KLM Crash anniversary

vulcan57

Just noticed in the Galway Advertiser that this summer marks the 50th Anniversary of the KLM Crash 200 miles off the Galway coast. The crash was the worst in civil aviation history at the time involving a single aircraft, in which 99 persons died. There is a mass grave just inside the entrance to the new cemetry for those that died. My own father was a crew member on an RAF Shackleton out of RAF St Mawgan that flew an 18 hour SAR mission that day. He often mentions it, especially as I have now been living here in Galway for some time.

Galway City Council are being called upon to comemmorate the disaster in some way. What are peoples thoughts on which way would be an appropriate way to remember those that died.

Steyr

Air corps fly by? wreath ceremony at sea?

vulcan57

Fly past would be nice. Maybe a nice plaque placed in an appropriate place. Maybe both?

jamesdiver

http://atlantach.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/the-last-flight-of-klm-607e-hugo-de-groot/

jamesdiver

vulcan57 wrote: »

Just noticed in the Galway Advertiser that this summer marks the 50th Anniversary of the KLM Crash 200 miles off the Galway coast. The crash was the worst in civil aviation history at the time involving a single aircraft, in which 99 persons died. There is a mass grave just inside the entrance to the new cemetry for those that died. My own father was a crew member on an RAF Shackleton out of RAF St Mawgan that flew an 18 hour SAR mission that day. He often mentions it, especially as I have now been living here in Galway for some time.

Galway City Council are being called upon to comemmorate the disaster in some way. What are peoples thoughts on which way would be an appropriate way to remember those that died.

Its a little late but if your still posting would love to hear more of your fathers recollections of the event. thanks

GCU Flexible Demeanour

I've a feeling that two separate incidents are being garbled here.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of this incident:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KLM_Flight_633

In 2008, we had the 50th anniversary of this, different, incident:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KLM_Flight_607-E

Both involve the loss of KLM aircraft.

jamesdiver

I'm talking about the 607-E here, which is what the OP posted. Nothing to do with KLM_Flight_633.

GCU Flexible Demeanour

jamesdiver wrote: »

I'm talking about the 607-E here, which is what the OP posted. Nothing to do with KLM_Flight_633.

Can I point out the OP said "this summer marks the 50th Anniversary of the KLM Crash 200 miles off the Galway coast". It doesn't. As I said, this year marks the 60th anniversary of an earlier KLM crash off the West coast.

I think the point is that the Galway Advertiser seems to have gotten the story all mixed up.

ProfessorPlum

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

Can I point out the OP said "this summer marks the 50th Anniversary of the KLM Crash 200 miles off the Galway coast". It doesn't. As I said, this year marks the 60th anniversary of an earlier KLM crash off the West coast.

I think the point is that the Galway Advertiser seems to have gotten the story all mixed up.

Yep, but the OP was 6 years ago!

GCU Flexible Demeanour

ProfessorPlum wrote: »

Yep, but the OP was 6 years ago!

Well spotted, sir.

AlekSmart

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

I've a feeling that two separate incidents are being garbled here.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of this incident:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KLM_Flight_633

In 2008, we had the 50th anniversary of this, different, incident:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KLM_Flight_607-E

Both involve the loss of KLM aircraft.

Two interesting stories indeed....It seems that the Flight 633 crash sparked some considerable discussion and ill-feeling in relation to Shannon ATC procedures at the time.

(Mainly in DUTCH Language)

http://www.dutch-aviation.nl/index7/index7-Ongevalsonderzoek.html

Three weeks later the Limerick and District Branch of the National Union of Journalists condemned "false and malicious reports in foreign newspapers about the crash which cast a slur on Shannon". It's hard to understand what they can have meant by this. It seems obvious that, had airport tower personnel taken the trouble to watch the aircraft for less than a minute after take-off, they could not have missed seeing the crash, probably saving many lives. They must have been a carefree lot: Nor was any notice taken of absence of any radio messages from the Triton.

One wonders what the "False and Malicious" reports actually were ?