(Belgium) SABENA @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • A DC-3-227B at Shoreham, in May 1940 A DC-3-227B at Shoreham, in May 1940
    A DC-3-227B at Shoreham, in May 1940
  • Fokker F-VIIb-3m Fokker F-VIIb-3m
    Fokker F-VIIb-3m
  • Savoia-Marchetti SM-73 Savoia-Marchetti SM-73
    Savoia-Marchetti SM-73
  • Farman Goliath Farman Goliath
    Farman Goliath
  • Sikorsky S-55 Sikorsky S-55
    Sikorsky S-55
  • DC-3D - 1949 DC-3D - 1949
    DC-3D - 1949
  • Douglas DC-3 - Libya Douglas DC-3 - Libya
    Douglas DC-3 - Libya
  • Douglas DC-7 Douglas DC-7
    Douglas DC-7
  • A Douglas DC-6 at Evere (Old Brussels Airport) A Douglas DC-6 at Evere (Old Brussels Airport)
    A Douglas DC-6 at Evere (Old Brussels Airport)
  • Fokker FVII-B-3M Fokker FVII-B-3M
    Fokker FVII-B-3M
  • Westland P1<br>Wessex GW<br>trimotor Westland P1<br>Wessex GW<br>trimotor
    Westland P1
    Wessex GW
    trimotor
  • Convair 440 Metropolitan - 1960 Convair 440 Metropolitan - 1960
    Convair 440 Metropolitan - 1960
  • Douglas DC-7C Douglas DC-7C
    Douglas DC-7C
  • Sikorsky S.58 Sikorsky S.58
    Sikorsky S.58
  • DC-6B (1955) DC-6B (1955)
    DC-6B (1955)
  • Caravelle Caravelle
    Caravelle
  • A DC-6 at Heathrow, in 1960 A DC-6 at Heathrow, in 1960
    A DC-6 at Heathrow, in 1960
  • DC-6 DC-6
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  • Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-3
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  • Douglas DC-6 Douglas DC-6
    Douglas DC-6
  • Lockheed Constellation Lockheed Constellation
    Lockheed Constellation
  • Evere (Old Brussels Airport) Evere (Old Brussels Airport)
    Evere (Old Brussels Airport)
  • McDonnell Douglas MD-11 McDonnell Douglas MD-11
    McDonnell Douglas MD-11
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    Jumbo
  • A340 - 04-2001 A340 - 04-2001
    A340 - 04-2001
  • SABENA (Bankruptcy) SABENA (Bankruptcy)
    SABENA (Bankruptcy)

SABENA

The Societé Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne, or Belgian "Anonymous Society" for Exploitation of Air Navigation, better known internationally by the acronym Sabena, was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of Sabena's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines. The airline had its corporate headquarters in the Sabena House on the grounds of Brussels Airport in Zaventem.

History

1923–1939

SABENA is short for Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne ('Belgian corporation for exploiting aerial navigation'). It began operations on 23 May 1923 as the national carrier of Belgium. It had been created by the Belgian government after its predecessor SNETA (Syndicat national pour l'étude des transports aériens) - formed in 1919 to pioneer commercial aviation in Belgium - ceased operations. The first commercial flight of Sabena was operated between Brussels and London (UK) on 1 July 1923 via Ostend. Services to Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Strasbourg (France) were launched on 1 April 1924. The Strasbourg service was extended to Basle (Switzerland) on 10 June 1924. Amsterdam (Netherlands) was added on 1 September 1924, and Hamburg (Germany) followed on 1 May 1929 via Antwerp, Düsseldorf, and Essen.

Belgian Congo

When Sabena was created, it was partly funded by Belgians in the Belgian Congo colony who lost their air service—an experimental passenger and cargo company (LARA) between Léopoldville, Lisala, and Stanleyville—a year earlier and expected the new Belgian national airline to fill this gap. On 12 February 1925, therefore, Sabena pioneered its long haul across Africa to Leopoldville, capital of the Belgian Congo. Throughout its history, Sabena had a long tradition of service to African destinations. For a long time, these were the only profitable routes served by the airline.

Sabena chose to use landplanes for its Congo operations and a program of aerodrome construction was initiated in the Congo. This was finished in 1926 and Sabena immediately began flights within the Belgian colony, the main route being Boma-Léopoldville-élisabethville, a 2,288 km (1,422 mi) route over dense jungle. First, flights were operated with De Havilland DH.50 aircraft, although these were quickly replaced with the larger Handley Page W8f airliners, which had three engines and offered ten seats.

By 1931 SABENA's fleet, including the aircraft used on the Congo network, totalled 43 aircraft. Its mainstay type was the Fokker F.VIIb with a lesser number of the smaller Fokker 7A and 14 Handley-Page types. It also used British Westland Wessex aircraft.

Sabena flew aircraft out to tropical Africa, Belgium's Congo colony, occasionally, but mostly these aircraft were shipped out. There was no direct flight yet between Belgium and its colony. As the 1930s progressed, SABENA cooperated with Air France and Deutsche Luft Hansa, which also had interests in routes to destinations across Africa.

SABENA's first long-haul flight to the Congo occurred on 12 February 1935 and took five and a half days, for which SABENA used a Fokker F.VII/3m aircraft. The following year, SABENA purchased the Savoia-Marchetti S.73 airliner. With a speed of 300 km/h (200 mph), it reduced the journey time taken to only four days, and the SABENA service ran on alternate weeks to an Air Afrique service.

Expansion in Europe

In Europe, SABENA opened services to Copenhagen and Malmö in 1931. A route to Berlin was initiated in 1932. The mainstay pre-war airliner that SABENA used in Europe, was the successful Junkers Ju-52/3m airliner. The airline's pre-war routes covered almost 6,000 km within Europe. While the Brussels Haren airport was Sabena's main base, the company also operated services from other Belgian airports, and had a domestic network that was mainly used by businessmen who wanted to be in their coastal villas for the weekend.

In 1938, the airline purchased the new Savoia-Marchetti S.83, a development of the S.73 with a speed of 435 km/h (270 mph), although it flew services at a cruising speed of about 400 km/h (250 mph).

1939–1946

At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, SABENA's fleet totalled 18 aircraft. Its mainstay fleet type was the Savoia-Marchetti S.73 airliner (it had 11 of the type) and the Junkers Ju-52/3m airliner (it had 5.) SABENA also had just taken delivery of two Douglas DC-3s.

During the war the airline managed to maintain its Belgian Congo routes, but all European services ceased.

1946–1960

After the Second World War in 1946, SABENA resumed operating a network of intra-European scheduled services. The fleet was initially consisted mainly of Douglas DC-3s (There were thousands of surplus C-47 Dakotas (the military variant of the DC-3) available to help airlines restart operations after the war.) The airline now flew under the name of SABENA - Belgian World Airlines.

SABENA started its first transatlantic route to New York City on 4 June 1946, initially using unpressurised Douglas DC-4 airliners, which were augmented and later replaced by Douglas DC-6Bs. The DC-4s, followed by the DC-6s also restarted the airline's traditional route to the Belgian Congo. SABENA were first to introduce transatlantic schedules from the North of England, when the airline's DC-6B OO-CTH inaugurated its Brussels-Manchester-New York route on 28 October 1953.

The Convair 240 was introduced in 1949 to partially replace the DC-3's that had until then flown most European services. As of 1956, improved Convair 440 "Metropolitan" twins started to replace the Convair 240 twins and were used successfully well into the 1960s across European regional destinations.

In 1957, the long-range Douglas DC-7C was introduced for long-haul routes but this plane would begin to be supplanted after only three years by the jet age. It remained in service on the transatlantic route until 1962.

On 3 June 1954, a Sabena-operated DC-3 on a cargo flight from the UK to Yugoslavia was strafed by a MiG-15, killing the radio operator and wounding both the captain and engineer. Co-pilot Douglas Wilson managed to land in Austria but the plane suffered significant damage.

For the 1958 world exposition in Brussels, Sabena leased two Lockheed Super Constellations from Seaboard World Airlines, using them mainly on transatlantic routes. In the same period, there were experiments with helicopter passenger service using Sikorsky S-58 aircraft from Brussels to Antwerp, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and the Paris heliport at Issy-les-Molineaux.

1960–1990

1960 saw the introduction of the Boeing 707-320 intercontinental jet for trans-Atlantic flights to New York. SABENA was mainland Europe's first airline to operate a jet across the Atlantic (BOAC - now British Airways - had been flying jet transatlantic services using the de Havilland Comet 4 since 4 October 1958). Tragically, one of SABENA's aircraft became the first Boeing 707 to crash while in commercial service when Flight 548 crashed while preparing to land at Brussels on 15 February 1961. The United States Figure Skating Team was aboard the aircraft, en route from New York to Prague via Brussels to compete in a figure skating championship.

Six Caravelle jetliners were introduced on all medium-haul routes in Europe from February 1961, being flown on most routes alongside the Convair 440s, until the early 1970s.

1961 also saw a major upheaval for SABENA in the Congo colony. Widespread rioting against Belgian colonials in the months leading up to, and after the independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, caused thousands of Belgians to flee the country. The Belgian government commandeered SABENA's entire long haul fleet to get the refugees back to Europe. Independence also meant the end of the impressive regional network of routes that the airline had built up in the Congo since 1924. When the new republic began its own airline, Air Congo, in June 1961, SABENA held 30 percent of that airline's shares.

The Douglas DC-6B aircraft remained in use with SABENA in the mid 1960s although they were no longer used on the airline's main routes; the Boeing 707s and Caravelles became the mainstay types during this decade.

Boeing 727-100s were introduced on important European routes from 1967 in a unique colour scheme; the fin markings incorporated bare-metal rudder and white engine colours. The only other aircraft to have its own special markings was the Douglas DC-10.

At this time Fokker F27 Friendships entered service between regional Belgian airports and European destinations such as London Heathrow.

1971 saw the introduction of the Boeing 747-100 on transatlantic routes flying alongside the Boeing 707-320Cs. SABENA, like many other trans-Atlantic airlines was satisfied with the Boeing 707s, but for commercial reasons recognised it had to buy the new Jumbo-jets for its prestige services, notably New York JFK and as of the mid-seventies, Chicago O'Hare. Sabena purchased only two first generation Jumbo-jets and continued to fly the 707 into the late 1970s.

As of 1973, the Boeing 727s on the European network were replaced by the Boeing 737-200.

The Douglas DC-10-30 entered service in 1974. In total, Sabena purchased five of these convertible (Passengers and/or freight) wide-body jets.

In 1984 Airbus A310s were introduced on routes that had high passenger-density. This aircraft type also introduced a modernisation of the 1973 Sabena livery, in which a lighter blue was used and the titles on the fuselage were in a more modern style.

In June 1986 the first of two Boeing 747-300 aircraft joined the fleet, eventually replacing the older 747-100.

In an advertisement in National Geographic June 1982 (volume 161, no. 6) Sabena was priding itself with a superior inflight service. "And unlike most European airlines Sabena still offers First Class service within Europe and all the way through." This advertisement also states that "Sabena flies to 76 destinations on 4 continents" and uses the slogan "belgian world airlines" (written with no capital letters).

In 1989 Sabena invited Belgian fashion designer Olivier Strelli to create a new range of uniforms for its cabin crew.

1990–1995

A new name, Sabena World Airlines, and colours were introduced for the 1990s. The new livery had an overall white colour and the white circle tail logo in blue on the fin. A large "Sabena" title covered the fuselage in light blue and the name "Belgian World Airlines" was at times just visible, though the title was also painted on the fuselage in small, clear letters. The 1990s saw further fleet type renewal; the DC-10-30s were replaced with twin-engined Airbus A330 and the Boeing 747s with four-engined Airbus A340.

After the liberalisation of the airline industry and the Gulf War, it became apparent that Sabena had little chances to survive on its own in this very competitive market. The Belgian government, the main shareholder of the company, began searching for a fit partner.

Sabena remained in a catastrophic financial state. Year after year, the Belgian government had to fill the losses. The government was however prevented from funding due to EU anti-state aid rules. Consecutive governments charged themselves with looking for a fit partner for the airline.

In 1989, British Airways and KLM purchased stakes in the carrier, which were sold back to the Belgian government. In 1993, Air France purchased a large minority stake in Sabena, which it sold soon after. In 1995, Swissair purchased a 49 percent stake in Sabena.

In 1993 Sabena's head office was in the Air Terminus building on Rue Cardinal Mercier in Brussels.

1995–2001

In March and April 1998 two McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 aircraft joined the fleet and long-haul destinations as Newark, Montreal and Sïo Paulo were (re)introduced.

1999 saw new colours introduced in the SABENA fleet, beginning with an Airbus A340. One of the latest fleet types that SABENA has introduced, right after the A321 and A320 is the A319 which saw service in 2000. These new planes were part of a record-order of 36 Airbuses, imposed on SABENA when under Swissair management.

After an airline recession and the effects on the airline industry of the September 11 attacks in 2001, all airlines that flew across the Atlantic suffered. Swissair had pledged to invest millions in SABENA, but failed to do so, partly because the airline had financial problems itself, having declared bankruptcy one month prior. SABENA operated its final flight on 7 November 2001. The company filed for legal protection against its creditors on 3 October, and went into liquidation on 6 November 2001. Fred Chaffart, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sabena, read a declaration on this day to explain the decision. A group of investors managed to take over Delta Air Transport, one of SABENA's subsidiaries, and transformed it into SN Brussels Airlines.

November 7, 2001, was the final day of operations for Sabena. Flight 690 from Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to Brussels via Cotonou, Benin, was the last Sabena flight to land in Brussels. An Airbus A340-300 registered as OO-SCZ operated the flight.

The Belgian Parliament formed a committee to investigate the reasons behind the bankruptcy of SABENA and the involvement of Switzerland's flag carrier. At the same time, the company's administrator investigated possible legal steps against Swissair, and its successor Swiss International Airlines.

2001–present

In 2006, the Belgian government, a former major shareholder of SABENA, filed criminal charges against the former Swissair management. The former Swissair management was condemned by the judges.

On 16 January 2007 the Belgian - Flemish news program Terzake reported that during the nineties, several members of the board were paid large sums illegally through a SABENA affiliate in Bermuda. When Paul Reutlinger became the CEO of the company, he stopped the illegal payments. The program goes on to state that this might be the explanation why the Belgian board members remained quiet when it became apparent that Swissair was exploiting SABENA and, eventually, drove the company into bankruptcy.

On December 14, 2007, Georges Jaspis, a former World War II pilot in No. 609 Squadron RAF and the SABENA pilot with the most flying hours (27,000) died. Captain Jaspis was the pilot who inaugurated the Manchester to New York service in October 1953 and who collected the first Sabena Boeing 707 and 747. He had escaped Belgium during the war and made his way to England where he joined the Royal Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was buried in Opprebais, a village south-east of Brussels on December 19, 2007. The Belgian military attended and a flypast of four F-16 jets in missing man formation was made.

Reasons for bankruptcy

The reasons for SABENA's bankruptcy are numerous. One of the direct causes was Swissair not living up to their contractual obligations and failing to inject necessary funds into the company. This was because at the time Swissair was having its own financial problems. During the so-called "Hotel agreement", signed on July 17, 2001, Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt met with Swissair boss Mario Corti, who agreed to inject €258 million into SABENA. Mr Corti had made a terrible mistake as the sum was never paid, due to Swissair's own financial problems. The purchase of 34 new Airbus planes, imposed by the Swiss, was a burden SABENA could not cope with.

After the bankruptcy, a parliamentary commission in Belgium was established to investigate the demise of the airline. The Belgian politicians got a part of the blame; Rik Daems, who, at the time, was Minister of Public Enterprises and Participations, Telecommunication and Middle Classes, received most criticism due to his lack of effort. Swissair itself went bankrupt in October of that year.

Accidents

On 7 December 1934 at least two SABENA aircraft were destroyed in a hangar fire at Evere as a result of a crash of a military Fairey Fox biplane.

Flights to or from Europe

On 10 December 1935, a Savoia-Marchetti S.73 (registered OO-AGN) crashed at Tatsfield, Surrey, United Kingdom with the loss of eleven lives.

On 16 November 1937, a Junkers Ju 52 (registered OO-AUB) crashed near Ostend, Belgium, while landing, killing all 12 people on board.

On 17 September 1946 at 01:47 local time, a Douglas C-47 (registered OO-AUR) crashed upon take-off from Haren Airfield, killing one crew member. The other two crew and four passengers on board the flight that had been bound for Croydon Airport survived the accident.

The next day, 18 September 1946, saw 27 people losing their lives when a SABENA Douglas DC-4 (OO-CBG) crashed 35 km short of Gander Airport, where the aircraft had been planned to land for a refueling stop on the flight from Brussels to New York. At the time of the accident (07:42 UTC), there was dense fog near the airport, and the pilot of the DC-4 had executed a flawed, too low approach, so that the plane hit the ground. There were 17 survivors (16 passengers and one crew).

The 19 passengers and three crew members on a flight from Brussels to London lost their lives on 2 March 1948, when the aircraft, a Douglas DC-3 registered OO-AWH, crashed at 21:14 local time upon approach of London Heathrow Airport in low visibility conditions.

On 18 December 1949 at approximately 20:30 local time, a C-47 (registered OO-AUQ) crashed near Aulnay-sous-Bois, France, killing the four passengers and four crew on board. The aircraft had just left Paris – Le Bourget Airport for a flight to Brussels, when a wing malfunction was encountered.

On 14 October 1953 at ca. 15:20 local time, a Convair CV-240 (registered OO-AWQ) crashed near Kelsterbach, West Germany, killing the 40 passengers and four crew that had been on the flight from Frankfurt to Brussels. Engine power had been lost upon take-off from Frankfurt Airport, making the aircraft impossible to control.

One passenger on board a flight from Brussels to Zurich was killed on 19 December of the same year, when the aircraft (a CV-240 registered OO-AWO) hit the ground 2.5 km short of the runway threshold of Kloten Airport at 18:55 local time. In low visibility conditions, the pilot had executed a flawed approach, which let the aircraft descend below the glidepath. The other 39 passengers and three crew members survived the accident.

On June 1954, a C-47 (registered OO-CBY) was attacked by a fighter aircraft near Maribor, Yugoslavia. The aircraft, that had been on a cargo flight from Blackbushe Airport to Belgrade, could be kept airborne, and a forced landing at Graz Airport was carried out, in which it ran off the runway. In the incident, one out of the four people on board was killed.

On 13 February 1955, the pilots of a SABENA flight from Brussels to Rome lost orientation when approaching Ciampino Airport, resulting in the aircraft involved, a Douglas DC-6 registered OO-SDB, crashing into the slope of Monte Terminillo at 18:53 local time, killing the 21 passengers and eight crew on board.

The disaster of Flight 548 with its 73 casualties marked the worst accident in the history of SABENA. It happened on 15 February 1961 at 09:05 UTC, when the aircraft (a Boeing 707 registered OO-SJB) crashed at Brussels Airport following a flight from New York City. Among the dead was the entire American delegation to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships, slated to be held in Prague; the competition was canceled in the aftermath.

On 13 July 1968, a cargo-configured 707 (registered OO-SJK) crashed upon approach of Lagos Airport on a flight from Brussels, killing the seven occupants. It was determined that the aircraft had been descending too low, so that it had struck trees.

A DC-3 registered OO-AUX (which SABENA had leased from Delta Air Transport) was damaged beyond repair in a ground accident at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on 9 May 1970. The pilots began to taxi the aircraft even though they had not been cleared to do so, which resulted in the right propeller hitting an obstacle on the ground, and debris destroying the airliner beyond economic repair.

On 8 May 1972, Flight 571 from Vienna to Tel Aviv with 101 people on board (a Boeing 707 registered OO-SJG) was hijacked by four members of the terrorist organization Black September, in order to secure the release of 315 detainees from Israeli prisons. At Ben-Gurion International Airport, two hijackers were shot and killed by the Israeli Sayeret Matkal special forces. One passenger died later of the wounds she had suffered in the shoot-out.

On 15 February 1978, a Boeing 707 (registered OO-SJE) overshot the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (Tenerife North) following a chartered holiday flight from Brussels with 189 passengers and seven crew on board. After all people could be evacuated, a fire erupted from spilled fuel, destroying the aircraft.

On 4 April of the same year at 18:07 local time, a Boeing 737-200 (registered OO-SDH) that had been on a crew training flight suffered a bird strike during landing practice at Charleroi Airport. The pilot instructor on board attempted to get the aircraft airborne again, but failed because the remaining runway length did not suffice, so that the runway was overshot, and the plane damaged beyond repair.

On 29 August 1998, Flight 542 from New York to Brussels with 248 passengers and 11 crew members on board, which was operated using an Airbus A340-200 (registered OO-SCW), suffered a broken-off right landing gear upon landing at Brussels Airport, so that the plane veered off the runway. There were no notable injuries in the ensuing evacuation, and the aircraft could be repaired.

On 13 October 2000, Flight 689 from Brussels to Abidjan was hijacked by a Nigerian national who was due to be deported. The Airbus A330-200 with 146 other passengers and 11 crew members on board was forced to land at Málaga Airport, where the perpetrator was overpowered by Spanish police forces.

On 4 Dec 2000, flight from Brussels to Bujumbura, Burundi, en route to Nairobi, Kenya, was struck by machine gun fire, as it approached Bujumbura, injuring a passenger and crew member. The Airbus A330, carrying 170 passengers and crew, was struck in an attack blamed by the government on Hutu rebels, who denied responsibility. The plane, which was due to fly on to Nairobi and return to Brussels, landed safely but did not continue the flight.

Flights in the Belgian colonies

On 1 January 1943, a Junkers Ju 52 (registered OO-AUG) crashed near Bangui in then French Equatorial Africa.

On 25 March 1944, the Ju 52 registered OO-AGU was destroyed when it crashed at Costermansville Belgian Congo, now Bukavu

Only some days later, on 3 April, another aircraft of the same type (OO-AUF) crashed nearby.

On 14 December 1945, a Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (registered OO-CAK) caught fire and was subsequently destroyed following a forced landing near Kouandé during a flight that had originated at Lagos.

On 7 January 1947, a Douglas C-47 (registered OO-CBO) crashed near Costermansville.

On 24 December 1947, a Lockheed Lodestar (OO-CAR) experienced an engine failure shortly after take-off from an airfield near Mitwaba, then French Congo, and subsequently crashed, killing the five occupants on board.

On 12 May 1948, at 11:00 local time, a DC-4 (registered OO-CBE) crashed in a thunderstorm during a scheduled passenger flight from Leopoldville to Libenge, then Belgian Congo, killing the 24 passengers and seven crew members.

Another 13 people (ten passengers, three crew) were killed on 31 August of that year, when their aircraft, a C-47 registered OO-UBL, crashed near Elizabethville on a flight from Manono, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On 27 August 1949, a Douglas C-47 (registered OO-CBK) experienced a loss of engine power shortly after take-off from Leopoldville Airport for a flight to Elizabethville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 17 passengers and three crew on board. The three crew members and two out of the seventeen passengers on board died in the ensuing crash.

On 24 July 1951, the right engine of a cargo-configured DC-3 (registered OO-CBA) caught fire upon takeoff from Gao Airfield and crashed, resulting in the loss of lives of the three persons on board.

On 4 February 1952, a C-47 (registered OO-CBA) with sixteen occupants (twelve passengers, four crew) crashed near Kikwit following the mid-air break-up of a propeller, which resulted in vital parts of the airliner being destroyed by debris. The aircraft was en route for a scheduled flight from Costermansville to Leopoldville. There were no survivors.

On 18 May 1958, a Douglas DC-7 (registered OO-SFA) suffered a problem with its leftmost engine, whilst on a flight from Lisbon to Leopoldville with 56 passengers and nine crew members. The pilots prepared for an emergency landing at Casablanca-Anfa Airport, but shortly before touch-down, a go-around was attempted, which resulted in a stall because of the missing engine power. The aircraft crashed into buildings and caught fire at 4:25 a.m. local time, from which only four passengers could be saved alive.

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    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).