Comet Accident Investigation

Comet Accident Investigation 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
FULL SYNOPSIS

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