Citation

Higgs DG. J. Occup. Accid. 1982; 3(4): 249-258.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1982, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Higgs, D.G., 1982. Explosives sabotage and its investigation in civil aircraft. Journal of Occupational Accidents, 3: 249-258.The Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment first became interested in aircraft accident investigation when a BOAC Comet aircraft was lost in the sea off Greece on 12th October 1967. Since that time nine other such investigations have been undertaken successfully. The occasions when an aircraft is reported to have been seen exploding in mid-air are rare events, but when this is coupled with the known absence of a subsequent fire, there must be a high level of significance associated with evidence of melted polymeric materials and the probable occurrence of a detonation aboard. Such occasions offer fruitful areas for extending research into specific forms of damage to polymeric materials. Several examples of novel damage are illustrated in this paper, selected from a detailed examination of aircraft fabrics and clothing of passengers.