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One of the engine is kept at a mechanic's garage in Poste De Flacq, Mauritius. If anyone is visiting Mauritius and want to see it, you can travel to Poste De Flacq and ask for directions. There's also a monument at Belle Mare beach to pay tribute to the lost lives.
Great Video, where did you find the cvr recordings? One thing thou: 12:49 Lithium Ion Batterys have been invented just in 1985 they existed only as lab products till the early 1990s when sony provided the first comercialy aviable product. But short circuits can happen with any Battery , probably it whould have been NiCd back then...
This is by far the best channel about airplane accients. Your videos are much better than what we can watch on television and i also like the way how you tell the informations. It'S all calm and filled with information, not like most others that just try to be hysterical af to make it more intense.
I worked as a pilot for SAA at this time. There were a lot of unexplained “missing“ documents regarding the cargo carried (manifests and bills of lading), as well as missing recordings between the flight and the airline’s long distance communications platform, ZUR. Duty personnel both in Johannesburg and Taipei were either promoted to posts well beyond their skills levels or, on leaving SAA, awarded lucrative government contracts. Something very fishy went on that evening, not a doubt. I lost good friends on that flight, I knew and had flown with all the flight deck crew, and many of the cabin crew.
My father, Alan Daniel, was the jnr Fight Engineer onboard Flight 295. I was 4 years of age at the time. As difficult as it is to watch your video, I appreciate the effort put into it. I can only hope this assists in somehow getting us closer to the truth. Thank you
I'm South African and we don't have many air disasters, so I remember this very well. I was a teen at the time and to this day we still don't know what happened. It did happen during a turbulent time in our country's history, so many conspiracy theories. OMG, listening to their panic gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. RIP to my fellow South Africans and all the other passengers who died in that disaster.
@@seanbad9457 *_ My father was a pioneer pilot of private charters in SA after WWII and flew a Cessna 4 seater from Germiston to VanRynsdorp with two adults and 2 kids and on landing crashed (the landing crash is a long story) One adult male managed to get out with the 2 kids (Boy & Girl) my father and the other male died in the flames of the burning aircraft. The boy later became a steward on SAA and later a senior Purser and here's the irony..... on the Helderberg..... He managed to escape death in a small plane to sadly die in a Big one. RIP _*
im also born in SA,, just think 4 urself at what times we lived then,, i still say it was all planned, why until today no evidence what really happened,, just think why the cargo aboard was never all declared, why load a cargo that was not even listed, or what was really aboard, or it was all planned by someone not kind to the country
@@seanbad9457 im a born SA, i still say it was all planned, just think why could the real cause not be determined,, i have my own thought, just think at what time the country was in,,, mid in apartheid years, when most countries were against the regime, and why could japan never say what was put aboard ,very sinister things,,, or it was illegal cargo,
I’m sure it’s a pain to work the script out just right, but I appreciate how incredibly well you navigate political or polarizing situations that otherwise bog even the best of writers down. No matter where you personally stand it always feels like you’re prioritizing the story and it’s super noticeable and refreshing to just get to consume the content without listening to stumbled attempts to sanitize or patronize
@@vanguze Yep! So many fail to understand most people have no control over powerful political entities. Kinda like pawns on a chessboard, but human lives regardless.
Seriously ... All the must terrifying things happened. Fire, carbon monoxide inhalation, plane is crashing, nighttime and over an isolated ocean, where if you do somehow survive, you'll probably get eaten by a shark. Just unimaginably terrifying.
It's one of the reasons why even flights over the largest oceans still try to fly as close to land as possible, but during Apartheid, South African Airways planes had to fly as far away from the African continent as possible.
re: "Of all the godforsaken places to be with a fire emergency, it cannot get anymore “nightmarish” than that..." because: SUBMARINES. ref: USS Thresher 1963, ref: USS Scorpion 1968.
Well, you're wrong. At least there's a possibility to ditch, so stop a flying process. But the mountains is the actually worst, because you can't stop flying no matter conditions. There's no just plain to land.
We were heavily sanctioned that time. I worked in the Arms industry and for military rockets we imported Ammonium Perchlorate used in solid fuel rockets. This is a strong oxidizer and when burning it gives off oxygen and cannot be extinguished. The 747 was converted to a Combi where half of it carries cargo. We were still in the early stages manufacturing Ammonium Perchlorate so we secretly imported it from Japan. This was done frequently. Without pilots knowing this. Ammonium Perchlorate burns way over 3000 deg C. This was in the cargo and caught fire. The rest you know. Cheers from S.A.
Flying without instruments (VFR) at night is extremely difficult and very dangerous, so much so that it is banned by most countries. Thus, even if the flight crew had been able to extinguish the fire, with their instruments subsequently disabled the pilots would likely have ended up crashing the plane into the ocean due to spatial disorientation. Most do not appreciate how dark it actually gets far away from land and the bright lights of cities - and while there was a half-moon that night, moonlight alone is wholly insufficient to navigate an aircraft by, particularly over the ocean.
I'm South African and just listening to their voices brings tears to my eyes. They were helpless. I remember this so well. I was only 8 at the time. May they all RIP. SAA had an excellent safety record, its such a shame now that they are bankrupt as it was one of the best airlines in the world.
@@DisasterBreakdown an amazingly well done Video! Thank you for your work. One minor improvement wish: the subtitles for the ATC communication were great, but often only visible for a very very short time.
I think I should point out that when Captain Dawie Uys reported that they were 65 miles out, he meant that they were 65 miles from a specific way point, but the controller thought they were 65 miles from the airport. They were actually 145 miles from the airport.
@@dianamincher6479 he did almost as soon as he could contact mauritus. but it was no use bc they were 100+ miles away. it was a very bad situation the crew did their best
Great video! The wreckage appeared to indicate that the tail separated from the plane first and none of the engines were producing thrust at the moment of the crash, suggesting that the majority of the aircraft at the least hit the water in a very steep left bank.
10/10 for your wonderful presentations! No loud, dramatic music or badly spoken commentary. (Subscribed!) There are so many 'TH-cam' presenter's who work damned hard at giving many people like me, far better viewings of facts and entertainment, than all the so-called "professional" companies who work with huge budgets. Great stuff!
Not to mention the fact that he doesn’t need to plaster his face every time he talks like a lot of TH-camrs. Some have good content but cutting to show themselves talking about the subject at hand is so pointless and self serving
Great video, I'm a South African and was 29 at the time of this incident. I have followed all the investigations into this where there were two investigation after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigation. I did in depth investigation on this air accident as my thesis for my Degree in Forensics in so far as indepth investigation into Captain Uys. Captain Uys was an absolute professional and an extremely strict Commander. There is no possibility that Captain Uys would've allowed Dangerous or Contraband cargo onto the aircraft. He was well known for his strict attitude concerning this as he had faced several disciplinary hearings for refusing dangerous cargo on board. Further to this due to the sanctions South Africa at that time had a fully functional armaments' industry including nuclear capabilities. There was also strong collaboration with the Israeli arms industry. Dangerous Goods was carried by an air cargo company under the guise of private air freight company that had a fleet of Hercules C130 and C160 Freight Aircraft . The company still continues to operate but is now privately owned. The then Nationalist Government had no need to make use of South African Airways in order to transport dangerous good or military equipment in combination passenger and freight aircraft. For my thesis in forensics I went so far as to interview two of the Bowing Investigators where they had high regard for the then RSA Government in so far as total co-operation with the investigation and making all resources available such as naval, airforce and scientific laboratories and equipment including cargo manifests. Cargo manifests were cross checked during the original investigation with the cargo manifest of the Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei, Taiwan. Consider that during the late 80's South Africa was heavily sanctioned and the then South African Government heavily criticized and this air accident would've been good source of additional information to pressure the world to increase sanctions and the entire world was eager to do this. Had the then South African Government had anything to hide they would've run severe interference in the investigation instead of total co-operation. The reason that I chose SAA Flight 295 Helderburg disaster as my forensic thesis is that I had a very close family friend that perished on that flight and at the time I was very bitter about the disaster and I wanted the truth. I am confident that although the official investigation has stated that the cause of the fire remains undetermined I am confident that it was not caused by contraband cargo. Again thank you for the video and keeping the investigation alive as I think that it is important that one day the wreckage be lifted and the families and friends of the victims be given closure. And a friendly correction to the pronunciation of the Captains surname is "Ace" .... his name does not mean ace it is only pronounced as ace - Uys.
The company operating C130s and C160s you refer to was Safair and they were always privately owned. Originally by Safmarine who started them. I uses to be with that company and they never operated any C160s. The C160s in SA at the time were the French/German built Transall C160s and were operated by the SAAF. The SAAF also operated Lockheed C130Bs. Both aircraft types were operated by 28 Squadron SAAF based at Waterkloof Airforce Base near Pretoria. Safair operated the civil version of the C130 called the Lockheed L100-30. They operated 15xL100-30s and 1xL100-20. Safair was also involved in the search for the Helderberg. I do not believe there was a cover up. At the time there was severe sanctions against SA and foreign currency was very limited yet the SA government at the time spent a fortune on the recovery of the FDR and CVR and these were found and sent to Canada to be analyzed. I lean to fairly recent discovery of the problems and failures of the kapton wiring and metalized mylar insulation used in the Boeing 747-200 Combi. The same problem that caused the loss of a few other aircraft such as a SwissAir MD11 over the Atlantic.
@@willemgijs3803 Israeli politics have no part in this discussion, but I will say this given your need to criticise. Anti-Israel aka antisemitic attitudes are such, that Israel is despotic regardless of what they do, at no stage does any criticism highlight the extensive humanitarian aid they provide at enormous expense (anything medical is always a highly inflated cost), along with the array of agricultural, communications and potable water technology they provide to, and assist with, a plethora of developing nations and others even including Pakistan, officially a critic of the Jewish state. For a tiny nation they do more good for the world than most haters are prepared to give credit for, and certainly the media are prepared to showcase.
this sounds.. off. this is kind of just one of those things that, just as you can say one perspective based on the evidence, you can state ANOTHER perspective, ALSO based on the relatively scarce evidence. You say for instance "If SA had anything to hide then there wouldn't be total co-operation [with foreign powers]" but the thing is that people and governments often willingly co-operate with others at times when they are guilty so that others won't suspect them of any wrongdoing. It's like me staging a burglary and then willingly co-operating with the police, it can happen. Usually the motive here is "they won't suspect me if I hide my tracks enough and work with them". This has been **theorised** (allegedly, NOT confirmed) to have happened in situations like JonBenet Ramsey where people were suspecting the family of staging the killing of JonBenet even though her family were were very co-operative with the investigation of the murder. You also say that "...Captain Dawie Uys was very experienced and would NOT have allowed contraband on his aircraft..." but in the same paragraph you say "...he had faced several disciplinary hearings for refusing dangerous cargo on board..." which proves basically... nothing. In fact, we can give a different perspective and say that this does not prove that they didn't sneak any dangerous contraband behind Captain Uys' back without telling him. I think that sounds sort of logical given his track record of rejecting dangerous cargo he knew about. "The then nationalist government of South African airways had no need to transport [dangerous contraband] in SAA commercial flights" I think this last statement above that I've paraphrased but still keeps the general meaning is classified as a some sort of logical fallacy, but I've forgotten the name. It's the same defense usually as those people who have been like "Well he had money, so he couldn't have stolen the cash!" or "He had 7 children, why would he need to abduct more?". It really doesn't prove much, it's just conjecture, and does not account for human nature of greed, or sadism. I'm just saying though, there's a few things off about this comment.
It’s so amazing but also eerie to hear voices recorded a yr ago that have been stored underwater for that period. What an sad ending. The best we can hope is that they didn’t suffer much. Thanks for the videos. Your work is appreciated!!!
My best friend in high school`s father worked for SAA all his working life and was on the recovery team, he never spoke about it and was always very uncomfortable and would get visibly upset when the subject was mentioned...the recovery and reconstruction of the recovered wreckage clearly did something to him...I can only imagine and shudder when I think about what he must have seen out there...
This Disaster Breakdown series is a great complementary series to Mayday for sure, different perspectives with one having professional actors and realistic scenes, with the other having simulator footage and the actual recordings. Both are amazing, thank you for this amazing content!!
@@TheFredster32 you should check out the one on PBS they have a group of pilots recreating major crashes on simulators trying to see if anything could have been done to avert disaster I started the Air France crash out in the Atlantic forgot flight number but it was the one that was RIO to Paris went down in the middle of the Atlantic no mayday nothing it took years to find the wreckage interesting show
This is your best one yet, and that's saying alot, since everyone of your videos is of really high quality. Everything that has to do with South Africa during that part of their history is HARD to navigate in a fair way, but you really have done a magnificent job! Thank you for this.
I actually prefer the longer videos. I’m new to your channel, but have fallen in love with it. So interesting and love the way you present everything. Thank you!
I was 8 years old when this happened, but I clearly remember it being a Sunday morning when we heard about it in S.A. To this day I believe that the undisclosed parts were weapons of some sort and this theory has gained credence in the time since the 'accident'. The memories give me shivers...
The 28th of November 1987 was actually a Saturday morning. I was 15 years old back then and remember waking up to the news on Good Morning South Africa. The Lions Club of the town that we were living in back then had held a charity function that Saturday night where a Mercedes car could be won. My dad was part of the Lions Club and myself and my older brother was put to work that night at the function as barmen and general runabouts. We were still busy wrapping up that party in the early hours of Sunday morning, the 29th of November, when the Sunday papers were delivered to the store fronts of the shops that sold them, with the news of the crash obviously being the front page news.
I always appreciate the tone in which you address political/social situations pertaining to these accidents. You state it how it is, in the most concise and respectful way possible. You don't tell us unrelated information, only what we need to know. Another really great video as always!
I don't think "respected" is the right word since it implies there was something to be respected about what's being reported. Perhaps "neutral" or "unbiased".
@@DarkChasmGamers Respectful in this context moreso means, showing consideration when handling a topic. Ie; acting respectful at a funeral. It's not like 'I respect this person for dying', it's just another way of saying, 'showing tact.'
@@nocturnalrainbows6167 Well, all the other videos of aircrash incidents I have watched not once was the political systems of the where the Airline originated from were ever mentioned. Go see for yourself.
Helderberg Captain Uys had refused to take off with the dangerous cargo on board. Beeld newspaper had previously carried reports about this argument. Uys reportedly only agreed to take off following telephone calls from a "senior SAA manager and a former cabinet minister", threatening him with summary dismissal if he did not take off immediately.
*_ South Africa was having a big problem with the Air Force jets being shot down regularly by the Angolan Air Defence due to them receiving Russian missiles that were far quicker than the South Africans had bargained. SA Lacked the Know-How to produce better Rocket Fuel and colluded with ?????? with the result samples were sent via Taiwan which Cpt Uys found out about and he was actually threatened together with his family if he didn't take off and return to SA..... There was NO weather delay in Taiwan.... he was negotiating the removal of the cargo!! _*
@@liongod1000 I heard from an ex-SAA employee of 40 years that Israel was supplying South Africa with rocket fuel via Taiwan, and it was an open secret that the Helderberg had rocket fuel aboard.
i was on an sa navy strike craft that left durban 4hrs after the crash the pinger was located within 2 weeks or the crash but due to the depth nothing could b e done.we picked up flaoting debris which mainly consisted of cabin luggage was a very erie time
I first heard of this incident back in the day, however in a more dramatised manner that led to me having a misconception thereof. You, dear sir, have given me a better understanding of this event than I could ever have hoped to get elsewhere. It is indeed a great video.
The funny thing is a lot of Chinese gray market websites still ship lithium batteries undeclared on planes, so if you value the lives of the aircraft's crew the don't buy from lipos from them.
Nowadays, I understand they have far better fire detection and suppression systems in cargo bays. So, the inevitable graymarket lith battery is unlikely to bring down a current aircraft.
This disaster has always intrigued me, mainly because it’s still a bit of a mystery to what caused it and due to the lack of documentaries and other programmes about it.
I'm under 2 minutes in and I gotta say, I *love* your approach to sensitive things, whether it be unsettling CVR's or politics. Just straight up honest with no censorship and in full context. Bravo.
Really enjoyed this video, one of your best yet! You approached apartheid in a respectful, neutral manner, which really helps the viewer understand why politics is important in this case. You didn’t overdo it, sensationalise or put personal feelings into the topic, you simply educated the viewer on a painful part of history as respectfully as you could, and personally I think you did a fantastic job. I have always appreciated your ability to tell a story to the viewer without sensationalisation, and I just wanted to let you know it is deeply appreciated and I heavily respect you for that.
You commend neutrality on crimes against humanity? Do you like neutrality on the holocaust well? Or do you like neutrality when it's people who look like you being barbaric to Africans? I am neutral on farm killings of white farmers in South Africa. I would like to hear a fair respectful report on their killings. I hope the farm killings are reported fairly without any sensationalism. Let's see how fair you are when it's whites being killed👍🏾💯
@@andrewdutoit9571 It matters greatly. I am from Botswana, when I land in Cape Town and see the first township driving from the airport, seeing the legacy of Apartheid I can't stomach being told it happened 30 years ago. So fucking what? White atrocities should just miraculously be wiped from memory? Of course it didn't affect you so you are OK with it.
It is frightening that you hear a pilot is geniully frightened on the issue since most do their best to not be anxious until things are difficult to navigate.
Very well done as usual!! You should do a breakdown of Air Canada 621 and the Hinton train disaster! The arrow air crash in Gander would be a good one too👍🏻
This is the best video yet, which is saying a lot cuz you make the best aircrash videos on TH-cam. I know some info on this crash from the Air Disasters/Mayday series, but you presented it with a lot more accuracy and important details and no speculative drama. And using the actual recording was absolutely riveting and chilling. Bravo! Looking forward to more!
It's clear you took great care to approach this subject responsibly and objectively. It really shows and this is why this channel is so good. It couldn't have been easy given the amount of uncertainty involved, and for this reason I think this is one of the best videos I've seen from this channel .
Your videos have become so well put together and polished! Hands down the best air accident channel on youtube! Been a subscriber for over a year. Keep up the amazing content!
How the CVR ends is so eerie. “Ah shit” followed by the screeching wobble sound, followed by what sounds like water gurgling. As of foreshadowing what’s to come.
Sadly the flight data recorder was never found and even if it was found all the data will just be gone due to the ocean and corrosion additionally the structural stress that could’ve caused the crash was that the fire was so hot that it melted the metal on the top of the fuselage causing the tail to separate, additionally the flash fire theory is supported but a melted graphite tennis racket in the cargo graphite only burns at about 200-400 Celsius which supports the melting metal theory and as the fire began in the computer pallet it adds even more evidence to the flash fire theory therefore I believe that the lithium batteries ignited causing a flash fire that became so hot it could melt metal then the fire melted critical flight controls at the tail and the tail broke off due to structural stress
Rechargeable lithium batteries didn't commercially exist until 1991, four years after this plane crash. Lithium button cells existed back then but have generally been considered as safe as conventional alkaline batteries.
You should make a video of the South African Airways Boeing727 that got hijacked on 24 May 1972. I have a very detailed video script if you are interested. It contains detailed reports by the captain, the hijacker and several others.
@@Kavi4GP it wasn't their country , they lost it in wars the same what happened to other country's that was taken over , if you don't know the history , stop flapping your lips , you are just exposing yourself as an idiot infront of the world.
An airline that smuggles weapons & flammables with passengers to their death is one to be proud of ? How many crashes has the airline had now that you’re not proud of it !
You just keep getting better and better at these. And they were good to start with! This can't be the easiest subject to cover week after week but your effort is very much appreciated.
first time comment here, apologize for some bad English. I've looked through some information about this accident after watching episode of aci mayday years ago, and I would say this is more detailed than what's on the tv program. as for the the cause of this accident, I would say that a fire caused by hidden weaponry or radioactive material is possible but minimal, and I'll list some facts and legends: years before this accident, Taiwan had made a short range anti-armor vehicle missile by reverse engineering a soviet missile designated as 9M14, and how the government got the missile is said to be captured by south african army during conflicts and transported to Taiwan by a research ship after Antarctica exploration. around 1987, the year of accident and end of martial lock in Taiwan, Taiwan had been developing nuclear weapons for years and nearing its completion, and months after the crash, a colonel exposed the secret to CIA, leading to the project's shutdown. since the situation in south africa is not good, Taiwanese government may tried to smuggle firearms or even nuclear materials onboard the plane, leading to the crash. the theory being unlikely is because there's no documents recording this move, and some (I think its mentioned in aci mayday) pallets have been checked prior to loading onto the plane, it's still possible due to the ties between Taiwan and south africa and some odd facts discovered during the investigation of the crash. feel free to discuss, I'll reply them as much as I can. and those facts' reality is still questionable (most of them were on internet, whether its English or Chinese)
Interesting... I also immediately thought of nuclear materials. South Africa was known to be working with countries such as Israel and Taiwan at that time. South Africa was already a nuclear power by the 1970's, with weapons and the technical know how to maintain production. There was quite probably something a lot more sinister than "computer materials" in that plane's cargo hold.
You should consider the fact that SAA was part of IATA in those days and any contrevention of the agreement would compromise the whole Airline. As a result all flights would be grounded if found in contravention, you don't need a hint to know what that would cause. South Africa had other options to get any product it required be it military hardware et al they needed as there were clandistine Airlines working and sponsered by South Africa. So why take the risk, send the 707's to go get what you need and don't compromise the Airline with all the people employed and the outreach of the magnificent Orange tail don't you think?
@@andrewdutoit9571 Fair point Andrew. I don't have irrefutable evidence for what I said of course. It was more a point of questioning on my part. I do wonder though if governments never ever tried or were able to move questionable cargo on passenger flights, despite the IATA?
@@razakza I only speak from my own experiences working at SAA. I do believe the quality of the Airline staff whom were all truely passionate for their Airline, would never bend nevermind break the rules. As an example, one year we recieved only half a bonus with a promise of re-embersement later, when I left in 1990 it still wasn't paid yet, yet nobody striked, nobody moaned. A truely quality outfit up until then.
I rarely comment on videos like this, though I subscribe and enjoy watching them. I just had to say that when you describe how some of the people on board died from carbon monoxide poisoning before the actual crash, I actually felt a bit relieved for them. I can't imagine anything more terrifying than dying in a plane crash. Carbon monoxide poisoning is supposed to feel like falling deeply asleep. It seems a much kinder way to go. May their memories all be for a blessing. May those who mourn them be comforted and know no more sorrow. Thank you for doing these. I know it must be harrowing to research and present to us on TH-cam.
I live in South Africa and I'll never forget when this happened and where I was when I heard about it. I was just a young kid then, but it rocked the foundation of the nation when it happened. Living in the country during that political turmoil, I was too young to understand apartheid, but I do recall it was scary living in this country in the 1980's. I feel so sorry for those 159 people who perished on that plane. It must have been terrifying not knowing their fate. But hopefully many lessons have been learned from it.
Remember when you used to be so proud in making a 25 min plus video, and now you make 40 minute plus video daily? You really have come a long way in 2 years. ❤
When you're flying over the ocean, FL 140 is not "roughly" 14,000 ft. It is 14,000 feet. Chopping off the word "thousand" while annunciating the first numerals is standard international aviation radio speak. It's one of those agreed-upon rules that make communication briefer and more clear.
Incorrect. FLxxx means the altimeter is set to standard (pressure altitude), not mean sea level (QNH). So FL140 is highly unlikely to be 14,000', unless the sea level pressure were 1013mb/29.92". If the sea level pressure is 29.82" the true altitude would be 100' lower - 13,900'. If it is 30.02" - 100' higher. Chloë was right.
Something not mentioned in this video is that the crew were discussing what they were going to have for dinner just before the fire alarm sounded. They don't serve dinner at that stage of the flight, so it is likely the cockpit voice recorder failed much earlier in the flight and the fire was extinguished. It probably reignited as the plane was approaching Mauritius. It is known that the crew were in contact with the company head office in Johannesburg, but the tapes of their selcall have conveniently disappeared.
Crazy how many things disappeared from those years. Saw pictures of piles of documents with redacted text and deliberately damaged tapes and vinyls from the old regime. Censorship is so bizarre, and also cruel in a sense - even after it ends there's no way to recover those missing pieces of history and fill in the blanks.
@zookuki censorship an the former South African government go hand in hand. He'll they banned TV until the mid 1970s due to the fear of Afrikaners losing influence.
Omg same. I'm a super nervous flyer already, but I love listening to these. I think the combo of mystery and physics really hooks me. But it without a doubt makes me even more nervous and whenever I fly I'm like why did I binge watch videos about what makes planes go down?
A few years ago I flew from JHB International to Perth with SAA - just as we got to the edge of continent we had to turn back as the navigation unit had failed - we were a bit nervous until we landed back in JHB
Fire on an airplane is very dangerous situation so it shouldn't be underestimated . Unfortunately, some of the worst air disasters are because of fire . I still think that somehow people underestimate such situations. In the case of Swiss Air 111 pilots reacted slowly and it quickly turned into a deadly situation
To underline your point about how dangerous fires on airplanes are, I remember reading conclusions that while Swiss Air 111 pilots reacted slowly and bureaucratically to the fire they wouldn't have made it even if they had immediately headed towards the closest airfield in order to land right away when the fire was first discovered, due to the relatively short time it took for the fire to become so severe that it disabled critical flight controls and potentially incapacitated the pilots as well.
I am so glad that you were so blunt with the situation in South Africa during that time, calling it what is was: A racist regime. I can’t can’t begin to imagined what it would feel like being discriminated against in your own country. Awesome video as always! I do love to watch your disaster breakdowns and storytelling!
Unfortunately, that racist regime was replaced by an even worst regime that came with the worst corruption that the country has ever seen and with even more racist laws
If you live in the UK or US, you already are discriminated against in your own country. Not with the "you can't do this" style, but instead in the "we only want to hire/help/pay/give money to a group that doesn't include you" style.
RIP to all on board flight 295. Captain Uys seems to have done everything possible to get to Mauritius, but they were still too far away and the fire wrecked the plane's systems. It was too early for it to have been lithium ion batteries that started the fire, so you do have to wonder what was in that cargo hold. Had the fire broken out an hour or so later, they might have made it to Mauritius. They were desperately unlucky. Fire mid flight must be the scariest of emergencies for the flight crew, along with reverse thrust deployment (which happened to Lauda air Boeing 767 over Thailand in 1991). I can only hope that all on board had passed out from smoke inhalation before the 747 actually crashed, but we may never know.
I saw this accident on another program before. It is a true aviation mystery as to what actually resulted in the Boeing 747-200 Combi to burst into flames. It is up there with MH370 Amelia Earhart, and Star Tiger. May those souls rest in peace.
My husband's father was a pilot at the time and ironically he was scheduled to pilot this flight, however he refused to as he had inadvertently discovered what the cargo was that the CEO of SAA at the time had not only aware of but had threatened to fire him and he was forced to sign a NDA, when my husband father made clear he feelings of the danger of the pick up cargo. He had discovered that the cargo was Red Phosphorous which had been purchased from Taipei. Given that he was so close to his retirement, he was threatened that not only would he lose his job but his retirement too if he disclosed this information to anyone else. This is a decision that to this day he regrets not saying anything and went through massive bouts of depression etc.
Also, I'm sorry to hear he feels guilt over not saying anything about the cargo. I completely understand why he didn't say anything given how doing so would have destroyed everything he had spent decades of his life working for. Virtually everyone in his situation would have done the exact same thing. The fault exclusively lies with those that decided to put the cargo on the place, not him. And even he spoke up, the cargo almost assuredly would have just been placed on another flight anyways.
My late father lost one of his senior business partners in this crash. He was returning from Australia. He was to have returned a week prior on the same flight as the 5 other company guys he was travelling with but got food poisoning and stayed the extra week at his sisters in Australia.
The sober, unsensational description of these incidents is refreshing and definitely binge-worthy! Thank you for your impeccable work and attention to detail. You should be proud!👍
I was on board SAA Helderberg on Sep,20, 1980. In about 12000ft the left engine exploded, after 30 sec the right one. The plane suddenly lost altitude and with a sound of German Stukas it was loosing altitude. I was in First and did not see the burning engines, but the SA Rugby Team was in Economy. I understood that most of them had be transferred to hospital when back on ground. After approx 4500 ft the pilot got this damn plane up. The first near crash was over for the Helderberg.
@Carpe diem Helderburg wasn't even called Helderburg until November 27th, 1980 when SAA acquired it. It's maiden flight was earlier that month. I don't doubt you flew on a malfunctioning plane, and it may have even been a 747, but it couldn't have been this plane. Moreover, there are no reported aviation incidents in the aviation database for the date you listed, so you may have the date wrong too given how long ago it was. This plane's VIN number shows no prior incidents before SAA 295 here.
@@Ultinarok47 Whatever, it was one of the experiences nobody needs. Funny enough, at about the same time of the near crash, my youngest daughter was born. Thx your attention
@Carpe diem My first son is about to be born too actually. Hope all is well with you both! Sorry, I just saw the date, and knowing a fair bit about these plane accidents, the date didn't add up. If anything, you're compelling me to try to locate the exact incident you experienced to see if I can find the circumstances of it online. Generally an incident that severe gets reported so there's probably a record somewhere. Greetings from the U.S.
My Dad and brother were on stop over in Singapore at the time, he was a 747 commander with SAA and had chatted to this crew only hours before they left for Taipei en route to JHB via Mauritius. He has a pretty good idea of what was on board that flight as he was one of the last to speak to Bellagarda and Uys. Sadly it was Jimmy Deal who paid the price for opening his mouth about it.
@@ikbenvrij Don't waste your time, on every topic about this crash there are people who pipe up with "my spoke to the pilots before the crash but can never tell anyone what they said, tee hee" and it's always nothing more than a very obvious and pathetic attempt at attracting attention.
@@iankemp2627 hate it when people are like that, but then again i guess what counts for dogs also applies to humans. Negative attention is still attention. thanks for the heads up though :-)
@@ikbenvrij You would think that someone who has a relative to a fellow SAA pilot would go public about the crash instead telling so in TH-cam comments.
@@iankemp2627 Ian, the reason it surfaced at the truth and reconciliation meetings WAS due to my dad. He did his level best to expose it. Out of respect for Jimmy, Lindy and Jermey Deal he agreed to drop it. All you need to know is that Jimmy didn’t die of a heart attack, he was murdered.
I wonder was that the cockpit door about to be breached by the heavy smoke or inferno? If the backdraft reached the cockpit door, then all of the passengers were probably dead.
there should be an option for all cargo planes including combis to just dump cargo like dumping fuel by installing a belly hatch or aft hatch that can fully open. it's crazy to think you can fight a fire with a dozen handheld fire extinguishers in a pressurized environment.
That would dumb because the pallets are locked to the floor manually. Opening the back end (1/3 of the plane), like an old military bomber, would cause decompression (while old bombers were designed to deal with that). Also, the investigators assesed that the fire was burning the ceiling by the time it was detected, so maybe too late.
In addition to the problems stated above, it would also require significant engineering work to overcome the pressure differential between the cargo hold and the rest of the plane if you opened it, which could otherwise cause explosive decompression.
I'm sorry for your loss....I actually bought an SAA Hally's comet stamped Envelope on ebay, I received it and it was addressed to him in the DUR office...couldn't believe it
You are correct, my good sir. Kazuharu Sonoda was the name of said wrestler. One of the original wrestlers in AJPW. He was also a former tag champion with The Great Kabuki. Him and his wife were on their honeymoon when they were on the forsaken flight.
@@HeathNation2465 Yes on their way to holiday in an Apartheid state that subjugated millions of people. 🙄 Karma happened and that evil plane never landed.
Many conspiracies around this accident. I have once heard that the Cargo Compartment behind the passenger cabin was used by the crew to smoke during flight, it was also used to store crew baggage. Due to current embargo's on South Africa, with the onset on X-mas and the new year, conspiracy has it that crew bought fireworks and stored it as per their usual practise. It could have been ignited during a smoke break which then resulted in the fire. The initial fire could have been extinguished immediately, but re-ignited when the crew was not aware. I am also led to believe that there is some missing voice recordings, the tapes has gone missing. ZUR, which was SAA control centre HF, were apparently in conversation with the aircraft at the initial onset of the fire, those tapes went missing apparently. All conspiracies, but makes one think.
Not apparently, that ZUR tape did go missing, after it was first handed to captain Mickey Mitchell that same night. Something that has never happened before or since. Not to mention that the radio operator, Vernon Nadel, if memory serves, received a prime promotion from lowly radio operator to manager of the SAA offices in Miami within a few months, something which was also unheard of at the time. Judge Cecil Margo was also as corrupt as they come, in his investigation he mentions that the missing ZUR tape was of no great consequence. Not to mention the fact that he also threatened a flight engineer that was part of an independent inquiry that was being done by the SAA flight engineer's association. I have a scan of a sworn statement made by Yvonne Bellagarda, the Helderberg's flight engineer's wife where she states that Margo summoned Jimmy Mitton to his chambers, where Margo had said to him to drop his line of inquiry and if he insisted on carrying on with it, his career and safety would be on the line.
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If you found this video interesting be sure to Subscribe as there is always a new video every Saturday. This video also went out to my Patrons on Patreon 48 hours before going out publicly on TH-cam. You can join the Disaster Breakdown Patreon here from £3 per month: www.patreon.com/DisasterBreakdown
Ok I liked and subscribed thank you for the video and info on this tragedy
Keep up the good work
Much wacist South African government. Hope you call out the white genocide happening in the current multicultural South Africa too!
One of the engine is kept at a mechanic's garage in Poste De Flacq, Mauritius. If anyone is visiting Mauritius and want to see it, you can travel to Poste De Flacq and ask for directions.
There's also a monument at Belle Mare beach to pay tribute to the lost lives.
Great Video, where did you find the cvr recordings? One thing thou: 12:49 Lithium Ion Batterys have been invented just in 1985 they existed only as lab products till the early 1990s when sony provided the first comercialy aviable product. But short circuits can happen with any Battery , probably it whould have been NiCd back then...
This is by far the best channel about airplane accients. Your videos are much better than what we can watch on television and i also like the way how you tell the informations. It'S all calm and filled with information, not like most others that just try to be hysterical af to make it more intense.
I worked as a pilot for SAA at this time. There were a lot of unexplained “missing“ documents regarding the cargo carried (manifests and bills of lading), as well as missing recordings between the flight and the airline’s long distance communications platform, ZUR. Duty personnel both in Johannesburg and Taipei were either promoted to posts well beyond their skills levels or, on leaving SAA, awarded lucrative government contracts. Something very fishy went on that evening, not a doubt. I lost good friends on that flight, I knew and had flown with all the flight deck crew, and many of the cabin crew.
Sorry for your loss
Damn. Thank you for sharing.
Wauw sterkte Mark..
No surprise unfortunately, governments are all so corrupt
Grief on your loss 🙏🥺😔
the sound of all the circuit breakers popping out is so disturbing - all those systems failing together bc of a fire they just learned about
I can't even begin to imagine how terrified the pilots must have been when they starting hearing the circuit breakers pop one after another.
This is what happens with an inflight fire. Think what happened to ms804...
It was always way more serious than a smoke problem. It was a fire and an emergency ditch should have taken place on May Day May Day basis!
My father, Alan Daniel, was the jnr Fight Engineer onboard Flight 295. I was 4 years of age at the time.
As difficult as it is to watch your video, I appreciate the effort put into it. I can only hope this assists in somehow getting us closer to the truth. Thank you
So sad for you and your family! My condolences for your loss.
My heart goes out to you❤
Respect .
Sorry 😢. My sister was on that plane. Wasn't sure if I was up to watching this 😢
I'm so sorry.
I'm South African and we don't have many air disasters, so I remember this very well. I was a teen at the time and to this day we still don't know what happened. It did happen during a turbulent time in our country's history, so many conspiracy theories.
OMG, listening to their panic gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. RIP to my fellow South Africans and all the other passengers who died in that disaster.
I lost a friend in this crash, so remember it well
@@seanbad9457 *_ My father was a pioneer pilot of private charters in SA after WWII and flew a Cessna 4 seater from Germiston to VanRynsdorp with two adults and 2 kids and on landing crashed (the landing crash is a long story) One adult male managed to get out with the 2 kids (Boy & Girl) my father and the other male died in the flames of the burning aircraft. The boy later became a steward on SAA and later a senior Purser and here's the irony..... on the Helderberg..... He managed to escape death in a small plane to sadly die in a Big one. RIP _*
@@liongod1000 i was born in SA,most have our speculation, i have my speculation about why it happened,
im also born in SA,, just think 4 urself at what times we lived then,, i still say it was all planned, why until today no evidence what really happened,, just think why the cargo aboard was never all declared, why load a cargo that was not even listed, or what was really aboard, or it was all planned by someone not kind to the country
@@seanbad9457 im a born SA, i still say it was all planned, just think why could the real cause not be determined,, i have my own thought, just think at what time the country was in,,, mid in apartheid years, when most countries were against the regime, and why could japan never say what was put aboard ,very sinister things,,, or it was illegal cargo,
I’m sure it’s a pain to work the script out just right, but I appreciate how incredibly well you navigate political or polarizing situations that otherwise bog even the best of writers down. No matter where you personally stand it always feels like you’re prioritizing the story and it’s super noticeable and refreshing to just get to consume the content without listening to stumbled attempts to sanitize or patronize
Holy shit Cranky Yankee watches this channel? Love your videos my guy
Thanks for your kind comment. I appreciate it!
@@SuperNuclearUnicorn He used to make great videos 😕
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. I think we all appreciate your unbiased delivery of all information.
@@vanguze Yep! So many fail to understand most people have no control over powerful political entities. Kinda like pawns on a chessboard, but human lives regardless.
Of all the godforsaken places to be with a fire emergency, it cannot get anymore “nightmarish” than that. May the victims Rest In Peace.
Seriously ... All the must terrifying things happened. Fire, carbon monoxide inhalation, plane is crashing, nighttime and over an isolated ocean, where if you do somehow survive, you'll probably get eaten by a shark. Just unimaginably terrifying.
It's one of the reasons why even flights over the largest oceans still try to fly as close to land as possible, but during Apartheid, South African Airways planes had to fly as far away from the African continent as possible.
re: "Of all the godforsaken places to be with a fire emergency, it cannot get anymore “nightmarish” than that..." because: SUBMARINES. ref: USS Thresher 1963, ref: USS Scorpion 1968.
Well, you're wrong. At least there's a possibility to ditch, so stop a flying process. But the mountains is the actually worst, because you can't stop flying no matter conditions. There's no just plain to land.
There was no problem with the length of this one. I listened the whole time as it kept my interest. Good job!
I wish my boyfriend would say that to me
Lol
We were heavily sanctioned that time. I worked in the Arms industry and for military rockets we imported Ammonium Perchlorate used in solid fuel rockets. This is a strong oxidizer and when burning it gives off oxygen and cannot be extinguished. The 747 was converted to a Combi where half of it carries cargo. We were still in the early stages manufacturing Ammonium Perchlorate so we secretly imported it from Japan. This was done frequently. Without pilots knowing this.
Ammonium Perchlorate burns way over 3000 deg C. This was in the cargo and caught fire. The rest you know.
Cheers from S.A.
Flying without instruments (VFR) at night is extremely difficult and very dangerous, so much so that it is banned by most countries. Thus, even if the flight crew had been able to extinguish the fire, with their instruments subsequently disabled the pilots would likely have ended up crashing the plane into the ocean due to spatial disorientation. Most do not appreciate how dark it actually gets far away from land and the bright lights of cities - and while there was a half-moon that night, moonlight alone is wholly insufficient to navigate an aircraft by, particularly over the ocean.
Need to hold onto control sufficient to ditch as soon as possible. 12 minutes and onto the ocean.
Amazing how few people understand basics of flying and launch into conspiracy theories because they don't understand how things work
Thought moon went down at 8pm. Ditch immediatey because electrics and hydraulics would be gone very soon. Use what you got while you've got it.
Just a reminder, this will be the first of what I'm hoping will be 7 videos in total this month!
Amazing work mate! can't wait to see whats due!!
Sheeeeeeeesh
yeaaaaaaa let's gooooooooo I love your videos!
YAY
incredible work dude!
we appreciate it ^^
I'm South African and just listening to their voices brings tears to my eyes. They were helpless. I remember this so well. I was only 8 at the time. May they all RIP. SAA had an excellent safety record, its such a shame now that they are bankrupt as it was one of the best airlines in the world.
This is your best work by far. It goes into the background and covers all the criteria and facts of the accident.
Thank you for your kind comment!
@@DisasterBreakdown an amazingly well done Video! Thank you for your work. One minor improvement wish: the subtitles for the ATC communication were great, but often only visible for a very very short time.
I think I should point out that when Captain Dawie Uys reported that they were 65 miles out, he meant that they were 65 miles from a specific way point, but the controller thought they were 65 miles from the airport. They were actually 145 miles from the airport.
Why not call May Day from the beginning!
@@dianamincher6479 he did almost as soon as he could contact mauritus. but it was no use bc they were 100+ miles away. it was a very bad situation the crew did their best
Great video!
The wreckage appeared to indicate that the tail separated from the plane first and none of the engines were producing thrust at the moment of the crash, suggesting that the majority of the aircraft at the least hit the water in a very steep left bank.
10/10 for your wonderful presentations! No loud, dramatic music or badly spoken commentary. (Subscribed!) There are so many 'TH-cam' presenter's who work damned hard at giving many people like me, far better viewings of facts and entertainment, than all the so-called "professional" companies who work with huge budgets. Great stuff!
Not to mention the fact that he doesn’t need to plaster his face every time he talks like a lot of TH-camrs. Some have good content but cutting to show themselves talking about the subject at hand is so pointless and self serving
Great video, I'm a South African and was 29 at the time of this incident. I have followed all the investigations into this where there were two investigation after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigation. I did in depth investigation on this air accident as my thesis for my Degree in Forensics in so far as indepth investigation into Captain Uys. Captain Uys was an absolute professional and an extremely strict Commander. There is no possibility that Captain Uys would've allowed Dangerous or Contraband cargo onto the aircraft. He was well known for his strict attitude concerning this as he had faced several disciplinary hearings for refusing dangerous cargo on board. Further to this due to the sanctions South Africa at that time had a fully functional armaments' industry including nuclear capabilities. There was also strong collaboration with the Israeli arms industry. Dangerous Goods was carried by an air cargo company under the guise of private air freight company that had a fleet of Hercules C130 and C160 Freight Aircraft . The company still continues to operate but is now privately owned. The then Nationalist Government had no need to make use of South African Airways in order to transport dangerous good or military equipment in combination passenger and freight aircraft. For my thesis in forensics I went so far as to interview two of the Bowing Investigators where they had high regard for the then RSA Government in so far as total co-operation with the investigation and making all resources available such as naval, airforce and scientific laboratories and equipment including cargo manifests. Cargo manifests were cross checked during the original investigation with the cargo manifest of the Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei, Taiwan. Consider that during the late 80's South Africa was heavily sanctioned and the then South African Government heavily criticized and this air accident would've been good source of additional information to pressure the world to increase sanctions and the entire world was eager to do this. Had the then South African Government had anything to hide they would've run severe interference in the investigation instead of total co-operation. The reason that I chose SAA Flight 295 Helderburg disaster as my forensic thesis is that I had a very close family friend that perished on that flight and at the time I was very bitter about the disaster and I wanted the truth. I am confident that although the official investigation has stated that the cause of the fire remains undetermined I am confident that it was not caused by contraband cargo. Again thank you for the video and keeping the investigation alive as I think that it is important that one day the wreckage be lifted and the families and friends of the victims be given closure. And a friendly correction to the pronunciation of the Captains surname is "Ace" .... his name does not mean ace it is only pronounced as ace - Uys.
Israeli arms industry... say no more.
Mossad are on of the best in covering up disasters!
The company operating C130s and C160s you refer to was Safair and they were always privately owned. Originally by Safmarine who started them. I uses to be with that company and they never operated any C160s. The C160s in SA at the time were the French/German built Transall C160s and were operated by the SAAF. The SAAF also operated Lockheed C130Bs. Both aircraft types were operated by 28 Squadron SAAF based at Waterkloof Airforce Base near Pretoria. Safair operated the civil version of the C130 called the Lockheed L100-30. They operated 15xL100-30s and 1xL100-20. Safair was also involved in the search for the Helderberg. I do not believe there was a cover up. At the time there was severe sanctions against SA and foreign currency was very limited yet the SA government at the time spent a fortune on the recovery of the FDR and CVR and these were found and sent to Canada to be analyzed. I lean to fairly recent discovery of the problems and failures of the kapton wiring and metalized mylar insulation used in the Boeing 747-200 Combi. The same problem that caused the loss of a few other aircraft such as a SwissAir MD11 over the Atlantic.
@@willemgijs3803 Israeli politics have no part in this discussion, but I will say this given your need to criticise. Anti-Israel aka antisemitic attitudes are such, that Israel is despotic regardless of what they do, at no stage does any criticism highlight the extensive humanitarian aid they provide at enormous expense (anything medical is always a highly inflated cost), along with the array of agricultural, communications and potable water technology they provide to, and assist with, a plethora of developing nations and others even including Pakistan, officially a critic of the Jewish state.
For a tiny nation they do more good for the world than most haters are prepared to give credit for, and certainly the media are prepared to showcase.
this sounds.. off. this is kind of just one of those things that, just as you can say one perspective based on the evidence, you can state ANOTHER perspective, ALSO based on the relatively scarce evidence. You say for instance "If SA had anything to hide then there wouldn't be total co-operation [with foreign powers]" but the thing is that people and governments often willingly co-operate with others at times when they are guilty so that others won't suspect them of any wrongdoing.
It's like me staging a burglary and then willingly co-operating with the police, it can happen. Usually the motive here is "they won't suspect me if I hide my tracks enough and work with them". This has been **theorised** (allegedly, NOT confirmed) to have happened in situations like JonBenet Ramsey where people were suspecting the family of staging the killing of JonBenet even though her family were were very co-operative with the investigation of the murder.
You also say that "...Captain Dawie Uys was very experienced and would NOT have allowed contraband on his aircraft..." but in the same paragraph you say "...he had faced several disciplinary hearings for refusing dangerous cargo on board..." which proves basically... nothing. In fact, we can give a different perspective and say that this does not prove that they didn't sneak any dangerous contraband behind Captain Uys' back without telling him. I think that sounds sort of logical given his track record of rejecting dangerous cargo he knew about.
"The then nationalist government of South African airways had no need to transport [dangerous contraband] in SAA commercial flights"
I think this last statement above that I've paraphrased but still keeps the general meaning is classified as a some sort of logical fallacy, but I've forgotten the name.
It's the same defense usually as those people who have been like "Well he had money, so he couldn't have stolen the cash!" or "He had 7 children, why would he need to abduct more?". It really doesn't prove much, it's just conjecture, and does not account for human nature of greed, or sadism.
I'm just saying though, there's a few things off about this comment.
It’s so amazing but also eerie to hear voices recorded a yr ago that have been stored underwater for that period. What an sad ending. The best we can hope is that they didn’t suffer much. Thanks for the videos. Your work is appreciated!!!
My best friend in high school`s father worked for SAA all his working life and was on the recovery team, he never spoke about it and was always very uncomfortable and would get visibly upset when the subject was mentioned...the recovery and reconstruction of the recovered wreckage clearly did something to him...I can only imagine and shudder when I think about what he must have seen out there...
Like most things that happened during Apartheid, I guess - people simply refused to talk about it. Kinda sad.
@@zookuki why don’t they talk about it now tho
@@Adam444Tvptsd will do that
Would you mind if I ask his name?
This Disaster Breakdown series is a great complementary series to Mayday for sure, different perspectives with one having professional actors and realistic scenes, with the other having simulator footage and the actual recordings. Both are amazing, thank you for this amazing content!!
Is that the new one on PBS ? I was watching a show earlier that had flight simulator recreating JAL 123 crash in Japan was a good show
@@johnscanlon2598 Probably not, Mayday has been on since 2003.
@@TheFredster32 you should check out the one on PBS they have a group of pilots recreating major crashes on simulators trying to see if anything could have been done to avert disaster I started the Air France crash out in the Atlantic forgot flight number but it was the one that was RIO to Paris went down in the middle of the Atlantic no mayday nothing it took years to find the wreckage interesting show
@@johnscanlon2598 Cool. I wonder if PBS uploaded such clips.
Thank you for beautifully telling our South African tragic story, may all those who have lost their lives in that flight Rest in Peace❤️🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
Amen.
🇿🇦🇿🇦
This is your best one yet, and that's saying alot, since everyone of your videos is of really high quality. Everything that has to do with South Africa during that part of their history is HARD to navigate in a fair way, but you really have done a magnificent job! Thank you for this.
I actually prefer the longer videos.
I’m new to your channel, but have fallen in love with it. So interesting and love the way you present everything. Thank you!
I was 8 years old when this happened, but I clearly remember it being a Sunday morning when we heard about it in S.A.
To this day I believe that the undisclosed parts were weapons of some sort and this theory has gained credence in the time since the 'accident'. The memories give me shivers...
The 28th of November 1987 was actually a Saturday morning. I was 15 years old back then and remember waking up to the news on Good Morning South Africa. The Lions Club of the town that we were living in back then had held a charity function that Saturday night where a Mercedes car could be won. My dad was part of the Lions Club and myself and my older brother was put to work that night at the function as barmen and general runabouts. We were still busy wrapping up that party in the early hours of Sunday morning, the 29th of November, when the Sunday papers were delivered to the store fronts of the shops that sold them, with the news of the crash obviously being the front page news.
As a South African I am really happy that one of the SAA incidents were featured on one of your videos :D
Fortunately SAA had a very good record and there were not many to report
🇿🇦
And I can add to that if the current belly up condition of SAA continues, there should be no further flight instances
But sad 😔...
🇿🇦
I always appreciate the tone in which you address political/social situations pertaining to these accidents. You state it how it is, in the most concise and respectful way possible. You don't tell us unrelated information, only what we need to know. Another really great video as always!
I don't think "respected" is the right word since it implies there was something to be respected about what's being reported. Perhaps "neutral" or "unbiased".
@@DarkChasmGamers Respectful in this context moreso means, showing consideration when handling a topic. Ie; acting respectful at a funeral. It's not like 'I respect this person for dying', it's just another way of saying, 'showing tact.'
@Squillz Why does the political situation have to appear at all?
@@andrewdutoit9571 Why shouldn't it?
@@nocturnalrainbows6167 Well, all the other videos of aircrash incidents I have watched not once was the political systems of the where the Airline originated from were ever mentioned. Go see for yourself.
Helderberg Captain Uys had refused to take off with the dangerous cargo on board.
Beeld newspaper had previously carried reports about this argument. Uys reportedly only agreed to take off following telephone calls from a "senior SAA manager and a former cabinet minister", threatening him with summary dismissal if he did not take off immediately.
*_ South Africa was having a big problem with the Air Force jets being shot down regularly by the Angolan Air Defence due to them receiving Russian missiles that were far quicker than the South Africans had bargained. SA Lacked the Know-How to produce better Rocket Fuel and colluded with ?????? with the result samples were sent via Taiwan which Cpt Uys found out about and he was actually threatened together with his family if he didn't take off and return to SA..... There was NO weather delay in Taiwan.... he was negotiating the removal of the cargo!! _*
@@liongod1000 Yes that is the reasoning I also heard was correct from my friends who were pilots at SAA.
@@liongod1000 I heard from an ex-SAA employee of 40 years that Israel was supplying South Africa with rocket fuel via Taiwan, and it was an open secret that the Helderberg had rocket fuel aboard.
When were these reports. Around the time of the incident or after 1991?
Dr David Klatzow forensic scientist was retained by Boeing after the Margo Commission which was an inside job. There was an inquiry in 96.
Very interesting . As I recollect it was to have been Capt. Uys last flight prior to his retirement . RIP .
wow I didnt know that.... I have visited the memorial at the South African Airways museum at Rand Airport, they have a specific section for 295
i was on an sa navy strike craft that left durban 4hrs after the crash the pinger was located within 2 weeks or the crash but due to the depth nothing could b e done.we picked up flaoting debris which mainly consisted of cabin luggage was a very erie time
I remember reading about this incident, tragic accident. An extremely good rendition of what happened.
So sad for all the families who lost loved ones on this plane.
I first heard of this incident back in the day, however in a more dramatised manner that led to me having a misconception thereof. You, dear sir, have given me a better understanding of this event than I could ever have hoped to get elsewhere. It is indeed a great video.
The funny thing is a lot of Chinese gray market websites still ship lithium batteries undeclared on planes, so if you value the lives of the aircraft's crew the don't buy from lipos from them.
or just avoid mainland sites in general go for hongkong and taiwanese ones instead
Nowadays, I understand they have far better fire detection and suppression systems in cargo bays. So, the inevitable graymarket lith battery is unlikely to bring down a current aircraft.
Oh, also I think most stuff from China gets here via cargo ship.
That only dumps a ton of CO2 in the atmosphere, so, no worries, right?
😁😳😱
@@grmpEqweer well if the order arrives within about 3 months you know its not from a boat
@@testaccount4191
I think the ships have a 2 week turnaround time.
I'll go look into that and see if I can confirm.
This disaster has always intrigued me, mainly because it’s still a bit of a mystery to what caused it and due to the lack of documentaries and other programmes about it.
And somewhere out there there are people with answers
@@abdulryklief119 definitely.
Air Crash Investigation did an episode about this
@@engineerskalinera they certainly did. I can’t find a decent version of it online though
It was almost 100% wepons the south African government were smuggling
I'm under 2 minutes in and I gotta say, I *love* your approach to sensitive things, whether it be unsettling CVR's or politics. Just straight up honest with no censorship and in full context. Bravo.
Really enjoyed this video, one of your best yet! You approached apartheid in a respectful, neutral manner, which really helps the viewer understand why politics is important in this case. You didn’t overdo it, sensationalise or put personal feelings into the topic, you simply educated the viewer on a painful part of history as respectfully as you could, and personally I think you did a fantastic job. I have always appreciated your ability to tell a story to the viewer without sensationalisation, and I just wanted to let you know it is deeply appreciated and I heavily respect you for that.
You commend neutrality on crimes against humanity? Do you like neutrality on the holocaust well? Or do you like neutrality when it's people who look like you being barbaric to Africans?
I am neutral on farm killings of white farmers in South Africa. I would like to hear a fair respectful report on their killings. I hope the farm killings are reported fairly without any sensationalism.
Let's see how fair you are when it's whites being killed👍🏾💯
@@andrewdutoit9571 It matters greatly. I am from Botswana, when I land in Cape Town and see the first township driving from the airport, seeing the legacy of Apartheid I can't stomach being told it happened 30 years ago. So fucking what? White atrocities should just miraculously be wiped from memory?
Of course it didn't affect you so you are OK with it.
@@andrewdutoit9571 And yes reparations MUST be paid. Germany did to the Jews of Israel and recently negotiations for a payout to the Nama of Namibia.
@@andrewdutoit9571 You get more and more ignorant the more to write. Amazing how thick people really are out there. It really blows me away.
He approached the accident in a respectful and neutral manner NOT Apartheid. There is nothing respectful or neutral about Apartheid!
"F*ck, it is the fact that both came on, it disturbs me"
That alone is very haunting. You can hear the fear in his voice.
It is frightening that you hear a pilot is geniully frightened on the issue since most do their best to not be anxious until things are difficult to navigate.
Very well done as usual!! You should do a breakdown of Air Canada 621 and the Hinton train disaster! The arrow air crash in Gander would be a good one too👍🏻
This is the best video yet, which is saying a lot cuz you make the best aircrash videos on TH-cam. I know some info on this crash from the Air Disasters/Mayday series, but you presented it with a lot more accuracy and important details and no speculative drama. And using the actual recording was absolutely riveting and chilling. Bravo! Looking forward to more!
It's clear you took great care to approach this subject responsibly and objectively. It really shows and this is why this channel is so good.
It couldn't have been easy given the amount of uncertainty involved, and for this reason I think this is one of the best videos I've seen from this channel .
Your videos have become so well put together and polished! Hands down the best air accident channel on youtube! Been a subscriber for over a year. Keep up the amazing content!
Your presentations of aircraft accidents are by far the best on TH-cam, mainly due to your outstanding script and enunciation. Thank you so much.
How the CVR ends is so eerie. “Ah shit” followed by the screeching wobble sound, followed by what sounds like water gurgling. As of foreshadowing what’s to come.
You are my new favorite aviation channel. Great job on this much-discussed event. Thank you!
Sadly the flight data recorder was never found and even if it was found all the data will just be gone due to the ocean and corrosion additionally the structural stress that could’ve caused the crash was that the fire was so hot that it melted the metal on the top of the fuselage causing the tail to separate, additionally the flash fire theory is supported but a melted graphite tennis racket in the cargo graphite only burns at about 200-400 Celsius which supports the melting metal theory and as the fire began in the computer pallet it adds even more evidence to the flash fire theory therefore I believe that the lithium batteries ignited causing a flash fire that became so hot it could melt metal then the fire melted critical flight controls at the tail and the tail broke off due to structural stress
Rechargeable lithium batteries didn't commercially exist until 1991, four years after this plane crash. Lithium button cells existed back then but have generally been considered as safe as conventional alkaline batteries.
The old SAL livery is quite beautiful
Somehow reminds me of mango
Another Saturday. Another great video. Can’t wait for next week since it’s my birthday. Keep it up
Happy birthday for then!
You should make a video of the South African Airways Boeing727 that got hijacked on 24 May 1972. I have a very detailed video script if you are interested. It contains detailed reports by the captain, the hijacker and several others.
This is, by far, the best video you've ever done.
Hearing those breakers popping in rapid succession like that was scary.
Back when South Africa actually had an airline to be proud of. Now gone to shit with the rest of the country. Thanks ANC
Better gone than being treated like lower class in your own country.
Wish I could've been there
@@Kavi4GP it wasn't their country , they lost it in wars the same what happened to other country's that was taken over , if you don't know the history , stop flapping your lips , you are just exposing yourself as an idiot infront of the world.
An airline that smuggles weapons & flammables with passengers to their death is one to be proud of ? How many crashes has the airline had now that you’re not proud of it !
here's one more masterpiece from Disaster Breakdown
You just keep getting better and better at these. And they were good to start with! This can't be the easiest subject to cover week after week but your effort is very much appreciated.
RIP to the victims of this crash. Great work Disaster Breakdown.
Your videos are amazing ~
a viewer from Taiwan
first time comment here, apologize for some bad English.
I've looked through some information about this accident after watching episode of aci mayday years ago, and I would say this is more detailed than what's on the tv program.
as for the the cause of this accident, I would say that a fire caused by hidden weaponry or radioactive material is possible but minimal, and I'll list some facts and legends:
years before this accident, Taiwan had made a short range anti-armor vehicle missile by reverse engineering a soviet missile designated as 9M14, and how the government got the missile is said to be captured by south african army during conflicts and transported to Taiwan by a research ship after Antarctica exploration.
around 1987, the year of accident and end of martial lock in Taiwan, Taiwan had been developing nuclear weapons for years and nearing its completion, and months after the crash, a colonel exposed the secret to CIA, leading to the project's shutdown.
since the situation in south africa is not good, Taiwanese government may tried to smuggle firearms or even nuclear materials onboard the plane, leading to the crash.
the theory being unlikely is because there's no documents recording this move, and some (I think its mentioned in aci mayday) pallets have been checked prior to loading onto the plane, it's still possible due to the ties between Taiwan and south africa and some odd facts discovered during the investigation of the crash.
feel free to discuss, I'll reply them as much as I can. and those facts' reality is still questionable (most of them were on internet, whether its English or Chinese)
Interesting...
I also immediately thought of nuclear materials. South Africa was known to be working with countries such as Israel and Taiwan at that time. South Africa was already a nuclear power by the 1970's, with weapons and the technical know how to maintain production.
There was quite probably something a lot more sinister than "computer materials" in that plane's cargo hold.
You should consider the fact that SAA was part of IATA in those days and any contrevention of the agreement would compromise the whole Airline. As a result all flights would be grounded if found in contravention, you don't need a hint to know what that would cause. South Africa had other options to get any product it required be it military hardware et al they needed as there were clandistine Airlines working and sponsered by South Africa. So why take the risk, send the 707's to go get what you need and don't compromise the Airline with all the people employed and the outreach of the magnificent Orange tail don't you think?
@@andrewdutoit9571
Fair point Andrew. I don't have irrefutable evidence for what I said of course. It was more a point of questioning on my part. I do wonder though if governments never ever tried or were able to move questionable cargo on passenger flights, despite the IATA?
@@razakza I only speak from my own experiences working at SAA. I do believe the quality of the Airline staff whom were all truely passionate for their Airline, would never bend nevermind break the rules. As an example, one year we recieved only half a bonus with a promise of re-embersement later, when I left in 1990 it still wasn't paid yet, yet nobody striked, nobody moaned. A truely quality outfit up until then.
The editing gets smoother with every video. And I love these long ones. Man this channel is great.
I rarely comment on videos like this, though I subscribe and enjoy watching them. I just had to say that when you describe how some of the people on board died from carbon monoxide poisoning before the actual crash, I actually felt a bit relieved for them. I can't imagine anything more terrifying than dying in a plane crash. Carbon monoxide poisoning is supposed to feel like falling deeply asleep. It seems a much kinder way to go. May their memories all be for a blessing. May those who mourn them be comforted and know no more sorrow.
Thank you for doing these. I know it must be harrowing to research and present to us on TH-cam.
The problem was that the smoke was not pleasant, so most people were chocking/coughing before they died.
I live in South Africa and I'll never forget when this happened and where I was when I heard about it. I was just a young kid then, but it rocked the foundation of the nation when it happened. Living in the country during that political turmoil, I was too young to understand apartheid, but I do recall it was scary living in this country in the 1980's. I feel so sorry for those 159 people who perished on that plane. It must have been terrifying not knowing their fate. But hopefully many lessons have been learned from it.
It's hard to explain to people as white kids in South Africa we were non the wiser...
Your videos are amazing man keep it up. I look forward to watching every-time I see an upload
Creator is a woman 🤙🏼
Remember when you used to be so proud in making a 25 min plus video, and now you make 40 minute plus video daily? You really have come a long way in 2 years. ❤
When you're flying over the ocean, FL 140 is not "roughly" 14,000 ft. It is 14,000 feet. Chopping off the word "thousand" while annunciating the first numerals is standard international aviation radio speak. It's one of those agreed-upon rules that make communication briefer and more clear.
Incorrect. FLxxx means the altimeter is set to standard (pressure altitude), not mean sea level (QNH).
So FL140 is highly unlikely to be 14,000', unless the sea level pressure were 1013mb/29.92".
If the sea level pressure is 29.82" the true altitude would be 100' lower - 13,900'. If it is 30.02" - 100' higher.
Chloë was right.
Something not mentioned in this video is that the crew were discussing what they were going to have for dinner just before the fire alarm sounded. They don't serve dinner at that stage of the flight, so it is likely the cockpit voice recorder failed much earlier in the flight and the fire was extinguished. It probably reignited as the plane was approaching Mauritius. It is known that the crew were in contact with the company head office in Johannesburg, but the tapes of their selcall have conveniently disappeared.
Crazy how many things disappeared from those years.
Saw pictures of piles of documents with redacted text and deliberately damaged tapes and vinyls from the old regime. Censorship is so bizarre, and also cruel in a sense - even after it ends there's no way to recover those missing pieces of history and fill in the blanks.
Selcall?
@zookuki censorship an the former South African government go hand in hand. He'll they banned TV until the mid 1970s due to the fear of Afrikaners losing influence.
I have to fly across this ocean in a month…..
I need to give this types of videos a break. Til after lol
Omg same. I'm a super nervous flyer already, but I love listening to these. I think the combo of mystery and physics really hooks me. But it without a doubt makes me even more nervous and whenever I fly I'm like why did I binge watch videos about what makes planes go down?
How was your flight? Were you nervous?
A few years ago I flew from JHB International to Perth with SAA - just as we got to the edge of continent we had to turn back as the navigation unit had failed - we were a bit nervous until we landed back in JHB
A really nice video. I'm glad to see your channel steadily growing.
Amazingly well made as always, thank you for bringing attention to things I would otherwise never hear of!
Outstanding that you lets us hear the actual cockpit conversations. ❤
Fire on an airplane is very dangerous situation so it shouldn't be underestimated . Unfortunately, some of the worst air disasters are because of fire . I still think that somehow people underestimate such situations. In the case of Swiss Air 111 pilots reacted slowly and it quickly turned into a deadly situation
To underline your point about how dangerous fires on airplanes are, I remember reading conclusions that while Swiss Air 111 pilots reacted slowly and bureaucratically to the fire they wouldn't have made it even if they had immediately headed towards the closest airfield in order to land right away when the fire was first discovered, due to the relatively short time it took for the fire to become so severe that it disabled critical flight controls and potentially incapacitated the pilots as well.
@@meckelbu agreed
I am so glad that you were so blunt with the situation in South Africa during that time, calling it what is was: A racist regime.
I can’t can’t begin to imagined what it would feel like being discriminated against in your own country.
Awesome video as always! I do love to watch your disaster breakdowns and storytelling!
Unfortunately, that racist regime was replaced by an even worst regime that came with the worst corruption that the country has ever seen and with even more racist laws
a white racist government replaced with a black racist government
Do a reavaluation of Apartheid, if it wasn't for Apartheid there wouldn't be a Treasurery to bankrupt and no money to pilfer ala Zimbabwe.
If you live in the UK or US, you already are discriminated against in your own country. Not with the "you can't do this" style, but instead in the "we only want to hire/help/pay/give money to a group that doesn't include you" style.
Study the history before you expose yourself as an idiot infront of the world , what do you call the new black racist south africa today , Heaven ?
RIP to all on board flight 295. Captain Uys seems to have done everything possible to get to Mauritius, but they were still too far away and the fire wrecked the plane's systems. It was too early for it to have been lithium ion batteries that started the fire, so you do have to wonder what was in that cargo hold. Had the fire broken out an hour or so later, they might have made it to Mauritius. They were desperately unlucky. Fire mid flight must be the scariest of emergencies for the flight crew, along with reverse thrust deployment (which happened to Lauda air Boeing 767 over Thailand in 1991). I can only hope that all on board had passed out from smoke inhalation before the 747 actually crashed, but we may never know.
the quality of your content has become so amazingly good!
I saw this accident on another program before. It is a true aviation mystery as to what actually resulted in the Boeing 747-200 Combi to burst into flames. It is up there with MH370 Amelia Earhart, and Star Tiger. May those souls rest in peace.
MH370 was pilot suicide
@@kirilmihaylov1934 nowbody knows
Mayday probably with the 30 minutes of firefighting
@@pronto3_ there is evidence although circumstantial
Great episode. I'd never heard of this crash.
Great video! The only recommendation for the future is the CVR is way too loud compared to the rest of the video.
As others have stated, this is the best one yet! Length and content are fantastic. Looking forward to the next!
My husband's father was a pilot at the time and ironically he was scheduled to pilot this flight, however he refused to as he had inadvertently discovered what the cargo was that the CEO of SAA at the time had not only aware of but had threatened to fire him and he was forced to sign a NDA, when my husband father made clear he feelings of the danger of the pick up cargo.
He had discovered that the cargo was Red Phosphorous which had been purchased from Taipei. Given that he was so close to his retirement, he was threatened that not only would he lose his job but his retirement too if he disclosed this information to anyone else. This is a decision that to this day he regrets not saying anything and went through massive bouts of depression etc.
Do you know how he ended up inadvertently discovering what the cargo was?
Also, I'm sorry to hear he feels guilt over not saying anything about the cargo. I completely understand why he didn't say anything given how doing so would have destroyed everything he had spent decades of his life working for. Virtually everyone in his situation would have done the exact same thing. The fault exclusively lies with those that decided to put the cargo on the place, not him. And even he spoke up, the cargo almost assuredly would have just been placed on another flight anyways.
@@LunaticTheCat By the power of lies.
I am trying to remember name of the CEO of SAA
He was/is such an arrogant prick
Thank you for this video. I remember this clearly. I was 22. God Bless South Africa. May all who perished RIP.
That was amazingly well made. Good job! You got a new sub.
Amazing coverage of this incident. The best I’ve seen! Happy to be a new subscriber. Sent here from Green Dot ❤️
I’ve heard an this one but never watched it keep up the great work
Thanks, will do!
My late father lost one of his senior business partners in this crash. He was returning from Australia. He was to have returned a week prior on the same flight as the 5 other company guys he was travelling with but got food poisoning and stayed the extra week at his sisters in Australia.
The randomness of life and death. 5 minutes here, a moment faster there and the world collides.
The sober, unsensational description of these incidents is refreshing and definitely binge-worthy! Thank you for your impeccable work and attention to detail. You should be proud!👍
I hope I never get on your algorithm. All of mine are dry narratives!
The classic 747 looked great in in the old SAA livery.
Amazing video! I’ve always wanted to see this video.
I was on board SAA Helderberg on Sep,20, 1980. In about 12000ft the left engine exploded, after 30 sec the right one. The plane suddenly lost altitude and with a sound of German Stukas it was loosing altitude. I was in First and did not see the burning engines, but the SA Rugby Team was in Economy. I understood that most of them had be transferred to hospital when back on ground. After approx 4500 ft the pilot got this damn plane up. The first near crash was over for the Helderberg.
Helderburg's first flight was in November 1980, so it wasn't the plane you were on.
@@Ultinarok47 No, it was the Helderberg. I even had witnesses, unfortunately they died. Believe me I am sure
@Carpe diem Helderburg wasn't even called Helderburg until November 27th, 1980 when SAA acquired it. It's maiden flight was earlier that month. I don't doubt you flew on a malfunctioning plane, and it may have even been a 747, but it couldn't have been this plane. Moreover, there are no reported aviation incidents in the aviation database for the date you listed, so you may have the date wrong too given how long ago it was. This plane's VIN number shows no prior incidents before SAA 295 here.
@@Ultinarok47 Whatever, it was one of the experiences nobody needs. Funny enough, at about the same time of the near crash, my youngest daughter was born. Thx your attention
@Carpe diem My first son is about to be born too actually. Hope all is well with you both! Sorry, I just saw the date, and knowing a fair bit about these plane accidents, the date didn't add up. If anything, you're compelling me to try to locate the exact incident you experienced to see if I can find the circumstances of it online. Generally an incident that severe gets reported so there's probably a record somewhere.
Greetings from the U.S.
This channel really is my favourite on TH-cam
Remember all to well waking up to this news at the time. Dreadfull listening to the recordings.
Old is gold,thanks for video.
My Dad and brother were on stop over in Singapore at the time, he was a 747 commander with SAA and had chatted to this crew only hours before they left for Taipei en route to JHB via Mauritius. He has a pretty good idea of what was on board that flight as he was one of the last to speak to Bellagarda and Uys. Sadly it was Jimmy Deal who paid the price for opening his mouth about it.
Please do tell more?
@@ikbenvrij Don't waste your time, on every topic about this crash there are people who pipe up with "my spoke to the pilots before the crash but can never tell anyone what they said, tee hee" and it's always nothing more than a very obvious and pathetic attempt at attracting attention.
@@iankemp2627 hate it when people are like that, but then again i guess what counts for dogs also applies to humans. Negative attention is still attention.
thanks for the heads up though :-)
@@ikbenvrij You would think that someone who has a relative to a fellow SAA pilot would go public about the crash instead telling so in TH-cam comments.
@@iankemp2627 Ian, the reason it surfaced at the truth and reconciliation meetings WAS due to my dad. He did his level best to expose it. Out of respect for Jimmy, Lindy and Jermey Deal he agreed to drop it. All you need to know is that Jimmy didn’t die of a heart attack, he was murdered.
Rest in peace everyone that died. Great video.
I wonder was that the cockpit door about to be breached by the heavy smoke or inferno? If the backdraft reached the cockpit door, then all of the passengers were probably dead.
The front passenger door was opened a crack to fumigate the cabin!
Thank you for the long version. Well done.
there should be an option for all cargo planes including combis to just dump cargo like dumping fuel by installing a belly hatch or aft hatch that can fully open. it's crazy to think you can fight a fire with a dozen handheld fire extinguishers in a pressurized environment.
That would dumb because the pallets are locked to the floor manually. Opening the back end (1/3 of the plane), like an old military bomber, would cause decompression (while old bombers were designed to deal with that). Also, the investigators assesed that the fire was burning the ceiling by the time it was detected, so maybe too late.
If they did that, it’s possible to lose control because the center of gravity will at the point shift
In addition to the problems stated above, it would also require significant engineering work to overcome the pressure differential between the cargo hold and the rest of the plane if you opened it, which could otherwise cause explosive decompression.
@@MrJoeyWheeler Indeed. Old military b0mbers were deaigned to prevent decompressipn upon opening the hatch.
The Captain, Dawie Uys, was a family friend of ours and offered to give me flying lessons when I was a teenager……he was also SAAs chief pilot
I'm sorry for your loss....I actually bought an SAA Hally's comet stamped Envelope on ebay, I received it and it was addressed to him in the DUR office...couldn't believe it
This one was really good. I love your channel, keep it up
If I remember correctly a famous Japanese wrestler died in this air disaster.
You are correct, my good sir. Kazuharu Sonoda was the name of said wrestler. One of the original wrestlers in AJPW. He was also a former tag champion with The Great Kabuki. Him and his wife were on their honeymoon when they were on the forsaken flight.
@@HeathNation2465 Yes on their way to holiday in an Apartheid state that subjugated millions of people. 🙄 Karma happened and that evil plane never landed.
@@banyana6515 I suppose you did notice this video is about an aircraft accident, not about a Political system...or did you?
@@banyana6515 Yawwwwwn
@@mad-pit3832 That's how I feel about people sympathizing with a downed airline that supported racist terrorism😒
Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks for sharing.
Many conspiracies around this accident. I have once heard that the Cargo Compartment behind the passenger cabin was used by the crew to smoke during flight, it was also used to store crew baggage. Due to current embargo's on South Africa, with the onset on X-mas and the new year, conspiracy has it that crew bought fireworks and stored it as per their usual practise. It could have been ignited during a smoke break which then resulted in the fire. The initial fire could have been extinguished immediately, but re-ignited when the crew was not aware. I am also led to believe that there is some missing voice recordings, the tapes has gone missing. ZUR, which was SAA control centre HF, were apparently in conversation with the aircraft at the initial onset of the fire, those tapes went missing apparently. All conspiracies, but makes one think.
Not apparently, that ZUR tape did go missing, after it was first handed to captain Mickey Mitchell that same night. Something that has never happened before or since. Not to mention that the radio operator, Vernon Nadel, if memory serves, received a prime promotion from lowly radio operator to manager of the SAA offices in Miami within a few months, something which was also unheard of at the time. Judge Cecil Margo was also as corrupt as they come, in his investigation he mentions that the missing ZUR tape was of no great consequence.
Not to mention the fact that he also threatened a flight engineer that was part of an independent inquiry that was being done by the SAA flight engineer's association. I have a scan of a sworn statement made by Yvonne Bellagarda, the Helderberg's flight engineer's wife where she states that Margo summoned Jimmy Mitton to his chambers, where Margo had said to him to drop his line of inquiry and if he insisted on carrying on with it, his career and safety would be on the line.
O love this guy because he is an avid Flight Simmer like us. Yet he is taken it to the next level
The pilots tried there best to make it to Mauritius for an emergency landing