Fanning The Flames | South African Airways Flight 295
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- čas přidán 26. 12. 2018
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South African Airways Flight 295 was a commercial flight from Taiwan to South Africa. On 28 November 1987, the aircraft serving the flight, a Boeing 747 Combi named Helderberg, experienced a catastrophic in-flight fire in the cargo area, broke-up in mid-air, and crashed into the Indian Ocean east of Mauritius, killing all 159 people on board. An extensive salvage operation was mounted to try to recover the flight data recorders, one of which was recovered from a depth of 4,900 metres (16,100 ft).
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My two cents worth - I was the fire chemical importer and reseller of BCF Halon fire fighting gas at the time of the Helderberg crash. SAA asked me to come in and give comment on the fire aspects of the crash and information on the performance of BCF in the aircraft.
The Boeing 747 Combi had about 11 x 1 kg BCF gas portable fire extinguishers on board. Each of these could tackle a standard fire in a 19 cubic metre cargo container quite successfully. Remember that the engines also use a Halon extinguishing system based on a sister chemical BTM.[ still used today I believe]. The standard cargo boxes you see being loaded into cargo holds are about 10 - 15 cubic meter capacity and some may be larger but have to fit onto the rails in the cargo bay and some are shaped to fit the fuselage. The upper deck could be converted easily for more or less passengers and cargo.
The Combi means that the bulkhead dividing the passenger area from the upper cargo area could be moved to change the seating layout for more or less cargo as required. This is important as the air-conditioning system ran most of the length of the upper deck to accommodate more passenger seats.
All 11 fire extinguishers were used up according to the SAA technical staff at Jan Smuts [ORTIA] technical center [ opposite where Emperors is now].
All 11 ! I asked what kind of fire did they have ? They wouldn't say.
I did see a series of photographs from the undersea and recovered wreckage.
Someone asked why it took a year to find the black box - 5 000 meters deep - that's why. Huge wreckage field.
The Photographs, like Dr Klatzow mentioned, showed severe fire damage in the cargo area with the potential that the fire had ignited enough other materials to burn towards the rear power generator unit in the tail.
This is uncertain. But would be explained by two fires.
Fire one is contained but most of the BCF units are used up or it was from a different source and was put out or was cooled but not actually extinguished - some materials do this then can reignite.
The toxic fumes from that fire would be picked up by the cabin air-conditioning system and filtered a bit then pumped back into the passenger section ! This is why Dr Klatzow believes some passengers had already died from the first fire. The emergency oxygen to passengers would not last a full 8 hour flight as it is to allow time to descend to a safe height and find a landing field or ditch in the sea.
Both options were denied to Captain Uys by Pretoria [ His wife, Jana lived next to a friend of mine who chatted with her a lot but still doesn't open up on everything. He suspects they were both threatened and comments about Judge Margo's words to the Flight engineers wife are consistent with this].
The Pilot and cockpit crew have a much longer oxygen supply.
I speculate that all the passengers and cabin crew were dead some time before the aircraft failed to fly any longer from fire number two.
What I did see from the photographs and the interview were three things that stuck in my memory:
1 - the fire looked like it had burned through the outer skin of the fuselage and I remarked that only a metallic fire would be that hot and that BCF would not have been able to handle a metallic oxide type fire such as magnesium oxide / aluminium oxide or a similar agent. These need what is called a Utectic Compound specifically engineered for that type of oxide [ have their own oxygen molecule so keep burning even under water !]. The SAA guys said nothing - I did not know it could be Ammonium Perchlorate which would also burn violently and may have been cooled by the quantities of BCF sprayed on it which may have smothered but not completely extinguished the substance in fire 1].
2 - the seats I saw were about 3 inches wide and compressed together - yes you sit on a nice seat with a backrest and arms that are firm. The seats were crushed together so hard they were flattened ! I did not see any human remains so I guess the idea of the passengers being moved to the first class section behind that fixed bulkhead could be valid. I was not told where that seat photograph was situated.
3 - the SAA guy said that the impact with the sea broke the main spar that connects the wings to the body of the aircraft and he supposed that the cargo broke loose and crushed the seats in front of it. This main spar is incredibly strong and suggests vertical nose first dive into the ocean. If the generator unit in the tail had failed due to the intense fire, it may have resulted in a complete loss of hydraulics and all control of the aircraft so it couldn't fly.
Dr Klatzow mentions the last words of the Captain to ATC Mauritus that they had a smoke problem. i guess he could hardly see out of the cockpit windows by that time , [ speculation on my part as the cockpit may have had a way to vent smoke] and fire 2 was now well underway with no one and no fire appliances left to fight it !
What I would like to know is whether Captain Uys was cleared to descend lower before landing or not? two thoughts are , if your passengers are dead, staying higher means less oxygen for the fire and longer fuel range. If granted to fly lower with still living passengers and crew, this gives them a chance after the emergency oxygen runs out but probably not a pressurised cabin any longer, but survivable and also allows a quicker ditch procedure to be performed.
That a cover up happened? No Doubt. That ANC higher ups would not pursue this matter is even more telling.
Of coincidence - my brother was working on the building of Koeberg Power station and said the Nuclear rated welding teams relief crews were on the Helderberg which affected their project and I recall 3 main events that weekend - My hotel in Durban had a fire, the Helderberg incident, and my office block in Braamfontein had a fire! All this while I was the Fire Chemical specialist.
This event is still so fresh in mind and I have David Klatzow's book in my bookcase. Will we ever know the truth? No - it is not in the National or International interest to divulge the ins and outs of the regimes involved in this disaster. For a hint - find the book: 'In search of Enemies' by John Stockwell former CIA director for Africa. You will learn about wars and proxy wars and shifting alliances the public are not supposed to know [ a bit of George Orwell's 1984 played for real].
Thanks
I have heard that "Boy George" was on that plane.Why would he smoke a cigarette in the cargo bay shaped like missile that could down a Cuban-flown MiG-23ML during a "conflict" in Angola in 1987?
Thank you very much for your in-depth information!
Thank you!!!
This is very interesting ! Only recently learned of the possible ammonium perchlorate in the cargo hold. Have heard over the years about something that was there that should not have been there but this is a first that I actually heard what it was speculated to be. This would then actually link this mystery to another and that is of the so called Vella Incident. The ammonium perchlorate is used in rockets. The Vella incident was a double flash near the prince Edwards Islands that has always been suspected of a South African nuclear bomb test. In which case they will never find the answers as I am sure that the old south african government made 100% sure to wipe the slate clean of any info before handing it off to the new government as what more of a juicy bit of scandal that would have been for them to expose and make the old one look even worse. Makes you wonder what other nasty secrets they made disappear ?
This was way more than two cents.
The last word on the captain replied “Kay” gives me chills and it haunts me.
Captain had resigned himself by then -he left it too late to ditch!
The feeling is that the Captain knew what was coming up and that he wouldn't need all that control tower information anyway. It was all just a formality..
💔😷🌹💐
About to hop on a 13hr flight and I'm watching this.
Smart move, me, real smart.
issa joke smh
Your chances of dying is still slim. You are more likely to die in a car crash then on a plane.
@@nolimitarmani nah
@@annetteslife my guy i was kidding. i knew i was fine
@@SmugTomato sorry I am a chick.
Opening the cabin doors inflight - that's a new one on me
Getting some O2 for the fire is another: take a closer look at the title. They would have just got O2 with the door, casing a flash fire.
@Donovan Hale You're making a point.
As a former 747-200 crewmember I can confirm there was s smoke-removal procedure by slightly open doors 1 and 5. The doors do not entirely open as shown in this video. They would just open towards the cabin by a few centimeters.
The cause of this tragic fire were fireworks, loaded in Taipeh.
Since then it is not allowed to load fireworks in aircrafts, wether it's a cargo or passenger plane.
Really? Omg, open the doors
@@h0ne5t1y3 at 14000 feet and 200 knots no problem at all.
Yes yes yes!!!! Finally!!! My father was a crew chief for SAL and missed this flight with my mom by a week (she was a flight attendant) they were on their honeymoon and SAL gave them one week extra leave. They lost their best friends on this plane Magda and Hennie.
I wrote to you about a year ago to ask for this video, thank you very much I can't wait to show them this. I appreciate it a lot!!!
Wtf? A honeym00n? Why were maggy and Henry on the plane? Went they supposed to be on honeymoon to?
@@theenzoferrari458 Magda and Henry were not married only dating...terrible day for my parents.
@@marceljoubert5738 wait wut? So the airline let's dating co-workers work together? Maybe they should have missed flight. Like have sex and be late to work and be like whoopsie sorry we didnt make it. Then they would be alive and magda and henry have kiddo.
@@theenzoferrari458 remember this was way back when so they did not care so much about couples or as I understand it they did not know until my mom and dad got married.
Thank you but what is shown is only the tip of the iceberg-thanks though.
Hi i'm from mauritius... i still remember this doomday 28nov1987.... the plane fell down near a beach name belle mare... some people said they saw something falling or made an explosion in the darkness far on the sea...very sad RIP.... return if possible...their was a monument erected by the south african airways on the beach of belle mare
Man, it feels painful to have a fire aboard and you’re more than 150 miles away to the nearest airport stranded over an ocean. It’s a bad time to have a fire in a middle of a flight and the middle of the ocean.
Please read my comment. I am South African and even though we were going through political termoil, (still are) very reliable sources leaked the word that the Helderberg was carrying nuclear waste, for dumping. Eventually our nuclear plants were shut down. RIP 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
@@nolimitarmani yes, that is the latest, gruesome news. It's not the AFF, which is the Afrikaner Freedom Forum BUT the socialist and violent, currupt and self serving, EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) who actually manipulated the ruling ANC to put the draft out, with no notice just before Christmas, damn Cowards. We all hoped our new president would be stronger than that, and it would not get published. There is a referendum going around now where we can state whether or not we approve of it and add comments to justify or condemn this "legal" theft. I have completed it 3 times but each time it has been returned that the email box receiving it is full. So many people are infuriated. I will try and complete it again. It is stronger than a petition as it carries the weight of all the other parties. So what will the outcome be, massacre, murder, looting, an even greater fall in the value of our junk currency. Food costs will escalate as new squatters on the farm have absolutely no idea how to farm and honestly nor do they want to. They want the land purely for the sake of squatting on it. I am trying to put it out of my head till new year is over and one of my sons home from the Netherlands and my daughter who is here with boyfriend have returned to Cape Town. My other son lives in the UK. As soon as my daughter, who is studying a degree which is 8 years long, I am sure the will also leave. Perhaps to his paternal country, Germany or to my daughter's paternal country, the UK. I thank you for even thinking about our dark times and wish you and yours a peaceful, healthy and happy 2019
@@nolimitarmani Thank you. 🇿🇦
Carol Morris God Speed. I hope The People are able to control their government and stop this madness. I pray for every good person there.
@@TheProPilot Bless you and thank you for caring. I wish you a healthy happy and peaceful 2019 🙏🇿🇦
I remember this. As a South African, I think it was the first crash I'd ever heard of involving our flag carrier. It was an awful feeling.
Yes, I also remember it very well, and you are right, it was our first airline crash. RIP 🇿🇦 🇿🇦
There were two others. The Rietbok crashed off the coast of Transkei and a Boeing 707 crashed on takeoff at Windhoek.
There was the Windhoek disaster (707) and an Eastern Cape disaster.
@@dianamincher6479 The B707 was the Pretoria...
Oh god, this is so painful for me. I had family on this flight. I remember watching the news with TV anchor Michael de Morgan and watching all those names rolling across the screen. A very sad time.
Damn, that must have been rough. Very sorry for your loss.
@@FarTooFar thank you.
Yes, I must have known at least 4 cabin crew members, maybe more and the co-pilot.
I remember Michael de Morgan so well. He actually had a small role in the "Dambusters" movie. @@dianamincher6479
@@bevan-ferreira7684 Interesting-but what's that got to do with the Helderberg, with respect?
I was so hoping for a happy ending. The actuality made it even more poignant.
Great that you used the actual cockpit recordings.
What a horrible tragedy! All those people, just so heart-breaking. Very well put together video (as always) and thank you for the upload!
Yes, all those people who flew an airline that supported Apartheid South Africa eh? They were complicit with the oppression of my people. Flying South African airways means they were happy to do business with an evil regime of white South Africa. No loss.
This is a result of compliance. They should have begun evacuation as soon as the ground speed would allow. That flight crew were idiots.
Of course Apartheid and racism has to always be brought into it. The video isn't even about that.
@@ButternutBanyana sad, that you use such a horrible tragedy to show your lack of compassion and empathy, and bring politics into a plane crash! No one (or not many), condone apartheid, but when you are so insensitive, and gloat over the terrible ending for others, it doesnt make you look good! It's like someone gloating over a tire around the neck burning victim - perhaps you were one of the people dancing around the burning, writhing bodies?
It must have been a terrifyingly long slow agony for the conscious passengers!
I've been flying for quite a while now, and there are only two things that scare me about operating an airplane........an inflight fire and a structural failure.
The first one will usually lead to the second one..........
As a former flight attendant I know what it means. If you cannot succesfully fight a inflight fire within a max. of 10 minutes, you are lost! My nightmare would have been a fire behind some structure you cannot fight from the cabin.
Our cabin crews were very strictly trained in all kinds of fire fighting, including disassembling all possible cabin and galley coverings to reach a possible fire behind them. The training was so real that sometimes it scared us to death! But in real life we definitely were prepared!
@@Schrottkralle Yes indeed, quick is the operative word.......
Also, it's the cabin crew who will almost always fight the fire, the people in the front office have our hands full with getting the plane on the ground as fast as possible.
Yeah practically all pilots seem to agree an onboard fire is just about the worst thing that can happen up there.
Luckily, plane crasges are mostly pilot error, pilot suicide, or trrrorism
Yeah, fire is my big fear too. I grew up in cockpits as my dad was a flight instructor. I kind of feel like it's the one thing that has the potential to trigger a catastrophic chain reaction that is almost always fatal. Everything else is usually manageable (remember the British Airways pilot that literally got SUCKED OUT through a hole in the windscreen and they STILL managed to land it?) but the thought of a fire really genuinely scares me.
As soon as I read" cargo", I knew there would be trouble
Combi planes are half passenger and half cargo. What a hellaciously stupid idea. Putting cargo and people together.
@@SWIFTO_SCYTHE Yes and sometimes people get feelings of "Snakes In A Plane" movie in real life
@@SWIFTO_SCYTHE : Depends on the cargo. Fireworks not recommended, but Halloween costumes would be fine.
Reminds me of Saudia Flight 163 and UPS Flight 6.
TheAllaksion Alaska Airlines has 737 Combis and it’s really the only way to get passengers and mail from a certain city in Alaska (i forgot which) to Anchorage.
How tragic for the families of the victims! The pilots did followed the instructions and regulations to the best of their ability and lost the battle. That must be heartwrenching to this day for the families--never knowing what really happened.
The scary thing about plane is not its chance of crash but the fact that you dont have enough grip on the situation
Same. Bad passenger in a car for same reason, - don't even mention going pillion on a motorcycle.
Oh. I've seen this on TV about SAL 295 as well on NG a month back. Thanks for recreating this one Allec.
First Officer finds a “blazing inferno”.
Captain to Ground Control: “We have a smoke problem”.
Some reason for this massive understatement?
This seems to happen a lot in AJI and TFC videos. Pilot: "yes, ATC we have a small issue and might have to descend..." OUT OF FUEL, all 4 engines flamed out over Mtns at night...
It seems from these many cases Allec Joshua Ibay has documented, communication plays a role, and one of the ways, besides blatant miscommunication, is some party in a chain of messages who unfathomably de-escalates a grave situation in order to remain calm.
On the plus side the fire was eventually extinguished.
@@trent3872 Too soon.
Why didn't Captain at least try to ditch instead of flying around the block?
That flight was in 1987, basically no regulations back then. They could have had even gasoline in the cargo area, any aerosol. Back then you could carry whatever you wanted as a passenger.
With respect, no you couldn't-height of Apartheid-country sliding, lots of strict restictions, heavy surveillance-difficult time.
there were regulations, just none for in-flight fires.
XTT seriously? Anything?
It could be laptops with li ion batteries
@vjrei You are incorrect with your asumption that there were no rules for hazardous cargo. Dangerous cargo was governed by IATa whom SAA was a member, really flamable and hazardous cargo could only go by freighter aircraft.
Wonderful work yet again. You're the definitive air disaster channel on youtube. RIP to all onboard.
Ah yes, flying and fire; two of my biggest fears... COMBINED.
Wondering if he tried to ditch and ran out of time and altitude, thus breaking up along the water surface as the fire raged .. without the recorded data, we’ll never know what actually happened.
RIP the souls on this flight.
I think it broke apart high above the ocean... The fire probably burned through enough the back end & it just ripped apart. So sad
I believe the aircraft broke up in midair. you can hear air rushing out towards the very end of the voice recorder
czcams.com/video/5xNhUUpRRL0/video.html at 29:30
@@xyzlojones264 the recorder stopped a few minutes into the fire. The crash was never recorded audibly.
@@AllecJoshuaIbay my grandfather was one of the lead investigators. He told me everything. Sadly the truth is beeing kept from the public
Daniel457, well that’s definitely a teasing thing to lay on the table
May the 159 victims rest In peace :'(
Excellent work as always Allec.
I am South African and watching this crash brought so many memories back to me. We will never know what exactly caused fire in the hold but most of us were informed one way or the other that the plane was carrying nuclear waste for dumping. To my fellow South Africans and all on board the infamous Helderberg, you will never be forgotten. RIP
@Glacatic Traveler 🤗Thank you. I appreciate your compliment, but South Africa, it is a big country, with lots of cities, on the continent of Africa. I hope you have a wonderful, healthy and peaceful 2019 🇿🇦
pls wen did dis happen
because I have heard of nice tins about south africa but for long neva heard about any SAA crash
RIP the pax and crew of the Helderberg, Flight 295. God Bless!
@Carol Morris. The plane was NOT carrying "nuclear waste". Stop with the disinformation.
Those final stills of the actual plane are chilling.
Thank you for making this, I think I had requested for this one a long time ago.
thanks for bringing me these disasters for my personal study allec joshua ibay
Many thanks Allec-a lovely video.
Oh! So that's how it happen! I remember watching ACI episode as a kid and thinking "What happened? Why there were no crash animation?" I never focus on investigation part because i never really care at the time.
Just one of dangers of flying over open ocean. In an emergency, there is no place to land. The pilot did the best he could. In fires like this there should be multiple fire extinguishers station through out the plane. Also, passengers should be enlisted to help fight the fire BECAUSE everyone's life is at stake. If I where a passenger on a "fire" plane I would assist the crew as much as possible. This fire should been fought IMMEDIATELY with fire extinguishers by opening the door to that cargo area. It was not and the fire was free to burn as it pleased. They stood a much better chance to survive this IF they opened that cargo door and fought the fire as best they could. If I'm to go down, it is better to go down fighting.
Best comment
I agree 100%. I best die fighting my killer than just wait to die on my seat
True
Unfortunately, the toxic smoke would incapacitate everyone without proper emergency breathing equipment, creating a pile of bodies to work around.
I believe you saw the alternative to not taking any action at all. So the question for you becomes do you want to sit there and wait for the end OR do you want to TRY and save your life?
Finally! I've been waiting for a long time!
This is sad. The saddest crash I’ve ever heard of. They tried but failed. Best video you’ve ever made. You made my day again, Allec. Keep making more videos. :D
I think the most heartbreaking crash of all times has to be JAL123 because of the fact that a lot of cvr recording was available to the public, right up till the actual crash. Do check it out.
Mukul Gupta gods the captains last words were chilling
That thumbnail. ..... The L1 door.
Scary😨
I think the crew got open the cabin door at that time
Yeah I will never do that
i believe they desperately need oxygen
thank you for using the cvr
Brilliant job again Allec, tragic story though
Finally you make this channel I love it
If the primary mode of firefighting was manual -- doesn't that mean the crew has to function as firefighters?!?
The cabin crew didn't have a chance in fighting a fire ignited by contraband rocket fuel?
Yes, cabin crew are trained to operate as firefighters-whatever it takes!
In this case, the flight engineer and reserve crew would have tried to snuff out fire.
The crew are trained to function as firefighters within reason but would not have had the means or know how to tackle a huge noxious fire like the one in the aircraft!
The cabin crew with only their airline uniforms, would have had no firefighting gear on and would have been burnt to cinders very quickly.
Thanks for posting these videos I absolutely love them but I don’t think I’ll be flying anytime soon it scares the crap out of me .
As a former naval aviator, I am continually amazed at how many complete losses of aircraft and passengers occur on transoceanic flights when aircrew seem to completely disregard the possibility of ditching their failing aircraft while some measure of control remains. Even under the the worst possible conditions, ditching under control presents a better chance of AT LEAST SOME passengers surviving than the alternative. Yet it seems to be very rarely even considered. The horror of such an occurrence - especially at night - is surpassed only by that of actually crashing into the sea.
I love your videos and as a plane fanatic this is very informational and explains quite a lot to me
As a South African I had no idea about this flight at all. And this was even before Apartheid had ended, seeing the old country flag on the tail fin.. Thank you
Are you that young??😃
It seems like a massive oversight to not have some way of extracting the smoke, and even oxygen, from the cargo hold. My office has this ability!
Very well done and haunting. That last visual way above the 747 as it descends with the graphic "...but the flight isn't heard from again" gives the real feel of the hopelessness of their situation. The fact that the pilot maintained his cool in communications to ATC was testimony to his professionalism. Just tragic.
Thx for this. I missed this episode
IN AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION
This so far is the saddest episode of yours I've seen due to the music at the end and their chance of survival
This is very sad 😭 especially since I'm South African
Omg allec u finally uploaded great video
I remember this flight. My step brother was supposed to board it but his schedule changed and he took another flight. My step father was in a panic when we saw the news. I was 9 years old at the time.
the toughest sentence in plane crash is : everyone on board is killed !!
Ok we know for sure that the fire stemmed from the cargo deck, I think this flight may have been carrying flammable materials/explosives (because why else would the fire even begin if there weren’t flammable/ explosives onboard) and the crew were not briefed about it. Or, if they were, the goods were incorrectly loaded.
Your videos are amazing. Keep up the good work my man!
Great research about the airplanes' history.
Allec Air India 182 pls.
Video: "Fire raging...closest airport is 300 km away."
Me: "RIP-in-advance: everyone on board."
What a brutal situation. They would have stood at *least* some sort of chance if this happened over land. I feel so bad for the occupants; their last moments were surely dominated by justified terror. RIP to the victims, condolences to the families.
Terrible situation but Captain must ask flight attendants to prepare cabin for immediate emergency sea landing - pax life vests on -do not inflate until on life dinghies. Sea calm and warm near Mauritius-ideal. Buckle up and brace, brace brace! Can't understand why, why, why Captain didn't do that?
With respect, the worst of all would have been the pax and crew waiting helplessly without any definitive instruction to get pax into life jackets-do not inflate, buckle up and brace-but none of that happened. Cabin crew like to busy themselves with pax in an emergency-takes their minds off their own fears.
@@dianamincher6479 Ditching in darkness is near-impossible.
Catch 22-either ditch or die!
💔
Lost family on that flight.
Love your channel.
Happy belated Christmas from South Africa.
sorry to hear that...it was bad situation...
@@kirilmihaylov1934 Thank you for your message. Appreciate it.
Condolences. I remember it as if it was yesterday 🇿🇦
Another great one!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work. Which one are you gonna do next?
RIP to all the victims. Very Sad.
A bit too fast on the dialogue early on. I couldn't read everything that fast. Otherwise, another great video...
I had the same issue.
me too
Yes - and difficult to replay and pause at the exact moment of the relevant subtitle!
@@jacksainthill8974 Just hit the space bar to stop the video when subtitle comes up.
way too fast. hard to even stop it
Very well done video.
It's haunting to see the photograph of the lost ship at the end.
Dang I thought they were gonna make it
Why are halon systems not mandatory in the cargo holds of aircraft?
The plane is going up in flames...
The Pilot: We have a smoke problem
Opening the door mid-flight. Real smooth
More oxygen to fan the flames! An act of mercy or cruelty!
Nothing with flammable or explosive potential should ever be placed on any airplane! Send it by truck, rail or ship, but never by plane. (On a ship, firefighting is also dangerous and difficult, but not so much as on a plane.)
Yeah except for about 50,000 gallons of jet fuel--what a 'tard!.
Bob Rogers Ever heard of ... or seen Laminated Mylar??? The shiny metallic foil used in (especially) Boeings, that look like sheets of thin aluminium foil...? SUPER HIGHLY flammable - yet Boeing keeps on using it and the FAA has put no stop to it either.
The events must be seen in context with the Angolan war where Soviet military prestige had taken a bloody nose by the SADF. In the event of a full scale military intervention by the USSR, South Africa was a pariah nation and did not expect military aid from western powers. South Africa needed to up the ante with a missile delivery system.
South Africa (Somchem) were already making variants of APC and APM solid rocket fuel and had been testing rocket boosters for years at Rooiberg long before Helderberg happened. No need to import and transport such a small amount on a commercial plane. The point or source of ignition could never be established beyond reasonable doubt. There was most certainly contraband on the plane but it was neither volatile, unstable nor combustible. Best accounts it was a prototype missile guidance system using parts built in the US and assembled in Israel for delivery to SA via Taiwan. (Why do you think the Americans were the 1st on the scene? Why were there so many "suits" involved in the salvage operation? Why did the Americans (CIA slush fund money?) pay for the most expensive salvage operation at the time? The salvage operation was canned after they recovered the contents of pallet 5. The flight data recorder was never recovered). The whole salvage operation was observed by a Soviet warship a few miles away. Why were the Soviets so interested? Because it would've brought down Reagan's administration if it were proved the US were in contravention of an arms embargo against S. Africa.
So if the contraband was not combustible what caused the fire? According to Rene Van Zyl chief SA investigator, in his "off the record" opinion it was Kapton wiring that short circuited. This type of light weight wiring was common in aircraft of the day but is no longer used because of its tendency to go brittle with age and short circuit. As best can be established...the wiring short circuited because of breathing condensation in the cabin and An insulation blanket caught fire and fell on top of pallet 6 containing computer batteries. Ever seen batteries catch fire? As luck would have it, it was purely coincidental that the Helderberg carrying contraband went down but there was no relationship or connection between the contraband cargo and source of ignition.
A fire was assimilated with the actual cargo hold with pallets and contents at SAA Technical during the investigation and the fire was so intense they couldn't put it out and they had to call in airport emergency services to extinguish the fire. Gives you an idea of conditions during the flight; the crew had no chance with fire extinguishers.
I was part of the investigation.
Helderberg / Kapton Polimide coated wiring......
A large proportion of the fires on record have been ignited by a specific type of polyimide coated wire, known as MIL-W-81381 or Kapton after the trade name of the insulation material. This type of wiring was fitted throughout the Helderberg.
This wiring - thinner than a few strands of human hair - was at first believed to be extremely durable. It has, however, been demonstrated that the insulation of the wire developed cracks after just a few years of service. Additionally, it has been proven that in older passenger jets such wiring with cracked insulation is prone to a phenomenon known as wet-arc tracking in humid environments. Such humid conditions tend to develop inside passenger aircraft after a number of hours of flight due to the condensation of moisture from the exhaled breath of passengers. Dry arcing is also a problem where the insulation has abraded and is exposed against the aircraft structure.
The Helderberg may well have succumbed to the explosive, damaging effects of wet arc tracking.
The extremely high heat given off during this arcing has repeatedly set fire to thermal insulation blankets installed against airliner fuselages - most notably AN26 or Metalised Mylar insulation blankets.
Doesn't make much sense why they'd want to send contraband by air via Taipei from the US, Isreal wherever when they could've done it by sea as South Africa has large maritime traffic, imports, exports + all harbours are controlled by the state, customs controls etc.
@@JackFN_VR64 Because the contraband was neither flammable or combustible and was a missile guidance system that was needed urgently. You must also bare in mind this was an era for sanctions busting by S. Africa (who were masters) and it was a lot easier sanitizing cargo manifests for commercial aircraft that maritime ships that naturally came under bigger scrutiny.
RIP
To the passengers and crew of South African Airways Flight 295
I can’t fathom my body resting at 16000ft below the sea. That’s what’s the scariest thing about this crash.
The fish would eat you until there would be just bones which would eventually break under the pressure so nothing would even remain of you sadly
*I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE* Its so crazy that nobody knows to this day what started that fire. I believe it was some illegal, highly flammable cargo that's the culprit. People (somebody) is staying quiet to save their own neck. Thank you....its about time lol ✌🏾
Hey, the music is from dalo vian. Not Kai Engel
And the music title you put in the description is wrong
As well as the music link
Nah bro, it's Slayer-South of Heaven
Wow that is amazing!!
I feel bad for the people who died, and this is a very good re-creation aswell :)
RIP
GG Allec, you're punchin' out videos like clockworks! Great video! Also, did you know, up until 1994, South African Airways had Apartheid Restricted Flight Routes on the 747?
Yeah like SAA at the time couldn't fly over other african countries' airspace and that's why the combi was useful to them.
@@gdroce8569 Sure enough.
@nauticadon Yeah, true enough. If it wasn't for Mandela, think about how South Africa would be today...
@@NateCraven318 correction, Mandela was the greatest man to become our president. BUT after 25 years of democracy our national and international airlines are bankrupt, our national media broadcaster, bankrupt. Our state owned telecommunications provider, bankrupt. Our state owned Electrical provider, ESKOM, bankrupt. Politians are corrupt, greedy and self-serving. No jobs for even young graduates with tersiary education. Our economy down graded to junk status. 75%unemployment, crime is rife as is fraud within our SARS, the South African Revenue Service. I think Mr Mandela turns over in his grave, with disgust, every day at what our country has declined to. RIP
This is correct and the constant threat of terrorism was present.
There were even fire extinguishers visible in the animation at 5:03
The cvr recording really adds to it
Oh yes, the Helderberg disaster. I remember that in 1987. Apparently they were smuggling in rocket fuel from Taiwan.
I wonder what cargo that plane was carrying??? Might shed some light as to what caused the fire, as there are examples of cargo aircraft burning up mid-flight due to oxygen bottles, lithium ion batteries and other flammable/hazardous cargo catching fire.
Aaron Bays • They are all terrible and tragic, but the one that comes to my mind is the ValuJet that went down almost nose-first in the Everglades, commanded by Captain Candi Kubreck (name sp?) in which everyone was killed. Improper handling of O2 canisters and improperly secured airliner tires. Captain Kubreck was among others who were never found. A little backstory on this I read recently: There was an Eastern Airlines walkout and Captain Kubreck broke picket lines and went to work for them, angering the striking pilots. Her family was harassed even after she was killed! No matter how one feels about unions, no family deserves that. Ever. I just hope it’s hearsay and not true.
Seems I recall another jet that went down not far from the one I described, but I can’t remember the airline or the details.
It was alleged that it was carrying solid fuel rocket motors. This was never confirmed publicly but it is something to think about.
I read the Wiki account of the above crash and it said that the fire started on the right front pallet in the cargo area, and that pallet contained computer equipment. It was suggested that lithium batteries contained in the equipment may exploded, but that assertion was never conclusive.
Then there were some conspiracy theories. At the time of the crash South Africa was under an arms embargo and certain types of needed, but banned material had to be smuggled into the country. One conspiracy suggested that rocket systems were smuggled on-board into the cargo area by the South African government. This theory goes on to say that an unstable material used as a rocket propellent (ammonium perchlorate) ignited. In later years some of the victims' relatives have said that former SAA employees (who gave no prior evidence to authorities) have told them rocket fuel was indeed on that plane, and that the SAA manager at the Taipei airport knew about it.
Finally, there is a theory that an onboard short circuit caused the fire similar to the Swiss Air 111 crash in 1998. Anyway this is what other sources (Wiki) are saying about the above accident if you're looking for more detail. Still, nothing is officially conclusive.
Del Stanley
lithium batteries weren't in use at the time in any major way. They were invented by Sony in 1980 but weren't ready for mass market sale until 1990.
Aaron Bays That was the cargo. Sit was found written on the papers forvembarkment and contributed to the banning of that type of cargo especially on passenger aircraft.
Rest their Souls
rip passengers, you are dearly loved. :(
God bless the passengers! It so unfair that they should face such terror and destruction.
It's crazy how loud and clear the cockpit voices were!
Were those the real voices
@@kyoakland Yes
despite the circumstances , the captain and crew sounded remarkably calm ,
Most plausible cause was that something exploded in the cargo hold
I knew a guy (policeman) who was guarding the hangar where the wreckage was put together and he said it was quite obvious that something exploded in the cargo area.
In an unfortunate twist of fate, the only other 747-200 Combi that South African had was converted into a freighter and went on to fly for a cargo airline where it crashed on takeoff departing from Halifax killing the 7 people that were onboard.
And a lot of lobsters
...which was the airport the fire-stricken Swissair 111 tried to land! Very eerie.
Nice man!
I remember this so well.......
RAGING INFERNO IN CARGO
*We have SMOKE problem. Going to divert*
Jesus just say MAYDAY PANPAN WERE ON FIRE EMERGENCY HELP
Mayday and Pan Pan are two different calls, but I do agree. They should've called the Mayday - although ATC did manage to figure out it was an actual emergency. Not much the crew could've done here.
PANPANPAN is a mild concern from the crew but it is not a full blown emergency. MAYDAY MAYDAY is when there is a full blown emergency and the pilots need to land immediately as the situation is life threatening.
As long as they say they are in an emergency they will know that and the ATC will do their job to prioritize the plane
they were 150 miles from the nearest airport. what could they have done?
Why didn't Captain do an emergency landing on sea?
I remember this incident quite clearly as I was living in Taiwan at the time of the accident. At that time the probable cause was that the aircraft was carrying fireworks from Taiwan to South Africa. This was not mentioned in this vlog. Were fireworks igniting ruled out?
Most agree today it was an electrical fire
@@Gunzberg Thanks. How very sad.
@@johnsymons76 If there were fireworks, they would have simply provided fuel. Apparently, the electronics had a reaction (static?) with their packaging (flammable, cheap) and then it went from there. It can probably never be confirmed
My first thought was when I heard there was a blazing fire in the cargo room and 300 kilometers left to fly, was if I was Captain I'd immediately drop down in altitude to right above the ocean and do a controlled landing right in the water. And I'll bet at least half the people or more would've survived the landing, and the fire would have lost to water. Then it may have been a search and rescue instead of just a recovery.
The 747 would have still probably broken up and no one would survive. Miracle on the Hudson...was just That...a MIRACLE
You wouldn't be able to see the water
The aircraft took off on 27 November 1987 from Taipei Chiang Kai Shek International Airport, on a flight to Johannesburg via Mauritius.[6][8]
The flight crew consisted of 49-year-old captain Dawie Uys, with 13,843 hours' experience; 36-year-old first officer David Attwell and 37-year-old relief first officer Geoffrey Birchall, with 7,362 and 8,749 hours' experience respectively; and 45-year-old flight engineer, Giuseppe "Joe" Bellagarda and 34-year-old relief flight engineer, Alan Daniel, with 7,804 hours and 1,595 hours of experience respectively.
Thirty-four minutes after departure, the crew contacted Hong Kong air traffic control to obtain clearance from waypoint ELATO (22°19′N 117°30′E) to ISBAN. A position report was made over ELATO at 15:03:25, followed by waypoints SUNEK at 15:53:52, ADMARK at 16:09:54 and SUKAR (12°22′N 110°54′E) at 16:34:47.[9] The aircraft made a routine report to the South African Airways base at Johannesburg at 15:55:18.[9]
At some point during the flight, believed to be during the beginning of its landing approach, a fire developed in the cargo section on the main deck which was probably not extinguished before impact. The 'smoke evacuation' checklist calls for the aircraft to be depressurised, and for two of the cabin doors to be opened. No evidence exists that the checklist was followed, or that the doors were opened. A crew member might have gone into the cargo hold to try to fight the fire. A charred fire extinguisher was later recovered from the wreckage on which investigators found molten metal.[7]
The following communication was recorded with Mauritius air traffic control, located at Plaisance Airport:[9][10] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Airways_Flight_295
oh no not another ill-fated 747!!! my favorite plane is always in these videos ugghhh lol
damm i thought you'd make it
una pregunta allec joshua ibay cual simulator que usas esa es mi pregunta 👍
Kazuharu Sonoda and his wife were on that flight...on their way to their honeymoon...so sad!
4:02 he couldn’t understand 😂
After watching a great number of these airplane emergency videos, I really must ask. Hasn't anyone ever heard of *FIRE EXTINGUISHERS* ????? Guess not.
With respect, the fire accelerated so fast that hand held fire extinguishers with long nozzle don't seem practicable amongst the tall cargo pallets and the cabin attendants aren't trained for firefighting on that huge scale. Cabin attendants don't have protective fire figthing clothing with fireproof goggles and an independent reliable oxygen supply when firefighting. They had the hand held Halon extinguishers and other types of hand held extinguishers for chemical fires but they had no big reserves of fire foam or fire extinguisher powder, with which to extinguish a fire of this magnitude.
Most civilian aircraft that carry cargo there is no access to fight a fire. Every square inch is used up for cargo. So unless the fire is immediately adjacent to the door leading to the cargo compartment ni luck there. I flew on C-5 Galaxy in USAF. in unmanned areas we used nitrogen. We would simply flood the area. In areas with people we used Halon.
@@dianamincher6479 It would be like pissing on a forest fire.
There is much more known about the Helderberg disaster. The plane was said to be carrying some form of explosive material for the South African Apartheid Government to break sanctions. The pilot I believe was unhappy about the cargo and had to transport it, I believe, against his will. People are still struggling to get to the truth of the matter. In another disaster in 1967 my cousin was killed when a bomb planted by the Apartheid Security Police caused the plane he was on, the Rietbok, to come down in the sea. There was someone on the plane that the Security police wanted to kill.
The ultimate fear for a pilot: consuming fire on board. It just makes it ridiculously bitter that they were so far from land. Turns the situation hopeless real fast. There's really nothing that could have been done short of a miracle.
I missed so many crashes At air crash investigation NGC
As soon as I heard the garbled cvr I knew that this plane had crashed
My cousin Gordon Marshall died in this crash. He was 26 years old and on his way home for Christmas.
I'm a mauritian and stay next to the airport.... everyweek i used to wait the saa295 land or park on the tarmac... but that doomsday the helderburg was missing between the other planes