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UK - Comet Accident Investigation - min [26 January 1954]

B&W, with commentary (poor sound quality in places), documents the landmark investigation carried out by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) 1954.

 
  

00:02:12 00:03:18 Comet aircraft air-2-air flying towards camera, newspaper headline of crash at sea, titles

00:03:22 00:03:40 RAE gate at Farnborough, aircraft flying overhead

00:03:41 00:04:10 graphic map of coast of Italy where crash occurred

00:04:11 00:05:25 Royal Navy salvage ship recovering wreckage from the sea

00:05:26 00:05:44 wreckage flown back to Farnborough, aircraft landing, men off-loading Comet wreckage

00:05:45 00:06:08 examination & re-assembly of the wreckage

00:06:08 00:06:18 team of AAIB investigators at conference table

00:06:18 00:06:34 scientists conducting tests on structure of aircraft, fire or explosive damage, aerodynamics

00:06:34 00:06:52 Comet in flight, in-cockpit, flight tests

00:06:53 00:07:11 wreckage in hangar, identifying parts of aircraft wreckage

00:07:11 00:07:16 scientist examining wreckage under microscope

00:07:17 00:07:28 falling wreckage

00:07:29 00:07:42 testing metal for metal fatigue

00:07:43 00:07:52 engineers at drawing boards

00:07:53 00:08:24 building a water tank test rig to test for structural fatigue

00:08:26 00:08:50 wings of crashed Comet being delivered by road to Farnborough, driving thru streets of Farnborough

00:08:50 00:09:25 model of test rig, section of Comet wreckage assembled

00:09:26 00:11:31 Comet wheeled into place and put in tank test rig, tank assembled, preparing wing for testing

00:11:32 00:12:00 work carried on at night without a break

00:12:01 00:12:57 crew & staff working on getting test rig up and running

00:12:57 00:13:05 interior shot of fuselage

00:13:05 00:14:44 pressure tests, final preparations, tank filled with water, model simulates test conditions

00:14:44 00:15:19 tests simulating flight conditions, aerial view of Comet in water tank test rig

00:15:19 00:15:46 hyraulic mechanism, technicians examining aircraft

00:15:47 00:16:35 wreckage, graphic map of coast of Italy where crash occurred

00:16:37 00:16:56 re-assembled wreckage, close examination of parts

00:16:57 00:19:46 demo showing structural break-up of aircraft using model of Comet

00:19:47 00:22:20 re-assembled wreckage, close examination of parts

00:22:20 00:22:32 measuring sink rate & fall rate of component parts

00:22:32 00:23:19 re-construction of accident using aircraft models

00:23:20 00:23:57 conducting strength tests on various parts & sections

00:23:57 00:25:02 fuel tank tests, temperature tests

00:25:02 00:25:45 tests on control systems using flight simulator

00:25:45 00:29:52 series of flight tests, flight crew boarding aircraft, in-cockpit, wearing oxygen masks, take-off, air-to-air shots of Comet

00:29:53 00:30:20 aerial shot of Comet in water tank test rig

00:30:20 00:30:57 evidence of metal fatigue which caused crash

00:30:57 00:32:51 laboratory fatigue tests on materials, model & wreckage showing where structure failures occurred

00:32:52 00:33:21 Comet Board of Enquiry members visit Farnborough to see how the investigation was carried out

00:33:22 00:33:40 Comet in flight, air-to-air, end titles
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