707 And Fighters Miss By 50ft-80ft

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32386, 27 August 1970, Page 15

707 And Fighters Miss By 50ft-80ft

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) HONG KONG, August 26. 8.0A.C. said today that there was nothing to indicate that three United States Nayy jets deliberately buzzed its Boeing 707 jetliner in their near miss over the South China Sea.

“It was an incident of four aircraft getting in each other’s way” a spokesman of British Overseas Airways Corporation said of the moment of peril yesterday.

The 124 people aboard the jet missed death by no more than 50ft to 80ft as the crew flung it into a sharp right turn and 2000 ft dive to avert disaster. The Navy planes took evasive action, too. The 8.0.A.C. spokesman said that the three United States fighters that streaked toward the airliner ought to

have told South Vietnam's air traffic control that they intended to cross a commercial air corridor. He spoke after the Boeing’s commander, Captain Stuart Robertson, described what happened 25,000 ft up on the flight between Bangkok and Hong Kong. • Captain Robertson said: “We were flying at 25,000 feet when suddenly three United States Navy fighter planes flew across us from left to right, two above and one below.” The captain said: “It is difficult to judge at those speeds but we estimate they were only 50ft to 80ft away.” Passengers, lunch trays, hot coffee and baggage were flung about the jet's cabin as the co-pilot, Captain Colin Barnes, at the controls, threw the plane off collision course. Fourteen of those aboard were hurt and two were kept overnight in hospital in Hong Kong. -

Not On Radar Captain, Robertson said that he had no radar warning about the approaching jet

fighters. “We just saw them' come in fast.”

As the Boeing dived, the cabin crew were serving lunch. Seat-belts were unfastened. “It happened in a couple of seconds,” said a 56-year-old gardener, Mr Henry Weggin, who hit the ceiling twice. He told reporters: “Boy, it was rough.” Miss A. Ruiz, aged 26, of Los Angeles, said: “Trays went up and down and there was coffee all over the place. Many people screamed.” One passenger showed reporters a bruised wrist “My watch on my hand was gone,” she said. “Several ladies lost their wrist watches, too.” The co-pilot declined to talk about bis role. One of the injured passengers, Mrs Michael Saat, of Perth, related afterwards how she seized her two children when the 'aircraft dived. “I grabbed my two children and said to them, ‘Oh, that’s the end. Let’s pray. We are going down.’ “We had no time for panic it happened so quickly."