Path to Ermenonville, Paris

Miscellaneous Reports

Richard Bolai — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:57:59 +0000

A collection of articles and photographs pertaining to the Paris crash

The following newspaper clippings are from the archives of France Soir published during the days after of the accident. These papers may be purchased.

LA TRAGEDIE DU DC-10/ TRACES D’EXPLOSIFS RECHERCHEES/ LE COMMANDANT ORAL ULUSMAN/ RONA ALTINAY UNE HOTESSE

LA TRAGEDIE DU DC-10/ TRACES D’EXPLOSIFS RECHERCHEES/ FANNY EHME UNE VICTIME

A FAIT SIX MORTS – LE DC-10 ET LES JAPONAIS – RUGBY

Introduction

Richard Bolai — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:12:23 +0000

Courtesy of Vetty Marcon

Un habitant d’Orry-la-Ville (à 4 km) a pris cette photo unique de l’explosion du DC-10

An habitant of d’Orry-la-Ville , Paris photographed this scene seconds after flight 981 plummeted into the forest 4 kilometres from the crash. It shows a plume of smoke which filled the atmosphere and was published in PARIS MATCH dated March 16th 1974.

The memorial at Ermenonville, Paris which is dedicated to the passengers and crew of THY 981

A vous tous qui ce jour-là étiez heureux,
Filant vers un pays lointain,
A vous tous, confiés entre les mains de Dieu,
Vivant votre dernier matin.

Pour vos âmes, plus question de patrie,
Quittant bien vite l’enfer et le feu,
Abandonnant les pauvres corps meurtris,
Elles ont acquis la paix, c’est notre vœu.
Je viens parfois devant votre pierre,
Et je me demande souvent pourquoi,
Pourquoi cela, maudite clairière,
Faite de Chair et de sang, oui, pourquoi ?

Hommage à vous tous, martyrs,
Hommage à tous ceux qui vous aiment,
Et pleurent à n’en plus finir,
Cette pierre est votre emblème !

A la mémoire des victimes du 3 mars 1974
Et qu’à l’éternité ce coin de terre soit sacré.

- Guy Marcon

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In memory of the victims of March 3rd, 1974
And that for the eternity this corner of earth be sacred”

“To all of you who were happy that day,
Flying to a far country
To all of you, entrusted in the hands of god,
Were living their last morning,

To your souls, no more question of fatherland,
Quickly leaving hell and fire,
Leaving poor hurt bodies,
They acquired peace, this is our wish.
I do come sometimes in front of your stone,
And I do often ask why,
Why this, accursed glade,
Made from flesh and blood, yes, why?

Honour to you all, martyrs,
Honour to all those who love you,
And do cry with no end,
This stone is your emblem!

In memory of the victims of March 3rd, 1974
And that for the eternity this corner of earth be sacred

Translations courtesy of Bruno Druesne

This website is dedicated to the memory of the victims and their families who were affected by the crash of Turkish Airlines, flight 981 in 1974. It is a forum where information regarding the accident is available to the public and as a remembrance.

For all families or relatives who were too young at the time, it may offer the answers related to the crash, which articles and photographs have been archived to a tragic man-made event that occurred over 30 years ago.

To also remember and understand the conditions of the accident. Together, this site will provide a forum and an exchange in preparation for the creation of an Association of Families of the Victims of Flight THY-981

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Ce site est dédié à la mémoire des victimes et de leurs familles qui ont été affectées par l’accident d’avion de Turkish Airlines du 3 mars 1974, le vol THY 981. Il s’agit d’un forum où les informations concernant l’accident sont à la disposition du public, c’est un lieu de souvenir.

Pour toutes les familles, et leurs proches, qui étaient parfois trop jeunes à l’époque, ce lieu met à disposition les réponses aux questions liées à cette catastrophe. Les articles et les photographies ainsi archivées relatent un tragique événement survenu il ya plus de 30 ans, et sont un témoignage de la défaillance et de la négligence humaine.

Pour savoir et se souvenir, ensemble, ce site pourra servir de lieu d’échange pour la préparation à la création d’une Association des Familles des Victimes du Vol THY-981

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The Titanic – TC-JAV phenomenon

Recently, I was asked a question over the phenomenon regarding this accident. It was the fact that there had been so many published reports, documentaries and numerous websites on the subject. So why? Ermenonville and the airplane, TC-JAV, and my fascination and others over it? In its circumstances, in its as one reader put it, domino effect, probability, misfortune, malice and neglect that sent 346 people to their deaths in an airplane that trapped and careened their hopes into the earth of France. Their blood seeped into the soil of Ermenonville.

The intention over this website has become part of a bigger picture in telling a story about sacrifice, and of its repercussions unto a nation, the aviation industry and to the people who are still deeply affected over it thirty four years ago. The comments resonate this phenomena as so many people still remember that Sunday, the news, the images, etched in their memory from that day on. Also, the proliferation of the photographs which I had placed on this site, August 2007, is used on the other internet sites, youtube, facebook, etc, in memory or in discussion. So why this intrigue?, why this Titanic effect?

A scale model reinterpreting the tragedy courtesy of Korkut Varol

A moving tribute at an accident we all wished that never happened

A scale model of TC-JAV and the forest at Ermenonville. Paris

See the complete model diorama of the tragic crash

As a child, after hearing the reports over the radio, I thought first to myself, I hoped no one was hurt as this airplane landed on leaves of trees. The more I try to end this, it draws me back, the website is a place of remembrance, its time for the collective forces to complete it, to whatever it needs, and to release me as I have done my deed.

Passenger manifest TC-JAV THY981

Richard Bolai — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:10:58 +0000

In 1974, Bereaved families pray and look in utter horror at the devastation where the 300 ton DC-10 was reduced to small shards of twisted metal and personal effects scatted over a large area.

En 1974, les familles endeuillées se recueillent dans l’horreur absolue du site dévasté. Les 300 tonnes du DC-10 ont été ramenées à de petits fragments de métal tordu et à des effets personnels éparpillés sur une large zone.

Près de la plaque commémorative se trouvent des plaques individuelles ainsi que les tombes de quelques unes des victimes, le cimetière parisien de Thiais. Victims of the Ermenonville crash interred at Thiais cemetery, Paris

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To verify this Passenger list, you can visit the website aerosteles which provides a detail of the monument.

Crew of craft TC-JAV (A detailed account here)

Mr. Nejat Berkoz

Mr. Oral Ulusman

Mr. Erhan Ozer

Mr. Engin Ucok

Ms. Gulay Sonmez

Ms. Nilgun Yilmazer

Ms. Sibel Zahin

Ms. Semra Hidir

Ms. Fatma Barka

Ms. Rona Altinay

Ms. Ayse Birgili

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Identifying all those who died in the Ermenonville crash was an enormous task because of the general confusion at Orly Airport and the last-minute rush for seats just before flight 981’s departure. The Turkish Airlines passenger manifest contained dozens of inaccuracies: many of the victims’ names were spelled incorrectly and some didn’t appear on the list at all. For at least six weeks the police were not even certain of how many people had died. It took a painstaking inquires into twenty-one countries to produce the full catalog of victims.

FRENCH

Mr. François de Bellegar palhortie, 44, married, four children, engineer
Miss Françoise Bernard, 2l, student
Mrs. Tamar Bouhadana, 31, married, two children, fashion designer
Mr. Abel Roger Donnat, 21, assistant personnel manager
Mr. François Druesne, 35, married, five children, chemical engineer
Mr. Robert Andre Jean Lerendu, 34, married, one child, bank director and his wife Josette, 30 and their daughter Corinne Elise Simone, 5 and Mr. Lerendu’s brother Mr. Jacques Auguste Louis Lerendu, 38, married, two children, company secretary
Ms. Monique Lezay, 33, divorced, five children, clerk
Miss Lucie Ludmilla Loubenzow, 26, secretary
Mr. Ladislas Mayer, 42, married, two children, aeronautical engineer
Miss Franqoise Pauly, 26, teacher
Miss Martine Poisson, 18, student
Mr. Robert G, Rcynaud, 43, married, tvro children, sales supervisor
Miss Betty Franqoise Wormser, 21, student

TURKISH

Mr. Omer Faruk Afir, 21, student
Mrs. Serife Tulga Akbulut, 34, married, two children, television producer and her son Mehmet Yunus, 2
Mrs. Clarita Arditti, 27, married, two children, and her son Julian Edgar, 2
Mr. Zeki Dogan Beller, 37, married, two children, maintenance manager for THY
Mr. Halil Bengi, 26, married, one child, merchant and his wife Yildiz Saime, 24, rcceptionist
Mr. Mehmet Birc.an, 36, hotel waiter
Mr. Oktay Cebeci, 35, electronics engineer
Mr. MustaEa Ihsan Celebi, 20, student
Mrs. Selvinaz Cetin, 30, married, two children
Miss Meral Ciril, 17, student
Mrs. Fatma Gonul Cizravi, 25, married
Miss Sevim Emeksiz, 20, student
Mrs. Ilgun Erdin, 31, widow, civil servant
Mr. Fikri Gurel, 29, married, waiter and his wife Hasibe, 21
Miss Fani Ime, 21, student
Mr. Mehmet Engin 1nan, 21, student and his sister Hatize Burcin, 25, student
Mrs. Aliye Filiz Kapur, 29, married, one child, engineer and her son Bazak Kerime, 2
Mr. Hayim Kohen, S 1, married, two children, exporter and his wife Coya, 43, exporter
Mr. Engin Koray, 24, student
Mr. Ali Nihat Koz, 66, married, two children, engineer and his daughter Mevhibe, 17, student
Miss Sukran Mihlar, 17, student
Mr. Metim Oner, 29, married, one child, assistant professor and his wife Seniha Gonul, 24, receptionist
Mr. Ahmet Oral, 27, student
Mrs. Vilma Ortaagopyan, 37, married, two children
Mr. Mustafa Serafettin Ozturk, 41, married, three children, office worker
Mr. Mehmet Sadettin Pekerol, 55, divorced, three children, importer
Mr. Nazif Sen, 33, married, one child, waiter
Mr. Necmettin Senyurt, 24, engineer
Mr. Ahmed Simsek, 19, student
Mr. Islam Temizkan, 25, airline employee
Mr. Mose Uziyel, 24, married, one child, chemical engineer and his wife Rasel, 24, and their daughter Liat, 9 months
Mrs. Vildan Yardimci, 24, married, civil servant
Miss Gunseli Yuruker, 17, student

BRITISH

Mr. Barry Abraharnson, 67, married, two children, jeweler and his wife Florrie, 6S
Mr. Thomas William Addis, 71, widower, four children, retired driver
Mr. Brian Lucius Arthur, 32, married, two children, real estate agent
Mr. John Steven Backhouse, 43, married, three children, insurance agent
Mr. Roy Bacon, 32, married, two children, secondhand dea1er
Mrs. Theresa Ciene Edith Harrow, 41, married, three children, sales manager
Mr. Ronald Charles Frederick Beasley, 56, married, one child, merchant and his wife May Florence, 54
Mr. Michael George Beckwith, 28, married, one child, doctor and his wife Fatricia Ann, 30, teacher
Mrs. Claire Black, 46, married, three children, artist
Mr, Charles Christopher Bowley, 53, married, two children, doctor
Mr. Ivor John Bradley, 46, married, two children, marketing director
Mr. Sydney Maurice Bressloff, 52, insurance agent
Mr. Robert Anthony Breton, 33, married, three children, accountant
Mr. Geoffrey Reginald William Brigstocke, 56, married, four children, civil servant
Mrs, Bessie Yietoria Brown, 55, married, one child, traffic warden
Miss Susan Mary Burn, 23, secretary
Mrs. Jean Mary Burris, 48, married
Mr. Jack Burtonwood, 40, married, three children, engineer
Mrs. Georgina Evelyn Byatt, 46, married, one child, teacher
Mr. David John Steven Cain, 22, student
Miss Esther Winifred Collen, 20, computer programmer
Mrs. Diana Connelly, 43, married, one child, shorthand-typist
Mr. James Conway, 58, married, one child, trade union officer
Mr. John Hugh Cooper, 33, married, business representative
Mr. Arthur Lawrence Cornish, 39, married, one child, printer
Mr. Richard Tomlin Coult, 22, civil engineer
Mr. David Lewis Cowell, 36, married, one child, farm products representative
Mr. William Claude Dack, 39, married, three children, sales manager
Mr. Trevor Vincent Dangerfield, 37, married, company director
Mr. Hubert James Davies, 49, married, two children, lawyer
Mrs. Margaret Eileen Davies, 58, married, one child, social worker
Mr. William Harry Deane, 59, married, one child, company director and his wife Brenda Winifred, 45
Mr. Ronald William Delaney, 47, married, three children, merchant
Mrs, Marjorie hfagdalen Dickman, 73, widow, three children and her sister Mrs, Gladys Mary Rowlandson, 77, widow, one child, company director and Mrs, Rowlandson’s daughter Joyce Fairburn, 44, and her husband Bryan Egerton Fairburn, 45, architect
Mr. Kenneth Christopher Doran, 60, married, retired air force officer and his wife Phyllis Gertrude, 52, two children
Mr. Mark Dunsford Dottridge, 31, writer
Mr. Eric George Dullforce, 61, married, one child, shipping line manager
Mr. Bryan Graham Ellis, 3S, married, two children, company director
Ms. Jean Constance Fillery, 35, divorced, secretary
Mr. Carlo Alberto Fontana, 38, married, one child, engineer
Mr. Joseph Jack Freer, 54, married, two children, engineer
Mr. Nicholas Jeremy Stewart Fripp, 25, married, one child, wine merchant
Mr. Ian Roger Fuller, 24, fashion model
Mr. Robert James Gillman, 21, trainee print buyer
Mr. Peter Jeremy Green, 27, married, two children, farmer
Mr. Ernest John Gri0n, 42, married, five children, engineer
Mrs. Isobel Kennedy Griffin, 52, widow, two children, shop assistant
Mr. Michael Hannah, 24, actor-fashion model
Mr. William James Patrick Hayes, 50, married, six children, sal¿s executive
Mrs Francis Eustace Hill, 55, married, two children, company director
Mr. Paul Anthony Hiilman, 25, real estate agency director
Mr. Francis Michael Hope, 35, married, one child, journalist
Ms. Joyce Marjorie Hope, 53, divorced, two children, film librarian and her son
Mr. Keith John Madge, 25, film technician
Mr. George Desmond Hunt, 47, married, two children, court official
Ms. Sheelagh (Cave) Hurble, 45, divorced, four children
Mr. Patrick John Hutton, 43, married, physicist and his wife Anne Elizabeth, 40, secretary
Mr. Malcolm Harry Jackson, 29, married, three children, fashion buyer
Mr. Nicholas Paul Jones, 16, student
Mr. Eric Kelsey, 52, married, three children, cafe owner and his wife Catherine Esther, 50, teacher and their daughters Helen Esther Ann, 10, and Ann Mary Olga, 6
Mr. Christopher Mather Kendall, 31, married, two children, company director
Mr. Stuart Frank King, 19, salesman
Mr. Otto Sigmund Kohnstamm, 72, married, one child, doctor and his wife Winifred, 51, secretary
Mr. David Herman Kween, 30, married, two children, merchant (and his wife Phyllis, listed under U.S, victims)
Mr. John Anthony Law-Wright, 33, married, two children, engineer and his wife Susan Vanessa, 28
Mr. Graham Cecil Levet, 18, grain trading trainee
Mr. Morton Lloyd Lewis, 56, divorced, journalist
Mr. Elfryn Lloyd, 46, married, five children, aeronautical designer
Mrs, Jessica Emma Maney, 64, married, one child, merchant and her sister-in-law
Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Rosher, 71, widow, one child, merchant and Mrs. Rosher’s daughter Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Sykes, S2, widow, one child
Mr. Thomas Roger Marriage, 37, married, three children, farmer
Mr. John Patrick McClinton, 26, sales representative
Mr. Peter Graham McDonald, 35, married, two children, professor and his wife Wendy, 34
Mr. James Wilson McMeekin, 47, married, three children, civil servant
Mr. Jack Middieton, S4, married, one child, company director and his wife Joan Margaret, 51
Mrs. Anna Philomena Middleton, 47, married, personnel director
Mr. Robert Arthur Milne, 36, married, compositor and his wife Pauline, 35, design artist
Mrs. Hedwig Morley, 65, widow, one child
Mr. Rex Morley, 40, married, three children, farmer
Mr. Maurice Clive Morris, 40, numismatist
Mr. Peter Graham Morris, 29, married, lawyer
Miss Helen Victoria Rumsey Neale, 38, research economists
Mrs. Mable Doris Newton, 53, widow, civil servant
Mr. David John Russell Nicholls, 35, two children, photographer
Mr. Tadeusz 0kuniewski, 46, married, three children, engineer
Mrs. Gaynor Mary Osborne, 26, married, teacher
Mr. James Allan Overton, 37, married, three children, engineer and his wife Susan Brenda, 31
Mr. Leslie George Paine, 47, married, four children, mining engineer
Mr. Julian Glynne Parish, 31, helicopter pilot
Mr. Terence Frederick Paul, 42, married, three children, company representative
Mr, Herbert Payman, 76, married, one child, electrical engineer
Mr. Martin Robert Perry, 26, married, insurance agent
Mr. Malcolm Ronald Portch, 47, married, one child, company director and his wife Enid Dilysea, 41. company director and their daughter Trudi Melinda, 6
Mr. Ronald Edward Powell, 46, married, two children, chartered accountant and his wife Ann, 45
Miss Prudence Hedley Pratt, 30, fashion model
Mr. Anthony Price, 39, businessman
Mr. Anders Sipo Qunta, 59, married, one child, doctor and his wife Margaret Mary, 60
Mr. Geoffrey Rawlinson, 52, company director
Mr. Paul Raymond, 28, lecturer
Mr. Desmond Armstrong Reay, 59, company director
Mrs, Hannah Marianne Richards, 59, married, nurse
Mr. Richard Anthony Riley, 35, married, three children, company director
Miss Lynne Barbara Roberts, 23, student
Mr, Nigel John Norcliffe Roberts, 24, wine merchant
Mrs. Sylvia Mary Beaumont Roch, 61, married, one child
Mr. George Thomas Rogers, 63, married, two children, retired company secretary
and his wife Ivy Maud Letitia, 57
Miss Patricia Margaret Rogers, 46, company 4irector
Mr. Anthony Colin Ryan, 21, student
Mr. Gregory Robert Anthony Rynsard, 18, student
Mrs. Rosalind Vivian Saeger, 29, married
Mr. Ronald Mark Sanders, 46, married, one child, jewelry representative and his
wife Dorothy May, 51, company director
Mr. Frederick Ernest George Sanders, 42, married, one child, company director
Mr. Charles Henry Sargeant, 49, married, three children, farmer
Mr. Robert Briggs Savidge, 20, assistant farm manager
Mr. David George Scott, 27, bakery worker
Miss Pamela Sheel, 28, fashion model
Mr. John Frederick Slater, 33, married, steward and his wife Gloria, 31, and their daughter Nadine Nicolas, 4
Mr. Laurence Congleton Smith, 46, managing director
Mr. Malcolm Sorkin, 44, married, lawyer and his wife Ruth Yvonne, 43
Mr. Edward William George Sturgess, 57, married, lithographer and his wife Edith Amelia, 57
Miss Erica Ann Sworder, 34, nurse
Mr. Michael Tilbrook, 36, married, agricultural merchant
Mr. David Alexander Tomlin, 43, married, two children, accountant
Mr, Michael Frederick Townshend, 43, bank manager
Mr. Robert William Wallis, 30, married, one child, student
Mr. Peter John Walsh, 23, lithographer
Mr. Edwin William Wardley, 46, married, five children, leather merchant
Mr, Lionel James Ware, 28, married, two children, helicopter engineer
Mr. Peter Frederick Warnett, 36, married, one child, technical services representative
Mr. Sidney Waterhouse, 48, married, four children, textile representative
Mr. John Victor Watkins, 49, married, two children, company director and his wife Mary, 44, nurse
Mrs. Georgina Weld-Forester, 22, married, fashion model
Mrs. Wendy Wheal, 24, married, fashion model
Mrs. Glenda White, 35, married, two children
Mr. Michael Rodney Whitehead, 32, married, two children, engineer
Mrs. Isabella Wilkinson, 51, widow
Mr. Owen James Williams, 28, merchant
Mr. John North Lewis W’1son, 25, married, research economist and his wife Joyce, 24, teacher
Mr. John Winston Winterton, 63, married, three children, industrialist and his wife Winifred, 61, company director
Mr. Peter John Withers, 38, married, three children, company director
Mr. Graham Milton Wood, 37, married, three children, insurance broker and his wife Margaret Rosemary, 33
Miss Linda Woods, Z7, commercial artist
Mr. Peter William Woolvett, 25, fashion designer
Mr. Peter Walter Leslie Zuelchaur, 28, married, marketing development assistant

JAPANESE

Mr. Takanori Awakura, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Fumihiro Fujita, 22, trading company management trainee
Mr. Junichi Goto, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Masaki Hayashi, 24, trading company management trainee
Mr. Takehiro Higuchi, 26, married architect and his wife Atsoko, 25, elcrk
Mr. Masamichi Hiramatsu, 24, bank management trainee
Mr. Shigeo Hosoi, 23, baak management trainee
Mr. Masaki Imazeki, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Hiroshi Ishibashi, 23, trading company management trainee
Mr. Tomo-o Ishikawa, 23, trading company management trainee
Mr. Ikuo Itoh, 23, businessman
Mr. Bobuo Iwanaga, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Makoto Kameyama, 22, trading company management trainee
Mr. Takashi Kamiya, 24, bank management trainee
Miss Keko Kanai, 23, student
Mr. Junze Kato, 22, trading company management trainee
Mr. Kaaumasa Kawabata, 26, textile company manager
Mr. Kenichi Kawaguchi, 22, bank management trainee
Mr. Kazuyuki Kembo, 23, trading company management trainee
Mr. Motohisa Kinugasa, 22, bank management trainee
Mr. Hiromasa Kobayashi, 22, bank management trainee
Mr. Yasushi Kohama, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. gushitami Kojima, 22, bank management trainee
Mr. Yoshiro Kumexawa, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Tadanobu Matsume, 28, married, one child, tour director
Mr, Yasuyuki Mohri, 23, city welfare employee
Mr. Norikazu Morikawa, 22, bank management trainee
Mrs. Fumi Nagao, 48, married, two children
Mr. Takashi Ogura, 22, trading company management trainee
Mr. Michiaki Ohhama, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Yuji Okamura, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Tctsuo Okura, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Tadaharu Sakat¿, 22, bank management trainee
Mr. Kenichiro Sakurai, 26, student
Mr. Kakuichi Sato, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Tetsuro Sato, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Masami Shimizu, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Takeo Shinmi, 22, bank management trainee
Mr. Hiroshi Shiraki, 23, trading company management trainee
Mr. Yasunori Takashima, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Shoji Tani, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Yasuhiro Tominaga, 44, married, two children, company manager
Mr. Hiroshi Tsuchiya, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Yashihiko Tsuji, 22, trading company management trainee
Mr, Kimio Tsukada, 24, married, trading company management trainee
Mr. Mitsuo Yano, 23, bank management trainee
Mr. Tsukuru Yoshitake, 22, trading company management trainee

AMERICAN

Mr. Penn Boyd Blair, 29, married, one child, machine company vice-president Mr. Gary Ray Chard, 36, married, four children, airline sales manager
Mr. Roman W’ojciech Filipkiewicz, 63, married, two children, petroleum engineer Mr. John Hanessian, Jr 49, married, four children, professor
Mr. Loren Mell Hart, 41, married, three children, geologist and his wife Alice Jvan, 40, their son Robert Raymond, 12 and their daughters Nancy Joan, 14, and Terri Diane, 16
Miss Nancy Beth Kalinsky, 22, student
Mrs. Phyllis Kween, 29, married, two children (wife of David Kween, listed under British victims)
Mrs Carol Lemmer, 28, married, one child, hospital administrator
Mrs. Clara Lux, 79, widow, one child, typing school director
Mr. Rehn Claus Peterson, 49, married, three children, company president
Mr. Milton Safran, 49, married, four children, antique dealer
Mr. l4onald Lee Smith, Jr., 12
Mr. Wayne Ayres Wilcox, 41, married, four children, cultural affairs officer and
his wife Ouida Rae, 38, their son Clark, 12 and their daughter Kailan, 15
Mr. Thomas Prescott Wright, 40, married, three children, banker and his wife Fay,38, their son Jackson, 7 and their daughters Carlaine, 10 and Sherryl, 8

BRAZIL

Mr. Nelson Lins Bahia, 32, married, two children, civil engineer and his wife Naiika, 29
Mr. Amadeu Pumar Bergamini, 22, student
Mr. Mario Jorge de Souza Castanon, 26, architect
Mr. Roberto Antonio Campanella dos Santos, 22, student

ARGENTINE

Mr. Pedra Pernias, 52, married, two children, writer and his wife Ilda Lina Elisa,
53, and their daughter Alejandra Maria, 15, student

AUSTRALIAN
Mrs. Christine Carmen Bland, 46, married, librarian Miss Rachel Margaret Cowie, 47, accountant

BELGIAN
Mr. Jean-Jacques Coussens, 42, married, two children, driver

CYPRIOT
Mr. Nebil Mfustafa, 23, student

GERMAN
Miss Christiane Muller, 26, chief librarian

INDIAN
Mr. Rasiklal N. Kothary, 40, married, one child, textile industrialist Mr. Ashok Ramanlal Shah, 37, married, three children, industrialist

IRISH
Mr. James McDonald, 59, priest

MOROCCAN
Mr, Mohamed Saad Chaouni, 22, student

New ZEALAND
Mr. James Wedgwood Leslie Berg, 37, married, two children, company director

PAKISTANI
Mr. Abdul kazzak Lak-Hani, 34, married, two children, importer

SENEGALESE
Mr. Boubacar Sy, 40, married, merchant

SPANISH
Mr. Ernesto Justo, 25, head waiter

SWEDISH
Mrs. Margot Vilma Lassagnes, 78, married, one child, film and television director

SWISS
Mr. Rainer Pfister, 26, race car driver

VIETNAMESE
Miss Danielle N Guyen Thi, 22, student

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End

May they rest without remorse – May my deed change the way we fly – Bruno Druesne

Introduction

Richard Bolai — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:30:48 +0000

This, the original blog, THY981 – Turk Hava Yollari -TC-JAV is being transfered to Sea of sand Ermenonville Paris which has accessibility to open comments without limitations. No further updates shall be added.

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Pour savoir et se souvenir, ensemble, ce site pourra servir de lieu d’échange pour la préparation à la création d’une Association des Familles des Victimes du Vol THY-981

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Bruno Druesne All Rights Reserved

Documentary

Richard Bolai — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:28:14 +0000

I shall never die in the hearts who cared

This is a television documentary which aired in 1996. It gives a general synopsis of the issues involving the cargo door and the events which Bryce McCormick, the Captain of American Airlines flight 96 in June of 1972 experienced after the aircraft loss depressurization in midair from an improperly closed cargo door. The video also includes the memorial at Ermenonville, and raw footage of the crash site involving the Turkish DC-10 in March of 1974 which was a carbon copy of the American Airlines incident..

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The new documentary on the crash called Crash Investigation, Behind Close Doors. This segment (part3) shows the dramatized event and footage of a Turkish Airlines DC-10 at take off, among the carnage at Ermenonville, Paris on March 3rd, 1974 . Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Localisation du Mémorial

Richard Bolai — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:40:17 +0000

Une vue de la forêt d’Ermenonville ‘Google Earth’ où le DC-10 s’est écrasé

Localisation du Mémorial

49° 8′ 44.15″ N 2° 38′ 5.40″ E

A 700 m de la baraque de Chaalis. Contribution de Bruno Druesne

Un lieu de mémoire.Contribution de Bruno Druesne

S’inscrire.Contribution de Bruno Druesne

La forêt d’Ermenonville

Richard Bolai — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:37:51 +0000

May the soil of France comfort their untimely departure

Forêt d’Ermenonville, ou plus précisément la forêt de Chaalis,

La petite crête du crash. Contribution de Bruno Druesne / The ridge where the airplane broke up

Vers le Mémorial de la catastrophe d’Ermenonville. Contribution de Bruno Druesne / The path to the Memorial

Fragments du DC-10 éparpillés dans la forêt d’Ermenonville. Contribution de Bruno Druesne / Fragments from the DC-10, thirty years later

Contribution de Bruno Druesne

Le site d’Ermenonville

Richard Bolai — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:35:35 +0000

This, the original blog, THY981 – Turk Hava Yollari -TC-JAV is being transfered to Sea of sand Ermenonville Paris which has accessibility to open comments without limitations. No further updates shall be added.

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Not even the greatest Gods can save you from the Creations of man

I have never seen a plane torn up as much as this over a large area, The pieces are extremely small, fragmented and scatted over half a mile long by one hundred and twenty yards wide. Charles Miller (Former head of the National Aviation Safety Board)

Je n’ai jamais vu, jusqu’à présent, un appareil éventré sur une grande surface, les pièces sont extrêmement petites, fragmentées et éparpillées sur plus d’un demi mille (800 m) de long et cent vingt mètres de large. Charles Miller (Ancien chef de la National Aviation Safety Board)

20,000 fragments of human parts were recovered from the crash site. Nine passengers were totally smashed into oblivion. / Sur le site d’Ermenonville, plus de 20,000 fragments ont été récupérés sur le site de l’accident. Neuf passagers ont été complètement.

Crash victims were from 21 nationalities. 177 British, 56 Turks, 48 Japanese and 25 Americans. The official French report states 306 adults, 6 children and 1 infant./ Les 346 victimes étaient de 21 nationalités : 177 Britanniques, 56 Turcs, 48 Japonais et 25 Américains. Le rapport officiel français précise : 306 adultes, 6 enfants et 1 bébé.

Un corps retrouvé, près de l’un des moteursThe engine which could be #2 due to its minor damage because it had been disabled after the decompression. Note the two bodies in front of the engine. / Un moteur, qui pourrait être le n° 2 en raison de ses dommages mineurs, avait été désactivée après la décompression.

March 3, 1974, was the first of seventeen consecutive days which he spent in the forest, organizing, together with firemen, soldiers, and Red Cross workers, the collection and removal of 22 tons of human flesh and bone. In this case, the airplane had struck at nearly 500 miles per hour, and even though the angle of impact was shallow, the kinetic energy was so great that it instantaneously demolished the whole airframe. Apart from the engines, almost indestructible masses of hardened steel and nickel, there were few pieces of wreckage more than a couple of feet long.

Le 3 mars 1974, était la première journée des dix-sept consécutives qu’il passa dans la forêt pour organiser, de concert avec les pompiers, des soldats, et des volontaires de la Croix-Rouge, pour la collecte « inhumaine » de plus 22.000 débris humains. Ici, l’avion avait percuté le sol à près de 500 milles à l’heure (800 km/heure). Même si l’angle d’impact était faible, l’énergie cinétique fût si grand qu’il détruisît instantanément l’ensemble du fuselage. Mis à part les moteurs, pratiquement indestructibles car massifs et faits de nickel et d’acier trempé, il y avait très peu de pièces de l’avion faisant plus de deux pieds de long. Le degré de fragmentation de l’appareil et des passagers fût inouï !

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A battered body found showing the traumatic force which the occupants endured. / Un corps meurtri montrant la force traumatique que les occupants ont endurée.There was a scar in the forest about five hundred yards long and up to a hundred yards wide. It bisected a small oblong valley which itself was criss~ crossed by tracks and, at about halfway, a rocky gully. All over this area there was scattered a gruesome mixture of human remains. trunks, legs, heads, arms, and pieces of viscera, hanging from trees, half‑buried in the ground, and entangled everywhere with life jackets, papers, clothing, endless loops of wire, and minor personal effects. Looking down at his feet after his first coup d’oed of the shattered landscape. – From Destination Disaster /

Il y avait une saignée dans la forêt d’environ cinq cent mètres de long et jusqu’à une centaine de mètres de large. Elle traverse une petite vallée longue qui est elle-même traversé coupée par une autre, avec, à peu près à mi-chemin, un ravin rocheux. Partout dans cette zone, il a été dispersé un effroyable mélange de restes humains. Troncs, jambes, têtes, bras, morceaux de viscères, pendus à des arbres, corps à moitié enterrés dans le sol, et enchevêtrés partout avec gilets de sauvetage, des papiers, des vêtements, des boucles de ceinture, des fils, et des petits effets personnels.

For the end of review in 1974, Time magazine used a photo similar as to the image at the top. The two bodies next to the engine had their faces whitened out. The Great DC-10 Mystery and Death comes at Ermenonville In one of the articles, a schematic illustration of the tail of the DC-10 showed the burst cargo hold with six passengers still strapped to their seats being expelled from the craft.

Après l’enquête, en 1974, le magazine Time a utilisé une photo similaire à l’image du haut. Les deux corps à côté du moteur avait le visage blanchi. Le Grand Mystère du DC-10 et de la Mort à Ermenonville. Dans un des articles, une illustration schématique de la queue du DC-10 a montrée l’éclatement de la porte de soute et l’expulsion de six passagers, toujours retenus à leurs sièges.

The task of removing the bodies from the forest, the faces of the workers show its grim./ Retrouver les corps dans la forêt, les visages des « sauveteurs » sont parlants.

Notes to the photographs: The following images posted here are in respect to the persons who lost their lives. They are graphic details of the crash site and may disturbing to some readers./ Notes sur les photographies: Certaines images qui sont ici publiées ne le sont que dans un souci de traduire la réalité et l’horreur de cette catastrophe. Certaines illustrations peuvent heurtés certains. Ces illustrations doivent inspirées l’émotion et le respect à ceux qui les visionnent.

Sièges trouvée dans un champs de navets à 6 milles (10 km) du lieu de l’accident (Transports Canada rapport) A seat expelled from the DC-10 which fell into a turnip field / Sièges trouvée dans un champs de navets à 6 milles (10 km) du lieu de l’accident (Transports Canada rapport) / Un siège, expulsé du DC-10 après la dépressurisation

On my left, over a distance of four hundred or five hundred meters, the trees were hacked and mangled, most of them charred but not burnt. Pieces of metal. bright colored electric wires, and clothes were littered all over the ground. In front of me, in the valley, the trees were even more severely hacked and the wreckage even greater. There were fragments of bodies and pieces of flesh that were hardly recognizable. In front of me, not far from where I stood, there were two hands clasping each other, a man’s tightly holding a woman’s hand, two hands which withstood the disintegration. – Jacques Lannier

À ma gauche, sur une distance de quatre cent à cinq cent mètres, les arbres ont été hachés et mutilées, pour la plupart carbonisés, mais pas brûlés. Des morceaux de métal. Des fils électriques colorés, et des vêtements étaient jonchées sur le sol. En face de moi, dans la vallée, les arbres ont été encore plus sévèrement entaillés. Il y avait des fragments de corps et des morceaux de chair qui étaient à peine reconnaissables. En face de moi, pas loin de l’endroit où je me trouvais, il y avait deux mains entrelacées l’une à l’autre, un homme tenant serré dans sa main la main d’une femme, les deux mains sont restées accrochées en dépit de la désintégration de l’avion. — Jacques Lannier

The quote above is the first observations from the crash site of ship #29 at Ermenonville forest in a place called Grove of Dammartin. / La citation ci-dessus est la première observation du site de l’accident du DC-10 n° 29 dans la forêt d’Ermenonville.

Le DC-10, le plus gros fragment trouvé à Ermenonville

The right emergency door located over the wing found intact. / La porte de secours droite, située sur l’aile et retrouvé intacte.

The shell where the lettering YOLLARI is visible, and the door in the foreground is the emergency exit which is located over the wings. Structurally, the wings are the strongest part of the DC-10 and this proves that the section traveled the furthest somewhat intact. / Le réservoir où l’inscription YOLLARI est visible, la porte à l’avant-plan est la sortie de secours qui se trouve au-dessus des ailes. Structurellement, les ailes sont la partie la plus solide du DC-10, ce qui explique que la section soit relativement intacte.

Notes to the photographs: The following images posted here are in respect to the persons who lost their lives. They are graphic details of the crash site and may disturbing to some readers. / Notes sur les photographies: Les images publiées ici sont celles de personnes qui ont perdu la vie. Certaines illustrations sont de nature à heurter la sensibilité de certains. Ces images sont des témoignages graphiques qui doivent inspirer émotion et respect à celles et ceux qui les visionnent.

Watch a BBC broadcast on the accident

Visionner une émission de la BBC sur l’accident

Watch a documentary on the accident

Commentaires sur la catastrophe

Richard Bolai — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:29:26 +0000

A record of comments

Anonymous – Under Memorial or see comments on the accident

My father died in this crash. He was French, 36 years old and let a family: his wife with 5 children aged at that time 6,5yo, 5,5yo, 4,5yo, 2,5yo and the last one only 10 months.

Thank you for this compiling job as it is very hard to find information on this terrible event.

If you may have interest, I could supply to you some materials that I found.

Also I do have a question, why did you made this site? Had you been directly or indirectly affected by this event?

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As a child, I remembered hearing reports over the radio that a plane had crashed into a forest. My first thoughts was that the trees were soft so no body got hurt. Yet, I was too young to comprehend what really happen. Since then, it has been a bazaar fascination with this particular accident. And this is where I began to collect articles regarding the crash over the years.

Until your message, I was indirectly affected by this event? The website is a place of remembrance from an accident which you father gave his life, in the mayhem of his last moments, yet he saved many others. I can explain the fascination, I feel I am part of it somehow but also it brings closure to me. Thank you so much for being part of its remembrance.

Best regards,

Richard Bolai

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Brendan Kershaw - Under Ermenonville falls to many

Looking at these terrible scenes of the crash site it really does make your blood run cold! Its virtually impossible to imagine what it must have been like for the people involved, not only friends and family but police and investigators who were faced with a nothing short of horrific task of clearing endless wreckage and victims! A terrible catastrophe!

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Brendan Kershaw - Under Memorial

As a small child I can remember seeing this horrific smash on television. I think it was the worst in the world ever back then; and not hard to see why.The first accident involving a fully laden wide body airliner since they came into service.I plan to take a trip on eurostar to paris soon and will visit the accident site to pay my respects. A terrible tragedy for everyone involved.God bless everyone who were on board. Best wishes Brendan Kershaw

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Anonymous – Le site d’Ermenonville

Site très attendu. Ce crash a brisé la famille. Pourriez vous donner une liste des victimes ? Wikipedia a établi un lien externe, je ne vous avais pas remarque. Bravo ! (en 2005, le livre du romancier C. Morel De Sarcus -il est épuisé malheureusement mais on le trouve encore chez Tschann 125 boulevard Montparnasse et peu etre ailleurs-”Le masculin l’emporte” relate toute la catastrophe avec precisions) merci pour nos oublies

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TANGO – Le site d’Ermenonville

Enfin un site construit sur la plus grande catastrophe aérienne de France…
Plus encore de photos, coupures presse svp. Ok pour le livre cité meme si auteur très special mais infos bea corrects. Il y a eu une emission tv autour de ce bouquin avec photos exclusives je crois arte mais a verifier. Pouvez vous proposer videos sur le crash. Et la photo du medecin d’orry la ville parue France soir. Enfin un plan de vol du tk. Un afficionados.

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JEAN PHILIPPE STRASBOURG – Le site d’Ermenonville

BRAVO. TRES CLAIR ET BONNE DOCU. AI PENSE A L’AIRBUS QUI S’EST ECRASE CHEZ NOUS SUR LA FORET. DOMMAGE QU IL Y AIT TROP DE TEXTES EN ANGLAIS.

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Antony – About

Was following this accident for years and was wondering if any of the pilots immediate family are still alive and can give their accounts

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Rob – About

Fantastic effort. This tragic incident has been a respectful fascination for me for many years and I’m pleased to see it recognized here.

For your information, there is a new documentary on the crash called ‘Behind Close Doors’ here airing on Mar 10th 2008.
http://natgeochannel.co.uk/photos/?id_m=142

Also, here is a YouTube link to a documentary on the crash from the UK made in 1996. It shows the memorial and has contributions from people involved, and is very moving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0N5l1-IcQE

Once again, thank you.

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Dear Rob,

Thank you for your remarks and to the link to the documentary. I do suspect the episode to be aired on National Geographic may favor towards sensationalism. No dramatized scenario can reflect on the shear panic the crew and passengers of TC-JAC experienced. They lost their very lives.

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Rob – About

Thank you Richard

I would add I have no connection with either link and have the greatest respect to your judgment and, of course, to the memories of those who perished.

May I also suggest for your reference section a book with an excellent and comprehensive account of the incidents cause, effect and ramifications to air travel. ‘Air Disaster Vol 1′ by Macarthur Job. ISBN: 1875671110.

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Tim Raper – Under Memorial

I remember this event even though I was very young at the time.
The ‘lollipop lady’ who used to help me and my fellow pupils across the road outside our school was on board. I have been trying to find a passenger manifest in the hope that I can pick out her name.

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Nathalie VANEL

Bravo pour ce site plein d’émotions. Je n’avais que 4 ans, mais je suis retournée à la “mer de sable” et le souvenir de ce terrible accident sétait enfoui en moi depuis tout ce temps. e pense surtout aux familles, et je suis aujourd’hui, adulte de tout coeur avec eux.

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One of the stewardesses of the flight, Rona Altinay, was killed in the accident. She was my mom’s childhood friend. I was only 4 when we heard the sad news on the radio in one evening. Even today we talk about her and the accident. This is a great site as it provides full coverage. I did not know about the memorial and videos until I found this site. I hope we don’t forget them and remember their memory. – Taylan

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Je suis tombée par hasard sur ce site. En 1974 , j’etais en poste pour Air France à Orly , j’ai été profondement marquée par l’accident au point de n ‘avoir plus jamais été me promener dans la foret d’ E rmenonville, il m’est arrivé souvent de penser a tous ces jeunes orphelins, espérant que , malgré tout , ils aient pu construire une vie satisfaisante, si on peut dire !! Toutes mes pensées vont à eux. Jacqueline Faggianelli

I just found by chance this website. In 1974, I was working for Air France at ORLY. I had been so deeply touched by this accident that I could not go for a walk in the forest of Ermenonville. I frequently thinking on all those young orphans, hoping that they finally managed to build up a satisfying life, if I can say so!! All my thoughts to them. Jacqueline Faggianelli.

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David – Under Memorial

Ive just watched a documentary on this crash , and remember when it happened. Such a tragic and unnecessary crash.

The U.S.A built DC 10 became a “No fly Plane for myself and many others I know. Its record of incidents of trouble is a disgrace.

I was shocked to find out during this documentary ,it wasn’t an acciident, Mcdonald Douglas knew about the problem with the cargo door during pressure tests in development- Such a shame that Giant corporations put the lives of others in mortal danger due to their Greed. To all the vitims – RIP. I hope to visit the site to pay my repects one day.

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Hi Bruno,

I am one of 2 living daughters of 2 of the victims of the Turkish Airlines crash. My parents, David & Phyllis Kween were on that flight when I was only 17 months old. There is a chapter on us in The Last Nine Minutes called the ‘Kween Case’. I am sorry to hear that you lost your Father on the flight too.

I understand that you are in the process of inputing an Association of the victims families. I think that is great & will be much appreciated to a lot of people. The website is really great & for me, fills in some of the missing links that I never knew about. Anyway, I just wanted to hi & thanks,

Lauren Kween

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Stephen Poole:

Thank you for the work that you have put in to establish a permanent reminder of the terrible Parish air crash. I remember it when I was 8 years old. It was Sunday and I always remember the news around it and the very upsetting ITV documentary that was made and broadcast. It was such a profound event.

I have the book on the crash and yours and the linked, French website, which has pictures of the memorial, are all very moving.

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Even now, after 34 years (1974-2008) I still remember that terrible accident from the news in Athens, Greece. I wish that tragic events like this one never happen again.

Costas
Athens, Greece.

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echt sehr traurig und unglaublich dieser sache. Keiner hatte schuld von dem gestorbenen 346 menschen, nur weil die Baggajetür nicht richtig gebaut und kontrolliert war mussten dieser 346 menschen sterben. Amerikanische MC-Donalds wusste es und tat aber nichts. Also, dies war keiner unfall oder so was, das ist ein reiner massenmord von Amerikanische Flugfirma gewesen. Aber für Amerikaner-Firmen waren und sind ja nur das Geld wichtig. Mensch ist der unwichtigste für dieser Staat.

Mit freundlichen Grüssen aus Istanbul,

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Thanks for the article, Milton Safran was my children’s grandfather. It is with great sadness I must say I never met Milton. His son Michael followed in his footsteps and those of his grandfather Joseph Safran and owns Safran’s Antiques.

Janet K. Safran

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I was happily amazed to stumble across this site and see that so many cared . My passport states that i was born in bury St. Edmunds, a town forever linked with this terrible tragedy. This incident took place when I was 8 years old and took away several of fathers friends from before and when I was tot. Their pictures are still dotted around his house today in the background at weddings etc . I believe one chap even lodged in our house. The incident served as reference point in my life . My father might have perished himself but for circumstances and I have always felt a grim empathy for the children whose lives were shattered that Sunday afternoon.

At the time of the crash my family lived abroad. In an age long before e mail and mobiles word didn’t filter through for a week or so . We received cutting from the daily mail and others with pictures of his friends with DEAD before their names . I can remeber my mother screaming up stairs and my fathers bewildered hurt look when he came home from work . One chap was pictured in the suit he had worn to my parent wedding . Why didn’t their seatbelt save them I innocently asked having recently just flown on a wide bodied jet for the first time?. Also it the sheer circumstances of time and place that stalks our lives followed by the cruel reality that events have taken place that can never be erased .

I saw footage of the rugby match that many of the victims attended the previous afternoon. A glorious sunny afternoon in Paris, the English supporters celebrating wildly the try scored by David Duckham. As the camera focusing on the crowd you realize that some of the smiling excited faces have just 22 hours to live. I have wondered about the Mohammed the poor “illiterate “baggage handler . little is heard of him but how did life evolve without ever being able to prove that he had not been even a tiny bit complicit . Never being able to prove that clic was really heard i have visited the site which is now simply a silent witness and reminder to the terrible fragility that is human mortality. RIP to all who perished and eternal sympathy to those affected whose lives had to continue following my earlier account of the tragedy touching me via my fathers friends I would be fascinated to hear from any else on this subject via robbo65@live.co.uk.

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Dear Richard My name is Nicola Talbot and I live in New Zealand and my Great-Uncle was killed in the THY981 flight. His name was James Berg and I understand the only New Zealander on the flight. He was my grandmothers brother. My uncle has recently been researching our family history and has found your website which has provided our family with more detail about this tragic event. As you can imagine details such as these were very difficult to get in 1974 and from the other side of the world.

I am traveling to Paris for work at the beginning of February and I would like to visit the memorial site at Ermenonville while I am there. I am struggling to find exact directions to the memorial and wondering if you knew them? I understand I need to get to Senlis or Ermenonville but I’m not sure about how to get to the actual memorial. Thanks in advance for your help.

Kind regards, Nicola

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From other sources

Personal tems from the crash on display in the hope that the owners may be identified

“My father was killed in the Turkish Airlines crash in France. In 1974 I was 10 years old and my American family was living just outside of Paris where my father was working. I vividly remember rushing to the train station in Triel-sur-Seine early on Sunday morning, March 3, so that my father could make his flight to London. He said a quick goodbye and that was the last time I ever saw my father again.My father was on his way to London on British Airways to catch a flight to Africa for business. Because of a British Airlines strike, he got a last minute flight on Turkish Airlines. On Monday, March 4, I stayed home from school because I was sick and I clearly remember reading the front page of the Herald Tribune giving details of the crash, not realizing at the time that my father was on board. By Monday afternoon, by father’s secretary called my mother several times asking if she had heard from my father, as he usually called when he arrived at his destination.

My mother spoke little French so it was very difficult for her to get any information. I remember her sitting by the phone and crying in frustration because my father had not called from Africa and she could not get any details from the airline because they didn’t have a complete passenger manifest. Given the headline in the paper, she was fearing the worst but couldn’t get confirmation.

A couple of days later it was evident that my father was missing and likely on the ill-fated DC-10. A week after the accident, we went to the crash site in the forest north of Charles-de-Gaulle airport. The trees were cleared out for 1000 yards where the plane had come down. There were still small part of the plane scattered everywhere. I remember looking up into the standing trees and seeing people’s clothes and parts of people belongings. My brother and I went through piles of people belongings that had been recovered from the site in hopes of finding something that belonged to my father. We later identified a bent and damaged ring that he was wearing. We also found his melted briefcase handle with his initials visible.

Most of the victims bodies/parts were placed in a mass grave in Paris. Fortunately my father’s body was identified by dental records and he was buried back in the United States.

In 2001, I was in Paris on business and I had a free afternoon. I took the train to Ermonville and then found a taxi driver who helped me find the crash site in the forest. I could still see the impact area of the plane because of the small trees in the area. Today there is a granite memorial with the names of the victims engraved. There are still small pieces of the plane throughout the crash site. Many of the visitors have taken pieces and placed them at the base of the monument, along with several human bones that were also found in the area.

It is a very beautiful and peaceful place but 30 years ago the events that took place there and the people that were lost had a lasting impact on hundreds of lives, including my family.”

–Michael Chard (son of Gary Chard)

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” I wasn’t in the world when that tragic accident happened. However I can guess the terrifying dimensions of this incident. I learned that my uncle’s closer classmate had lost her life in DC-10 disaster while she had been flying to London for studying English literature. And during the rescue workings, her squared, red trouser had been found and given to her depressed parents. And as a Turkish citizen, I want to give a short information. In the Ermenonville disaster, 47 Turkish passengers were killed. The name of the passenger that I have mentioned above was Gunselı Yoruker.”

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“Having been an aviation and airline Manager for many years I have followed these disasters quite rigorously. I have a copy of Moira Johnston’s The Last Nine Minutes and this details the entire episode of THY flt # 981. I lived the days when the latch over spools were a spill over to the L1011 and lights were common failures in confirmation. The inability of the manufacturer to sense the requirements for pivotal pressurization in larger aircraft and develop alternative venting systems beyond the 3.1 psi floor strength seemed to stagnate the industry, but then again who knew that the doubling of the size of aircraft hulls would result in cubed ratio of pressure and any cummulative effects ie door mechanisms, would provide that explosive charge that would disrupt cable mechanisms and severe the pilots control of the aircraft. The famous axiom is “would it work in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan” in other words, placards in english and 1″ diameter viewing ports in a blinding snow storm at sub zero temps do not invoke the confidence that passengers would require from a baggage handler or mechanic on the run. It is time to error proof these systems people and make them kaizen or error proof.”

- Brett

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La Porte Cargo

Richard Bolai — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:27:00 +0000

The unsafe Latch Manutentionnaire, Mohammed Mahmoudi est celui qui a fermé la porte cargo du DC-10 n°29 à Orly Sud en activant un interrupteur électrique. Une fois fermé, il a gardé le bouton enfoncé pour conduire les verrous sur les bobines d’ancrage et sur le seuil de la porte. La porte était solidement fermée quand une petite poignée a été repoussé. Cette rotation d’une tringle, un tube enfoncé, a relevé un levier et, hélas, repoussé quatre goupilles de blocage sur la bride de la serrure des crochets.

La Porte Cargo du DC-10

Manutentionnaire, Mohammed Mahmoudi est celui qui a fermé la porte cargo du DC-10 n°29 à Orly Sud en activant un interrupteur électrique. Une fois fermé, il a gardé le bouton enfoncé pour conduire les verrous sur les bobines d’ancrage et sur le seuil de la porte. La porte était solidement fermée quand une petite poignée a été repoussé. Cette rotation d’une tringle, un tube enfoncé, a relevé un levier et, hélas, repoussé quatre goupilles de blocage sur la bride de la serrure des crochets.

Le dessin de la porte cargo du DC-10

Bien que les goupilles de verrouillage aient été coincées contre les pattes des brides sur le dessus des loquets, Mahmoudi fût néanmoins capable de fermer la porte, sans la forcer. La partie supérieure des verrous n’a pas réussi à revenir au centre et toutes les forces générées par la pressurisation après le décollage ont été transmises à l’actionneur électrique. À 11.500 pieds (prés de 4.000 mètres) les deux boulons qui retiennent l’actionneur de la porte ont cédés et la porte s’est ouverte. La décompression a causée l’effondrement du plancher de la partie cabine qui est venu perturber les câbles qui contrôlaient le gouvernail de direction et la gouverne de profondeur. Lors de l’incident, six passagers furent éjectés.

Une note aux lecteurs: Peu après l’incident américain, la modification de porte, préconisée par le fabricant du DC-10, proposait une solution rapide et simple. Cependant, la porte de l’appareil DC-10 n ° 29 n’a pas été entièrement refondu. Lire la navigabilité après l’écrasement de Paris.

Position de la porte cargo

Chaque pièce a sa fonction, Bon, Mauvais ou Indifférents

Mohammed Mahmoudi fût accablé par .McDonnell Douglas et présenté comme un bagagiste «analphabète». On lui reprocha de ne pas avoir fermé la porte correctement. Il est exact qu’il ne parlait pas anglais, or la pancarte donnant les instructions de fermeture était rédigée en anglais. Il convient de noter que les accusations portées contre ce bagagiste étaient une explication rapide et simple pour couvrir la mauvaise conception du mécanisme de verrouillage du DC-10. Ce problème aurait dû être fixé peu après l’incident dît de Windsor (American Airlines en 1972) qui avait révélée cette faiblesse