there is no question of singling out any particular station on the Comet's route. It could have happened at any one of the places where the flight had stopped."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Miscellaneous

News Update

Stories in this Section

Cartoon

The Hindu Crossword 7884

Solution to puzzle 7883

True path to God-realisation

dated January 20, 1954: India And Ceylon

dated January 20, 1954: Comets Resume Flying

dated January 20, 1954: Honour For Mountbattens

Weather