G-APEC, the aircraft involved in the accident, a few weeks prior
Accident
Date
2 October 1971 (1971-10-02)
Summary
Explosive decompression, leading to structural failure and loss of control
Site
Aarsele, Belgium
Total fatalities
63 (on the aircraft)
Total injuries
1 (on the ground)
Aircraft
Aircraft type
Vickers Vanguard
Operator
British European Airways
Registration
G-APEC
Flight origin
Heathrow Airport, London, UK
Destination
Salzburg Airport, Austria
Occupants
63
Passengers
55
Crew
8
Fatalities
63
Survivors
0
Ground casualties
Ground injuries
1
British European Airways Flight 706 (BE706/BEA706) was a scheduled international passenger flight from United Kingdom to Salzburg, Austria. On 2 October 1971, whilst en route at 19,000 feet (5,791 m),[1] the Vickers Vanguard suffered a failure with its rear cabin pressure bulkhead. The resulting depressurisation of the tail section caused the surfaces of the tailplanes to separate. The aircraft entered an uncontrollable dive and 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.
United Kingdom AAIB concluded that the failure of the rear pressure bulkhead had been caused by undetected corrosion located at the rear of the aircraft.[3] The corrosion couldn't be noticed by crew due to the inspection technique that had been applied by BEA. Numerous pressurization cycles caused the crack to grow, weakening the rear pressure bulkhead until the structure was unable to withstand further repeated stress.[4]
^"BEA Vanguard Lost." Flight International. 7 October 1971. p. 557.
^"63 persons are killed in fiery air accident". Star-News. Vol. 42, no. 5. United Press International. 3 October 1971. pp. 1A. Retrieved 19 May 2014 – via Google News.
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