Early Access - BOAC Flight 712 (Patreon)

Lonely Courageous Action - The Tragedy of Speedbird 712

Disaster Breakdown - BOAC Flight 712 References and Additional Notes Susan Ottaway's "Fire Over Heathrow": Join my Patreon to support the channel further. All Patrons get Early Access to all new videos before they go out publicly: https://www.patreon.com/c/DisasterBreakdown Twitter: https://x.com/Chloe_HowieCB BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chloehowie.bsky.social Chapters Heathrow Airport, Monday April 8th, 1968. It’s a fine spring afternoon in London. The sun is shining, the skies only partly cloudy. Still a cool temperature of 10 degrees Celsius with a very light breeze from the Southwest. Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the entire world. Countless numbers of planes come and go every day. Well-wishers gather at the observation deck to catch a glimpse of the birds. One of those spectators that day was 22-year-old Coleen Mahon. She had been at Heathrow Airport to see off some friends. Sometime after 4pm, she swings by Terminal 2 to watch the planes. The airport is noticeably quiet, or at least there’s no movement of the planes. Those on final approach are flying away. From the corner of the South side of the airport, a plane does emerge into view. Much to the shock of those on the Observation Deck, it’s on fire. Coleen pulls out her camera snapping this photograph of the burning plane as it reaches the airport. Stunned bystanders can only watch as the plane slowly comes to a halt, only for it to explode with a thundering roar. Within seconds the machine lays hallowed, burnt out in a raging inferno. How did this happen? Well behind BOAC Flight 712 is both a simple explanation and a fatally complicated series of events that while terrifying, is often remember for the incredible achievements of the crew and the brave courageous efforts of one lone Flight Attendant. #aviation