25th October 1960 Commercial Boeing 707 mistakes RAF Northolt for Heathrow and lands.

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by CL1, Jan 28, 2019.

  1. Blutto

    Blutto Banned

    This requires a little bit of rudimentary aviation knowledge to understand what probably occurred, not demonstrated in the 'Ruislip' article and a skill/knowledge set that is a specialty of mine..
    I can recall an aerial photo showing the gasometer with both markings, much like a 'keep left' on a roundabout, plus the two photos look like identical gasometers.
    There is no (and that is really a NO) reason that an aircraft approaching the main E/W runways at Heathrow would have picked Northolt, hence why the story as related to me is more than plausible.
    Of course that it came from people that may have actually been there at the time, could also lend some credence.
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    The gasometes were exactly tthe same type
    from a non expert in anything
    I would think the pilot for whatever reason was on the wrong course whilst flying east to west over London and instead of following the Thames which would have been below him he was for whatever reason flying north of the Thames east to west with it to his port side and continued on the wrong course saw the South Harrow gasometer from a few thousand feet up then headed for it passing over Harrow on the Hill 400 odd feet above sea level and landed at Northolt
     
  3. Blutto

    Blutto Banned

    Ummm, the problem starts when you say "I would think". Of course if you were talking about lobbing rocks and things onto passers by, it might add credence to your thoughts.
     
  4. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    unless he was on course for Heathrow then a few miles away hung a sharp right then a left which would aim him at Northolt

    obviously the pilot made a mistake and my take on it as a non expert assumed he was further north of the Thames than he should have been or even indeed coming in from the west and did the same in reverse either way he landed at Northolt

    photo below of the pilot
    [​IMG]
     
  5. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    CL1 likes this.
  6. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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