A young man, still in his late 20’s, survived 2 aircraft crashes in WWII and two others as a pilot for Pan Am. On June 18, 1947, he got a seat on the Clipper Eclipse in Karachi, Pakistan (then in India), for a flight to Istanbul with the designation Pan Am Flight 121. Five hours into the flight, the number one engine developed a fault and was shut down. The plane was able to fly on three engines. However, they began to overheat, and the pilot descended to a lower altitude to allow the engines to cool. A second engine caught fire, and fire suppressant measures failed to extinguish it. While the pilot attempted to land the plane, he went to the cabin to calm the passengers. He was certain at the time that he was going to die, as the engine fell from the wing, exposing fuel lines, causing the fire to spread. The plane descended rapidly. As he unbuckled himself from a seat to calm a woman, it crashed in the Syrian Desert. Though he had two broken ribs, he began to evacuate passengers from the burning plane with the other crew. He had to force the broken seatbelt of the Maharani of Phaltan open so that she could leave the plane. He repeatedly re-entered the plane to pull out more passengers; some were burning and he used pillows to extinguish the flames. The wind turned, causing the fire to engulf the plane, and he was unable to make any further trips. He took charge in the aftermath, and, after a group of local tribesmen proved to be of no help, he formed two teams to search for civilization. The team he led trekked four miles across the desert to the town of Mayadin, where he telephoned the emergency landing strip at Deir ez-Zor, some 38 miles (61 km) away. In response, the Syrian Army dispatched planes with medical teams to the crash site. He returned to the site to assist the survivors. Fourteen people died in the crash; eleven passengers needed hospital treatment, eight were unharmed. The man’s name was Eugene Wesley Roddenberry. Yes, that Gene Roddenberry.
C about 1 year ago
Never buy wings made in China
Imagine about 1 year ago
Maybe shouldn’t have left the wings out in the sun to dry out.
David Huie Green AmericaIsGreatItHasUs about 1 year ago
“Not enough surface area, not enough flying power, too weak a set of materials. Oh, and a moron at the controls.”
scote1379 Premium Member about 1 year ago
Yes FACEPLANT, A 5 on the Wiley Coyote scale, 2 points deducted for having wings !
Enter.Name.Here about 1 year ago
The NTSB has already come to a conclusion. The accident came about from failure of the “nut” that holds the wings. ;-)
Doug K about 1 year ago
Don’t count your flights until you’ve landed (successfully).
silberdistel about 1 year ago
Until “crack” and “snap” he looks so gracefull :-D
BigBoy about 1 year ago
Flight of the Dodo
Nuke Road Warrior about 1 year ago
NTSB: Government bureaucracy, the closest thing to eternal life on the planet.
Just-me about 1 year ago
Icarus, the early days.
Doug Taylor Premium Member about 1 year ago
First two frames – The thrill of victory
Last two frames – The agony of defeat
jagedlo about 1 year ago
Pilot error…they should have picked a different pilot…
mfrasca about 1 year ago
Early in the morning sunlight
Soaring on the wings of dawn
Here I’ll live and die with my wings in the sky
And I won’t come down no more
Well, maybe I will
- K Livgren
incognito about 1 year ago
Just out of the frame in the last panel is another hole with a cayote in it….
rockyridge1977 about 1 year ago
We are not in Kitty Hawk……Toto
Old Time Tales about 1 year ago
It shouldn’t take long to solve this puzzle :)
Pohka about 1 year ago
Simple answer, pilot error. Appears the pilot failed to check the craft for structural issues prior to flight. Should have done a walk around.
vaughnrl2003 Premium Member about 1 year ago
Like everything else. Pilot error. …sigh
wongo about 1 year ago
“NTSB”? National trombone shipping box"?
ladykat about 1 year ago
That had to hurt!
sandpiper about 1 year ago
Good launch. Really bad landing.
ChessPirate about 1 year ago
Same man’s last flight…
Zebrastripes about 1 year ago
Look around, you may see remains of the Roadrunner….meep meep
ron45wells about 1 year ago
is that Neanderthal Traffic Safety Board?
JPuzzleWhiz about 1 year ago
Near the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eooFXQBKRc
T... about 1 year ago
The government is all pervasive…
j.l.farmer about 1 year ago
I didn’t know that the NTSB had been in existence that long.
daleandkristen about 1 year ago
B1……Rotate.
I’ve learned the lingo from watching May Day: Air Disasters
Teto85 Premium Member about 1 year ago
A young man, still in his late 20’s, survived 2 aircraft crashes in WWII and two others as a pilot for Pan Am. On June 18, 1947, he got a seat on the Clipper Eclipse in Karachi, Pakistan (then in India), for a flight to Istanbul with the designation Pan Am Flight 121. Five hours into the flight, the number one engine developed a fault and was shut down. The plane was able to fly on three engines. However, they began to overheat, and the pilot descended to a lower altitude to allow the engines to cool. A second engine caught fire, and fire suppressant measures failed to extinguish it. While the pilot attempted to land the plane, he went to the cabin to calm the passengers. He was certain at the time that he was going to die, as the engine fell from the wing, exposing fuel lines, causing the fire to spread. The plane descended rapidly. As he unbuckled himself from a seat to calm a woman, it crashed in the Syrian Desert. Though he had two broken ribs, he began to evacuate passengers from the burning plane with the other crew. He had to force the broken seatbelt of the Maharani of Phaltan open so that she could leave the plane. He repeatedly re-entered the plane to pull out more passengers; some were burning and he used pillows to extinguish the flames. The wind turned, causing the fire to engulf the plane, and he was unable to make any further trips. He took charge in the aftermath, and, after a group of local tribesmen proved to be of no help, he formed two teams to search for civilization. The team he led trekked four miles across the desert to the town of Mayadin, where he telephoned the emergency landing strip at Deir ez-Zor, some 38 miles (61 km) away. In response, the Syrian Army dispatched planes with medical teams to the crash site. He returned to the site to assist the survivors. Fourteen people died in the crash; eleven passengers needed hospital treatment, eight were unharmed. The man’s name was Eugene Wesley Roddenberry. Yes, that Gene Roddenberry.
Sir Davecelot about 1 year ago
Man’s first crash too.
eddi-TBH about 1 year ago
Inadequate materials. The bane of every inventor.
WentHulk about 1 year ago
lol