97. Air-Commodore Harveyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he will make a statement on the explosion in the British European Airways Corporation Viking aircraft which took place over the English Channel on 13th April.
98. Mr. F. Elwyn Jonesasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he will make a statement on the explosion which occurred in a British European Airways airliner during a flight from London to Paris on 13th April, 1950.
§ Mr. BeswickThis matter is still the subject of investigation. All I can say now is that the damage was caused by an internal explosion, not due to any inherent fault in the aircraft or to anything normally carried in it. The explosion blew large holes in both sides of the fuselage, and put the aircraft's rudder completely out of action and severely reduced the use of its elevators. I should like to commend the sturdy construction of the Viking and pay my tribute to the coolness and skill of the pilot and the fortitude of his crew in getting the machine safely home.