THAI plane accident: Eyewitness accounts

[techboy]

"I suspected something was wrong with the wheels and, looking back, I saw smoke with fire engines spraying water onto the plane …

... and decorators hastily painting the fuselage.

I abhor clichés. However "Simple minds, simple entertainment."

[trainman34014]

I was the senior steward on a domestic flight from LHR to Belfast some time in 1963. The flight was pretty bumpy most of the way and we arrived at Nutts Corner to be greeted by a torrential downpour. The aircraft skidded off the runway some time after we had landed. It is a fair assumption that the aircraft was subject to acquplaning. When the aircraft came to a halt I ordered an emergency evacuation and the main doors at the front and rear on the port side were opened and the escape chutes activated. I called out that there was no reason to panic and that no items of hand baggage were to be taken. I manned the forr'd exit and two stewardesses manned the after door. Two passengers tried to push past and I restrained them and forcibly took their hand baggage from them. I estimated that we had cleared the aircraft of 132 passengers in about 3 minutes. Just as the last passenger was propelled through the door the Captain emerged from the flight deck and was about to tell me that there was no need to evacuate to find himself looking at a very empty passenger cabin. The Vickers Vanguard was hub deep in mud and had to be dug out.

The poor passengers were all soaked to the skin and had to wade in ankle deep mud to the terminal buildings. I should imagine that there were some pretty hefty claims for ruined clothes and footwear, with few quid added for inconvenience and discomfort. Still, better safe than sorry. Certainly my prompt action did my career with BEA no harm.

This was in the early 60's and maybe the regulations have changed since but then it was mandated that there had to be one licenced cabin staff member per 50 passengers. Why it is thought necessary to have 14 cabin staff on this Thai flight is beyond my understanding but it would make sense if some left the aircraft first to assist those following. In my day a cabin staff of 4 served pre-prandial drinks, served dinner and found time to sell duty free goods to 132 passengers on a trip from LHR to Le Bourget, the flight time being no more than one hour.

I wonder if we every met ? I loved those Vanguards and the Viscounts too that BEA flew; real flying IMO and i flew the route you were on many times. Happy to say i wasn't on the flight you particularly mentioned but have had a good few hairy moments in jet aircraft down the years since. I really miss the old Piston Engined slow motion flying; one of my greatest thrills was a flight on a 'Super Conny' in the States.

[Bpuumike]

I was the senior steward on a domestic flight from LHR to Belfast some time in 1963. The flight was pretty bumpy most of the way and we arrived at Nutts Corner to be greeted by a torrential downpour. The aircraft skidded off the runway some time after we had landed. It is a fair assumption that the aircraft was subject to acquplaning. When the aircraft came to a halt I ordered an emergency evacuation and the main doors at the front and rear on the port side were opened and the escape chutes activated. I called out that there was no reason to panic and that no items of hand baggage were to be taken. I manned the forr'd exit and two stewardesses manned the after door. Two passengers tried to push past and I restrained them and forcibly took their hand baggage from them. I estimated that we had cleared the aircraft of 132 passengers in about 3 minutes. Just as the last passenger was propelled through the door the Captain emerged from the flight deck and was about to tell me that there was no need to evacuate to find himself looking at a very empty passenger cabin. The Vickers Vanguard was hub deep in mud and had to be dug out.

The poor passengers were all soaked to the skin and had to wade in ankle deep mud to the terminal buildings. I should imagine that there were some pretty hefty claims for ruined clothes and footwear, with few quid added for inconvenience and discomfort. Still, better safe than sorry. Certainly my prompt action did my career with BEA no harm.

This was in the early 60's and maybe the regulations have changed since but then it was mandated that there had to be one licenced cabin staff member per 50 passengers. Why it is thought necessary to have 14 cabin staff on this Thai flight is beyond my understanding but it would make sense if some left the aircraft first to assist those following. In my day a cabin staff of 4 served pre-prandial drinks, served dinner and found time to sell duty free goods to 132 passengers on a trip from LHR to Le Bourget, the flight time being no more than one hour.

I wonder if we every met ? I loved those Vanguards and the Viscounts too that BEA flew; real flying IMO and i flew the route you were on many times. Happy to say i wasn't on the flight you particularly mentioned but have had a good few hairy moments in jet aircraft down the years since. I really miss the old Piston Engined slow motion flying; one of my greatest thrills was a flight on a 'Super Conny' in the States.

Nah, can't beat the DC3.