Fire Over Heathrow: the Tragedy of Flight 712 by Susan Ottaway

Fire Over Heathrow: the Tragedy of Flight 712 by Susan Ottaway

One and a half minutes after take-off on the clear and sunny afternoon of 8 April 1968, the Number 2 engine of BOAC Boeing 707 G-ARWE broke away from its mounting pylon and fell, tumbling in flames. Captain Cliff Taylor managed an extremely smooth touchdown about 400 yards beyond the Heathrow runway threshold and the aircraft came to a stop 1,400 yards further along the runway. The cabin crew had the doors open and passengers began escaping from the starboard over-wing exit and then via chutes at the forward and rear galley doors. Several explosions occurred and the port wing fell off, the resulting blast hurling flaming debris over the side of the aircraft. The rear escape chute was damaged by the fire and burst but, of the 126 people aboard, most of the 121 survivors had escaped before the arrival of the main fire and rescue services. Thirty-eight people received treatment for injuries and five, including stewardess Barbara Jane Harrison, were overcome by heat and fumes and died aboard G-ARWE. For her bravery in trying to rescue the remaining passengers on that day Jane Harrison was awarded the George Cross.

Susan Ottaway has always been fascinated by planes, literature, and twentieth-century history. She worked for four different airlines during a twenty-year span, mostly in the UK but also in Germany and Australia, and before leaving the industry, she authored her first book, a biography of Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC. She has now written seven other books, including the critically praised Fly with the Stars, a history of British South American Airways, co-authored with her brother Ian Ottaway, and the bestselling Sisters, Secrets, and Sacrifice, the story of Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, who were Special Operations Executive agents during WWII. Sarah and Nick live in Hampshire with their dog and three pets.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781844157396
ISBN 10	1844157393
Title	Fire Over Heathrow: the Tragedy of Flight 712
Author	Susan Ottaway
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2008-07-20
Number of pages	180
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.