LastknownphotooftheTitanic.

TitanicandOlympicunderconstruction.

Britannicinnurse’suniform.

TheicebergsuspectedofhavingsunktheRMSTitanic.ThisicebergwasphotographedbythechiefstewardofthelinerPrinzeAdelbertonthemorningofApril15,1912,justafewmilessouthofwheretheTitanicwentdown.Thestewardhadn'tyetheardaboutthesinking.Whatcaughthisattentionwasthesmearofredpaintalongthebaseoftheiceberg,indicationthatithadcollidedwithashipsometimeintheprevioustwelvehours.OtheraccountsindicatedthattherewereseveralicebergsinthevicinitywheretheTitaniccollided.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh5xu35bAxA

On25July2000,AirFranceFlight4590crashedinGonesse,France,killingall100passengersandninecrewmembersonboardtheflight,andfourpeopleontheground.ItwastheonlyfatalincidentinvolvingConcorde.Accordingtotheofficialinvestigation,thecrashwascausedbyatitaniumstripthatfellfromaContinentalAirlinesDC-10thathadtakenoffminutesearlier.ThismetalfragmentpuncturedatireonConcorde’sleftmainwheelduringtakeoff.Thetireexploded,andapieceofrubberhitthefueltank.Severalothermalfunctionsoccurred,ultimatelycausingamajorfuelleakfromthetank,whichthenignited.Theaircraftwasunabletogainheightorspeed.Theaircraftenteredarapidpitch-upthenaviolentdescent,rollingleftandcrashingtail-lowintotheHotelissimoHotelinGonesse.On6December2010,ContinentalAirlinesandJohnTaylor,oneoftheirmechanics,werefoundguiltyofinvoluntarymanslaughter.Priortotheaccident,Concordehadbeenarguablythesafestoperationalpassengerairlinerintheworldintermsofpassengerdeaths-per-kilometrestravelled(withzero),butwithahistoryoftireexplosions60timeshigherthansubsonicjets.(TheConcordecouldattainspeedsinexcessofMach2,or1,350mph.)Incidentally,thefirstflightwithpassengersaftertheaccidenttookplaceon11September2001,whichlandedshortlybeforetheWorldTradeCenterattacksintheUnitedStates.

Re-createdimagesofthecollisionoftwo747jumbojetsontheislandofTenerifeintheCanaryIslandsin1977.Duetoamyriadoffactors,mostnotablyandimportantly,grosslynegligentpiloterror(withoutwhichtherewouldhavebeennoaccident),aKLMjetranintoaPanAmjetwhilebothwereontherunwayinheavyfog.Theaccidentkillednearly600peopleandhasbeenthesingledeadliestaviationaccidentinhistory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQtmGcdSDAI