Esattamente 64 anni fa il Constellation dell'Air India "Malabar Princess" si schiantava sulle Alpi mentre era in avvicinamento a Ginevra. La posizione difficile del relitto e le condizioni meteo resero problematiche le operazioni di localizzazione e di soccorso. Potrebbe sembrare un incidente come tanti ma per anni la montagna ha continuato a rilasciare parti dell'aeromobile, oggetti vari, inclusa una cassetta di gioielli della quale non è certa la provenienza (un altro aereo dell'Air India si schiantò più o meno nello stesso luogo anni dopo). Perfino la posta trasportata scivolò a valle e fu recapitata 28 anni dopo! Questo incidente è sempre stato circondato da un'aura di fascino (ammesso che sia possibile che un incidente abbia fascino) e di mistero tanto che ispirò un libro ed un film del 1956.
I corpi degli sfortunati passeggeri sono ancora lassù.
La tragedia del Malabar Princess
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sardinian aviator
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La tragedia del Malabar Princess
È meglio rimanere in silenzio ed essere considerati imbecilli piuttosto che aprire bocca e togliere ogni dubbio
Re: La tragedia del Malabar Princess
Ecco alcune informazioni che ho trovato su questa tragedia che non conoscevo. Grazie Sardinian per averla ricordata!
http://www.conniesurvivors.com/pictures ... un05-3.jpg
http://www.conniesurvivors.com/pictures ... un05-1.jpg
Through a strange twist of fate, Mount Blanc in the Alps has been the site of two Air India crashes, which occurred fifteen years apart. Even stranger, the aircraft crashed within 200 meters of each other on the south rim of the mountain. The first crash involved L749A Constellation VT-CQP and occurred on November 3, 1950. The aircraft was operating as Flight #45 and all 40 passengers and 8 crewmembers were killed. Flight #45 had originated in Bombay with planned stops in Cairo and Geneva before reaching its eventual destination of London, England. While descending in preparation for landing at Geneva, it crashed into the mountain in heavy snow and high winds. Fifteen years later on January 24, 1966, Air India Boeing 707-437 VT-DMN was beginning its approach to Geneva when it crashed in almost the same spot on the mountain. As with the Constellation crash, there were no survivors among the 106 passengers and 11 crewmembers.
I recently received an email from Jean-Michel de Poivre with some photos of a main landing gear from the Constellation. The landing gear is on display at the Chalet des Glacier des Bossons, which is located on the left bank of the Glacier du Bossons on the edge of the moraine. The glacier flows for almost five miles and 11,500 feet down Mount Blanc at an average rate of about 900 feet per year. The base of the glacier is located in the Chamonix Valley and for the past twenty years airplane parts have been regularly spit out of glacier. The landing gear was found by Christian Mollier, owner of the chalet, in front of the chalet’s restaurant in 1986. It is often not possible to determine whether the parts are from the first or second crash but the landing gear are definitely from the Constellation. Jean-Michel says in his email that many of the parts found at the base of the base are in good condition despite having been encased in ice for over 55 years.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/rec ... 19501103-0
http://aviation-safety.net/database/rec ... 19660124-0
http://www.conniesurvivors.com/pictures ... un05-3.jpg
http://www.conniesurvivors.com/pictures ... un05-1.jpg
Through a strange twist of fate, Mount Blanc in the Alps has been the site of two Air India crashes, which occurred fifteen years apart. Even stranger, the aircraft crashed within 200 meters of each other on the south rim of the mountain. The first crash involved L749A Constellation VT-CQP and occurred on November 3, 1950. The aircraft was operating as Flight #45 and all 40 passengers and 8 crewmembers were killed. Flight #45 had originated in Bombay with planned stops in Cairo and Geneva before reaching its eventual destination of London, England. While descending in preparation for landing at Geneva, it crashed into the mountain in heavy snow and high winds. Fifteen years later on January 24, 1966, Air India Boeing 707-437 VT-DMN was beginning its approach to Geneva when it crashed in almost the same spot on the mountain. As with the Constellation crash, there were no survivors among the 106 passengers and 11 crewmembers.
I recently received an email from Jean-Michel de Poivre with some photos of a main landing gear from the Constellation. The landing gear is on display at the Chalet des Glacier des Bossons, which is located on the left bank of the Glacier du Bossons on the edge of the moraine. The glacier flows for almost five miles and 11,500 feet down Mount Blanc at an average rate of about 900 feet per year. The base of the glacier is located in the Chamonix Valley and for the past twenty years airplane parts have been regularly spit out of glacier. The landing gear was found by Christian Mollier, owner of the chalet, in front of the chalet’s restaurant in 1986. It is often not possible to determine whether the parts are from the first or second crash but the landing gear are definitely from the Constellation. Jean-Michel says in his email that many of the parts found at the base of the base are in good condition despite having been encased in ice for over 55 years.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/rec ... 19501103-0
http://aviation-safety.net/database/rec ... 19660124-0
Ale