"Hello viewers, Keiko here...*I say this while traditionally bowing to the viewers, before bringing my head, my attention, and my eyesight, back up again, to once again continue to address the viewers*...
Now, remember, when I, several chapters back, wound up doing a chapter, that wasn't action packed viewers, hmm?...*I say this while smiling with both eyes closed, and my head, tilted to one side, in a cute manner*...
Now, this chapter, will in fact be, yet another, not action packed chapter...So viewers, like the chapter several chapters back...
And keep in mind viewers, that this is now going to be one of the only other times, that I am going to be giving this sort of permission to all of you in the exact same manner...
As you viewers, as of now, once again, have my absolutely full permission, to skip this chapter...But just know viewers, that once again, if you choose to do so...
You will, like the last chapter in which I wound up giving this exact same permission...You will once again, be missing out on vital information...But don't let that stop you viewers...By all means, do as you please, and take my permission to the letter...But like I have already said, you will wind up missing quite a bit...
Now then, who here, knows what a mid air collision is?...You know, when one airliner, be it commercial, cargo, or military, winds up colliding with another airliner, in mid air?...Yes viewers that is what a mid air collision is...
And while somewhat rare viewers...you will find, that they actually occur, a lot more then you might think...
Now then, we will be covering three of them in this chapter...And now for the first...
On 1 July 2002, BAL Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937, a Tupolev Tu-154 passenger jet, and DHL International Aviation ME Flight 611, a Boeing 757 cargo jet, collided in mid-air over Überlingen, a southern German town on Lake Constance, near the Swiss border. All of the passengers and crew aboard both planes were killed, resulting in a total death toll of 71.
The official investigation by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation...Or in German is...Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung -BFU...identified the main cause of the collision, was to be a number of shortcomings on the part of the Swiss air traffic control (ATC)...Which was the service in charge of the sector involved, as well as ambiguities in the procedures regarding the use of the traffic collision avoidance system on board...or TCAS, for short...
And for the record here viewers...at the time of the collision, that took place at 35,000 feet...or Flight Level 350...or FL350...for those who are interested in the aviation converted terms...
Anyway, at the time of the collision over Uberlingen...Flight 2937...which was a Russian Built Tupolev-Tu-154M...was carrying 60 passengers...5 pilots, and 4 flight attendants...for a total, of 69 passengers and crew...
And for those who are going to ask, why there were 5 pilots on board Flight 2937...Well, this was due to it being a sort of assessment flight...
Furthermore, Fight 2937 was on route, from Moscow in Russia, to Barcelona in Spain...
The second aircraft involved in the collision...DHL International Aviation ME Flight 611...was a Boeing 757-23APF...and on board, were only two pilots...bound from its stopover in Bergamo, Italy...and was heading towards Brussels, Belgium...
As for the angle of the collision, between the two aircraft...the DHL 757s vertical stabilizer wound up slicing through the mid section of the Tupolev, which caused it to tear apart...
And, rendered both aircraft completely uncontrollable...
Now then, on to the next mid-air collision...
On Sunday, August 31, 1986, Aeromexico Flight 498...which was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 operating a flight into Los Angeles LAX...was clipped in the tail section by N4891F...a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee...and both crashed into the Los Angeles suburb of Cerritos, killing all 64 on the DC-9, all three on the Piper...and an additional 15 people on the ground. Eight on the ground also sustained minor injuries. Blame was assessed equally on the Federal Aviation Administration...or FAA for short...and the pilot of the Cherokee. And, no fault was found with the DC-9 or the actions of its crew.
And for the record here viewers...at the time of the collision...
Aeromexico Flight 498..was carrying 58 passengers...2 pilots, and 4 flight attendants...for a total, of 64 passengers and crew...
Furthermore, Fight 498 was on route, from General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport...in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico...to Los Angeles International Airport...Or LAX for short...in Los Angeles California...
The second aircraft involved in the collision...A Piper Cherokee...had on board, were only two passengers and the pilot...bound from Zamperini Field...in
Torrance, California...to Big Bear City Airport...in
Big Bear Lake, California...
And as for the angle of this collision, between the two aircraft...the Piper Cherokee wound up slamming into Flight 498s tail, which caused the horizontal and vertical stabilizers to detach in flight...And wound up severing the entire canopy of the Piper...
And, like the Uberlingen Mid-Air Collision...wound up rendering both aircraft completely uncontrollable...
Now then, onto the final mid air collision, and this one, is a very bad one...
Moreover, it to this day, still the worlds deadliest mid air collision...
On 12 November 1996, Saudia Flight 763, a Boeing 747 en route from Delhi, India, to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia...and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Ilyushin Il-76 en route from Chimkent, Kazakhstan, to Delhi...collided over the city of Charkhi Dadri...
At the time of the collision...Saudia Flight 763...was carrying 289 passengers...3 pilots...and another 20 crew members...
As for flight 1907...it was carrying 27 passengers...4 pilots...and 6 flight attendants...
And as for the angle of the collision...the left wing of the Kazakh flight sliced through the left wing of the Saudia 747...while the left horizontal stabilizer of the 747...sliced off the vertical stabilizer...including the horizontal stabilizer...of the Kazakh flight....The crippled Saudi Boeing then immediately lost control...and went into a rapidly descending spiral...with fire trailing from the wing...and wound up breaking up in mid air...before crashing into the ground at a nearly supersonic speed of 1,135 km/h...or 613 knots...or 705 mph...
And with most of its left wing and vertical stabilizer now gone...the Ilyushin went into a flat spin and crashed into a field at a flat attitude near the wreckage of the Saudia plane.
And out of all 349 passengers and crew aboard both aircraft...there were no survivors...
Furthermore viewers...I mean absolutely no disrespect, to anyone whose lives were lost in these tragedies...nor do I mean any disrespect, to anyone who lost somebody in these tragedies...
My only goal with this, is to help pay my respect, to those who were killed, and those who lost somebody in these tragedies...
Now then viewers...with this all now done...I will see you all in the next chapter...Which for the record viewers...is going to be another one of these chapters...But don't worry, as we will be getting right back into the action, in the chapter after the next one...okay?...*I say this, while smiling with both eyes closed, and my head, tilted to one side, in a cute manner*"