Passenger plane crumbled in mid air like 'shot down bomber' after extreme turbulence
dailystar.co.ukplane begin to break apart in midair as it plummeted like a “shot-down bomber” before crashing into Mount Fuji in Japan, killing all 124 people on board.
The Boeing 707, run by British Overseas Airways Corporation, took off from Tokyo International Airport just 25 minutes before it began “spinning down” towards the slopes of the dormant volcano on March 5 1966.Investigators found debris 10 miles away when analysing the wreckage, as witnesses claimed to see pieces break off the Boeing while it was in the air.One told the BBC at the time: "The aircraft was flying as high as Mount Fuji and I could see smoke at its tail. "I heard a bang and afterwards the tail and the main fuselage broke apart and the aircraft began spinning down.
Just before impact the nose and the fuselage parted."A witness told press agency UPI that the plane fell like a "shot-down bomber” as another witness described the airplane "disintegrating about 3,000 feet above me”.When the aircraft was taking off, it was seen trailing white vapour as it left the airport.Although witnesses described seeing Flight 911 break apart, it is believed the fatal crash was caused by adverse wind conditions, but it was still a significant safety issue.
At the time, it was believed violent air currents could have caused extreme turbulence near Mount Fuji.It is believed the pilot was trying to get passengers a better look at Japan’s largest mountain when it was hit with turbulence that resulted in the plane coming apart.
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