There is a story posted at the LAAH (Latin American Aviation History)site which really facinates me. It is the story of an Avro Lancastrian Mk III (a Lancaster bomber of second world war vintage modified for passenger service)which disappeared on a flight over a mountain range in South America. For those of you who may be interested, the story is located at:

www.laahs.com/bombrun

The theories involved in the disappearance and cause of the aircraft make sense except for two things, one of which has to do with the jetstream. If you are so inclined, read the story which is in English and tell me what you think.

Doug Vernon

The PBS "Nova" series ran s show about this aircraft a few months ago. It reappeared from a glacier on an Andes mountain side about 50 years after it crashed.

Whenever there is an undecipherable message repeated several times I would suspect hypoxia. That could also account for major NAV errors.

Following a very brief search today, I found reference to the word/term "STENDEC" several times on the internet. I also discovered that there
was a slight thread of the term used in the UK but
so far I have not found a root definition.

Doug

There was a programme on TV here a few months back re this accident.

I recorded it but erased it later, but I did send a copy to David Wood, who may still have it and I know he has a machine which can convert a VHS tape to NTSC, so maybe he'll be able to send you a copy of it.

It was a very interesting programme.

Doug/Michael,
I still have the tape of the show that Michael kindly sent out to me.

Unfortunately although my VCR will play both PAL and NTSC tapes,I cannot transfer copy between the 2 standards. It will only record in PAL format.

It was a really great program and had me totally absorbed. I wonder how many other airplane wrecks are concealed in ice flows around the world.

A few years ago a USAAC B25 Mitchell was found by chance, on a narrow ledge at 12,000 feet in West New Guinea (or Iriyan Jaya)where it crashed into a sheer mountain face in 1945 or 46. The remains of the crew were still in the airplane. The only way onto the ledge was by high performance Chopper as the mountain face was too sheer to climb. The next ledge was some 7,000 feet below. Just as well the crew were killed on impact because they would have died of starvation otherwise. The ledge concerned is in cloud for much of the time.

>I wonder how many other airplane wrecks are concealed in ice flows around the world.

One of the US news shows (Dateline ?) recently did a segment on a Northwest DC-4 which hit a mountain in Alaska in 1948.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/1948/480312-0.htm

Very similar to Stardust in that the wreck could not be located at the time and has only now started to emerge from the glacier.

David, Brian, all

Check this one out:
thelostsquadron.com

A whole squadron under 278 ft. of ice - one plane rescued!

Herb Bain
AHM

Can anyone remember the B29 that was rescued from the ice, I think in Greenland?

If my memory serves me right, it was put back into flying condition and then just prior to flying out, the damn thing caught fire and was destroyed.

What a heart break to those that put all that money, time and effort in.

David,
The following is my opinion and mine alone.
That project was doomed from the very start as a result of ill planning which resulted in the death of
a project member and loss of an aircraft...both of which did not have to happen.

The aircraft in question should have been, in my
opinion, dismanteled and removed piece by piece by heavy lift helicopter or some other capable
conveyance.

Again, in my opinion, a life could have been spared
had their been responsible leadership regarding this project. Had their been responsible
work scheduling during the challenging weather conditions which at times plagued the project and the workers, the illness and the death of the project mechanicprobably would not have taken place would not have happened.

As far as the destruction of the aircraft is concerned, the story goes that the gas cap on the tank filler tube of the APU (auxiliary power unit) located toward the aft interior fuselage section of the aircraft was not firmly secured in place. As a result of the movement of the aircraft over fairly uneven ground surface, the cap of the filler tube
was loosened and gasolene splashed out over the
hot APU unit touching off a fire.

I refrain from speaking out any further for obvious
reasons.

Doug Vernon

David and Doug

The entire story of this B-29 was filmed and released on Public TV's "Nova" series, and the video is available for sale through them. The title is "B-29... Frozen in time". I have a copy (VHS). A very sad story.

Herb Bain
AHM

I have both the public copy of this program and
the private video taken by a project crew member.

Doug

BSAA lost 2 Lancastrians over the Andes. We have accounted for one (Stardust.)
Anyone know anything about the other loss?

I have this inner need for seeing interiors of old classic airliners....I must have been conceived in one. Anyway, does anyone have any shots of the
passenger cabin and cockpit of a Lancastrian?
If so, I need my fix!

I also went hunting for PBY passenger conversions today while the boss at work wasn't looking never thinking I would come up with anything but voila! I located two photographs on one of the PBY sites. Don't ask me which one...I forgot....but if anyone is interested, punch up PBY
on the browser and sift through all the stuff and you will eventually come across them.

Oh, also go to Avro Lancastrian sites. On one of them which is out of Australia, there were a bunch
of comments going back and forth on its message board about a Lancaster/Lancastrian which had two recip and two jet engines. Come to find out it was a test bed for engines which eventually found their way to the deHavilland "Comet" program.
There are sure a lot of good and wonderful things out there....but no cabin interiors.

Doug,
The Lancastrian was not particularly comfortable. All seats where on one side of the airplane and viewing windows on the other. Also gasoline fumes in the cabin were common.

The video that Michael sent me has a couple of interior shots but also has some of what in reality was the interior of the AVRO TUDOR, giving a false view somewhat of the Lancastrian being comfy.

Remember that the Lancaster was not particularly wide, barely enough room for 2 men to stand(?)side by side inside the airplane.

I have crawled around inside a Lanc a few times and really had to duck the head as well. At 6 foot 3inches tall, I certainly cannot fit into any of the Lancs gun turrets comfortably either.