Incident between a Laker 707 & BCal 1-11's
Gatwick - Early 1970s
Gatwick - Early 1970s
Please, if you have any photo's you can share or show on this site, please drop me a line anytime, bcalatribute@outlook.com
My thanks go to Andrew Rozumski for sending in his photos of this incident, which happened at the Domestic Pier of the South Terminal back in the early 1970's.
Andrew recalls: "We saw the incident happen outside our office at about 0500hrs (we used to work in Export cargo at the time).
The Laker 707 was being towed from the hangar to a stand on P2 but as it went around the bend by Stand 1 (after crossing the threshold of runway 26L) the two bar pin broke and there was no brake man in the cockpit and the aircraft came to a rest in between the BCAL 1-11s."
I have done some digging and the Laker 707 is G-AWDG (you can tell by the fuselage panel colours under the nose and the lower ventral fin). The two BCal 1-11's are G-AWYV and G-ASJI (we think).
In the first photo below the -200 is nearest the camera in the foreground, and the top of YV's tail can just be seen behind the Laker 707.
Andrew recalls: "We saw the incident happen outside our office at about 0500hrs (we used to work in Export cargo at the time).
The Laker 707 was being towed from the hangar to a stand on P2 but as it went around the bend by Stand 1 (after crossing the threshold of runway 26L) the two bar pin broke and there was no brake man in the cockpit and the aircraft came to a rest in between the BCAL 1-11s."
I have done some digging and the Laker 707 is G-AWDG (you can tell by the fuselage panel colours under the nose and the lower ventral fin). The two BCal 1-11's are G-AWYV and G-ASJI (we think).
In the first photo below the -200 is nearest the camera in the foreground, and the top of YV's tail can just be seen behind the Laker 707.
G-AWYV appears to have been pushed by the 707's wing, which is why she is angled and quite a way from the stand's centre line.
BCal 1-11 G-AWYV's starboard wing is wedged under the Laker 707. BCal Engineering's Ron Thaxter (in the hat) with Pete Davies and Jesse James can be seen walking towards the 707's nose wheel. I am sure Dad, Pete and Jesse are less than impressed with the damage to two serviceable 1-11's.
The BCal 1-11-200's port wing is caught by the Laker starboard engine
Does anyone recall the incident at all or know more about it please?
I would be pleased to know more myself and place any recollections here for folks to read, please drop me a line anytime
My thanks to Ian Barber for suggesting the name of Jesse James (Quality) for the 3rd photo and also for the -200 Reg, G-ASJI
And thanks to Stephen James, Jesse's son, for confirmation of names and events
I would be pleased to know more myself and place any recollections here for folks to read, please drop me a line anytime
My thanks to Ian Barber for suggesting the name of Jesse James (Quality) for the 3rd photo and also for the -200 Reg, G-ASJI
And thanks to Stephen James, Jesse's son, for confirmation of names and events