| Amity Media Productions Ltd. | ||||
| `Comet Accident Investigation` -- Tape Ref. 102 | ||||
| From the F.A.S.T. Film Archive | ||||
| B&W, with commentary (poor sound quality in places), documents the landmark investigation carried out by the | ||||
| Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) 1954. | ||||
| Scene | Tape Ref | Start T/C | End T/C | Shot Description |
| 1 | 102 | 00:02:12 | 00:03:18 | Comet aircraft air-2-air flying towards camera, newspaper headline of crash at sea, titles |
| 2 | 102 | 00:03:22 | 00:03:40 | RAE gate at Farnborough, aircraft flying overhead |
| 3 | 102 | 00:03:41 | 00:04:10 | graphic map of coast of Italy where crash occurred |
| 4 | 102 | 00:04:11 | 00:05:25 | Royal Navy salvage ship recovering wreckage from the sea |
| 5 | 102 | 00:05:26 | 00:05:44 | wreckage flown back to Farnborough, aircraft landing, men off-loading Comet wreckage |
| 6 | 102 | 00:05:45 | 00:06:08 | examination & re-assembly of the wreckage |
| 7 | 102 | 00:06:08 | 00:06:18 | team of AAIB investigators at conference table |
| 8 | 102 | 00:06:18 | 00:06:34 | scientists conducting tests on structure of aircraft, fire or explosive damage, aerodynamics |
| 9 | 102 | 00:06:34 | 00:06:52 | Comet in flight, in-cockpit, flight tests |
| 10 | 102 | 00:06:53 | 00:07:11 | wreckage in hangar, identifying parts of aircraft wreckage |
| 11 | 102 | 00:07:11 | 00:07:16 | scientist examining wreckage under microscope |
| 12 | 102 | 00:07:17 | 00:07:28 | falling wreckage |
| 13 | 102 | 00:07:29 | 00:07:42 | testing metal for metal fatigue |
| 14 | 102 | 00:07:43 | 00:07:52 | engineers at drawing boards |
| 15 | 102 | 00:07:53 | 00:08:24 | building a water tank test rig to test for structural fatigue |
| 17 | 102 | 00:08:26 | 00:08:50 | wings of crashed Comet being delivered by road to Farnborough, driving thru streets of Farnborough |
| 18 | 102 | 00:08:50 | 00:09:25 | model of test rig, section of Comet wreckage assembled |
| 19 | 102 | 00:09:26 | 00:11:31 | Comet wheeled into place and put in tank test rig, tank assembled, preparing wing for testing |
| 20 | 102 | 00:11:32 | 00:12:00 | work carried on at night without a break |
| 21 | 102 | 00:12:01 | 00:12:57 | crew & staff working on getting test rig up and running |
| 22 | 102 | 00:12:57 | 00:13:05 | interior shot of fuselage |
| 23 | 102 | 00:13:05 | 00:14:44 | pressure tests, final preparations, tank filled with water, model simulates test conditions |
| 24 | 102 | 00:14:44 | 00:15:19 | tests simulating flight conditions, aerial view of Comet in water tank test rig |
| 25 | 102 | 00:15:19 | 00:15:46 | hyraulic mechanism, technicians examining aircraft |
| 26 | 102 | 00:15:47 | 00:16:35 | wreckage, graphic map of coast of Italy where crash occurred |
| 27 | 102 | 00:16:37 | 00:16:56 | re-assembled wreckage, close examination of parts |
| 28 | 102 | 00:16:57 | 00:19:46 | demo showing structural break-up of aircraft using model of Comet |
| 29 | 102 | 00:19:47 | 00:22:20 | re-assembled wreckage, close examination of parts |
| 30 | 102 | 00:22:20 | 00:22:32 | measuring sink rate & fall rate of component parts |
| 31 | 102 | 00:22:32 | 00:23:19 | re-construction of accident using aircraft models |
| 32 | 102 | 00:23:20 | 00:23:57 | conducting strength tests on various parts & sections |
| 33 | 102 | 00:23:57 | 00:25:02 | fuel tank tests, temperature tests |
| 34 | 102 | 00:25:02 | 00:25:45 | tests on control systems using flight simulator |
| 35 | 102 | 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 |
| 36 | 102 | 00:29:53 | 00:30:20 | aerial shot of Comet in water tank test rig |
| 37 | 102 | 00:30:20 | 00:30:57 | evidence of metal fatigue which caused crash |
| 38 | 102 | 00:30:57 | 00:32:51 | laboratory fatigue tests on materials, model & wreckage showing where structure failures occurred |
| 39 | 102 | 00:32:52 | 00:33:21 | Comet Board of Enquiry members visit Farnborough to see how the investigation was carried out |
| 40 | 102 | 00:33:22 | 00:33:40 | Comet in flight, air-to-air, end titles |