What happened
Approximately twenty minutes following departure from Rome-Ciampino Airport, a de Havilland Comet was cruising at 27,000 feet between Montecristo and Elbe islands. During this phase of flight, the aircraft experienced a sudden, violent decompression. The plane subsequently vanished from radar tracking before impacting the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Search operations located debris approximately 16 km south of Elbe Island, with much of the primary wreckage settling at a depth of 600 meters. While roughly 70% of the wreckage was retrieved and transported to the United Kingdom for forensic analysis, the accident resulted in 35 fatalities and no survivors. Following the incident, several airlines, including Air France and SAA, temporarily grounded their Comet fleets due to concerns regarding technical reliability.
Findings
Investigations into the wreckage revealed that the aircraft had undergone a catastrophic structural failure that led to an in-flight explosion. The official inquiry determined that the fatigue of the pressure cabin was the primary driver of the accident.
Key findings from the investigation included:
- Testing confirmed that the cabin structure possessed low resistance to fatigue.
- Evidence showed the pressure cabin was the initial component to fail during the event.
- The nature of the wreckage was consistent with patterns observed in laboratory fatigue tests.
- No other significant defects were identified in the wreckage that could have contributed to the loss of the aircraft.