British European Airways Flight 706

BEA Flight 706

G-APEC at London Heathrow in 1965.
Accident summary
Date	2 October 1971 (1971-10-02)
Summary	Explosive decompression, leading to structural failure and loss of control
Site	Aarsele, Belgium
Passengers	55
Crew	8
Fatalities	63 (all)
Injuries (non-fatal)	1 (minor, ground)
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Vickers Vanguard
Operator	British European Airways
Registration	G-APEC
Flight origin	London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
Destination	Salzburg Airport, Austria

British European Airways Flight 706 was a scheduled flight from London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport (SZG), by Vickers Vanguard G-APEC, on 2 October 1971. Whilst en route at 19,000 ft (5,791 m), 35 minutes after takeoff, the rear cabin pressure bulkhead failed. The resulting pressurisation of the tail section caused the surfaces of the tailplanes to separate, weakening them to the point that they broke off. Without a horizontal stabiliser the aircraft entered an uncontrollable dive. The aircraft crashed near Aarsele, Belgium, killing all 63 passengers and crew on impact. A piece of debris from the aircraft struck a passing car, causing minor injuries to one of its occupants.

Investigators, in attempting to determine the cause of the accident, found corrosion in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead underneath plating that was bonded to the structure. The bulkhead had been eaten away. Fluid contamination, perhaps from the lavatory, was thought to have been the root cause for the corrosion. The corrosion was not detectable by then-current inspection techniques. The Belgian Civil Aeronautics Administration wrote the report and the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch had accredited personnel assisting the investigation.

Two notable fatalities among the passengers were the British hat designer Otto Lucas and an Austrian academic, René Marcic ().

Coordinates: 50°59′27″N 3°26′20″E / 50.99083°N 3.43889°E / 50.99083; 3.43889