JAL DC-8-62-"Water Landing SFO"-11/22/68

[coolspindrift]

One tough and Gorgeous airliner.

[tomndecatur]

Douglas built really tough airframes --DC-8's particularly (just to be "sure" during the early days of commercial jet development). The Airbus that landed in the Hudson had its belly ripped beyond repair and immediately become scrap, this DC-8 flew for 34 more years after its water landing. Similar circumstances but a far different outcome.

[faith61499]

I worked on and taxied this Airplane for many years while I worked with ABX AIR (Airborne Express). She gave us many years of great service and had no more problems with her than we did with any other DC8"s that we operated. Her tail number with us was N808AX.

[JG1324]

Shiga was Flying as a Cargo Plane for Airborne Express up until Dec. 2001 when she was retired. Her Parts were salvaged and the body of the plane itself was Scrapped.

[TFinSF]

I remember seeing that plane being repaired in the UAL maintenance base on a field trip (would have been about the sixth grade). I also seem to recall that the JAL captain committed suicide a few years later.

[Springbok295]

Reminds me of the SAS DC-8-62 that landed in water short of LAX's runway in Jan '69. Except that one was written off.

[denberg2]

Mlle Sabena would not have liked to be on this one, Chris...