All Four Engines Have Failed: The True and Triumphant Story of Flight BA 009 and the Jakarta Incident

by Betty Tootell

In June 1982 British Airways Flight BA 009, an American-built Boeing 747 in the command of Captain Eric Moody, took off on the Kuala Lumpur-Perth sector of its London to Auckland flight. Over Java the night was suddenly illuminated by St Elmo's fire, smoke filled the cabins and flames surrounded the turbulence-battered aircraft. One by one, for no reason the crew could discover, the engines surged and failed. With a badly damaged aircraft and almost no forward vision, the Captain controlled the powerless jumbo jet, the co-pilot sent Mayday calls and the flight engineer tried repeatedly to re-start the engines. Unable to use the PA system, the cabin crew were constantly on the move, reassuring the 247 passengers as the aircraft dropped for agonising minutes towards the mountains. Only later was the cause of the engine stoppage revealed, and the incident thereby made aviation history. Betty Tootell, one of the passengers, has written a remarkable and suspenseful account of what happened and how people reacted; a story which movingly demonstrates the heroism of ordinary people. The reader is left feeling that those on board were awarded precious an understanding of the true meaning of humanity, and of the gift of life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

178 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 1985

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The trepidation and dread of it. Trapped in a plane, hovering among the clouds as it were...the craft rocking to and fro...realising that the ultimate disaster beckons: a shattering plane crash! Such aerial mishaps we often assume to be terminal and fatal. Imagine the plight, the thoughts, the acute psychological agony of both crew and passengers at such a time. Inadvertently we are soon going to meet our Maker. Fervent, melancholic prayers, some managing to scribble "last notes" to loved ones... hoping that such notes would survive the crash and be read by the missus, kids etc...After all it's been announced that the engines of the plane - all four of them are no longer working! The end is nigh...implacable rocks in sight...but what if they manage to turn the plane around, and somehow land it in the sea?...the waters? Alas, where would the rescue come from? Horrid deaths by marine creatures like the sharks, a fetid, rippling crunching finale! Which one is better, horrific swift death with the plane hitting the rocks, or death in the waters? Such horrors no doubt swirled on the crew and passengers in this particular flight (real life), subject of this trenchant book. In passing, what a splendid job the flight attendants orchestrate even in the face of death, glimpsing the precipice, as they continually assure the passengers that all would be fine, smiling, guiding, patting them all (don't panic!) Whilst knowing all too well that their own sojourn on earth would likely end very soon.

Yes, plane disasters, or near plane disasters happen intermittently all over the world, but really, it's the pertinent ones in board who can understand the horror, the trauma, the pathos they go through. Transcendental Dread. And so it is here. The plane seemingly on fire, all the engines not working, imminent disaster! Yet to our relief (as readers) miracle - miracles - happen. Somehow the engines work to avert certain disaster (short-lived) and even the plane has to be landed manually. Successfully! Glee, tears, fulsome celebrations all over. Jabulani !!! as we say in Africa. What a story. Kudos to everybody involved here, and of course the polished author...

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flight that Changed Aviation

[Owned. Soft cover book bought in 1985, signed by the author and Captain Eric Moody]

No matter how many times I read this book, I am sucked straight into it, as if I were in a whirlpool.

This book is gripping from the Introduction to Appendix II. It is a true story – if it had been written as novel, people would claim it was a great story but a bit far-fetched!

After extensive interviews with as many passengers as she could contact, and from research into what led up to the incident and the aftermath, Betty Tootell has written an intensely personal, yet factual account of Flight BA 009.

The author has done a marvellous job of getting down on paper the first reactions and thoughts of the passengers as they began to realise that the plane they were in was almost certainly going to crash, killing them all. Her vivid imagery of what many of the passengers saw out of their windows is stunning. It is amazing that so many of the passengers and crew were willing to talk to Betty, and for their words and thoughts to be printed in a book and read by millions of people. There are some strange and some quite funny thoughts and things said that people were willing to share, and also some very moving and personal ones.

It was due in no small measure to the cabin crew that the passengers did not panic. The crew remained calm and professional, making jokes with appropriate passengers, reassuring those who needed it, asking suitable passengers to sit with those who were alone and afraid, and all the time, not knowing themselves what was going on. They were extremely well-trained and experienced staff, but for all that, they are quiet heroes, each one of them.

All these people lived through an experience of a lifetime and one not many people will experience. Did it change them? Only they can answer that.

The sheer determination, b…..-mindedness, and skill of the Captain, Senior First Officer and Senior Engineer Officer to keep the plane in the air is both inspiring and magnificent, as they had no idea of what was causing the problems they were encountering. Captain Eric Moody deserves all the accolades he received.

This is an engrossing book, but I find it quite stressful to read, even though I know the ending.

[Vera Steine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book's main flaw is that the story itself is too short, and so it's fleshed out with the experiences of many, but the result was a bit disjointed and above all repetitive. Add to that the morality of the 1980s, and reading this was an experience, and I'm glad I did, because I've wanted to read this for years, but it's not a book I would recommend easily to others.

[Francesca Pashby]

Amazing what one can find on holiday house book shelves!

This was a gripping, true life, retelling of a flight that NEARLY ended fatally, when all 4 engines on a Boeing 747 failed.

1982 was a groovy time for air travel, and it is the people and their eccentricities which really make the story come alive. And I couldn't believe that they still had smoking sections on planes then ... how disgusting!

[Evan Þ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading plane crash analyses; I also enjoyed this memoir of the near-crash of British Airways flight 9 as it flew into a cloud of volcanic ash in 1982, written by a passenger on the plane. All engines failed, but thankfully restarted as the plane slowly fell out of the ash cloud, and the plane was able to land safely at Jakarta with no injuries.

This's a short book, which stays tightly focused on the flight itself. Unlike too many disaster movies, it doesn't try to spend time on people's life stories leading up to the flight. Instead, Tootell - who was driven to stay in touch with other passengers after their near-escape - spends time jumping from passenger to passenger recounting what they thought and did on the flight while it was gliding with engines off.

This isn't a deep book at all, but I liked it.

[Geoff Woodland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well constructed story by one of the passengers who experienced the whole frightening episode. If you have read the newspaper reports you will know the ending but it is still a 'good read.'

[Ella Kiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I find the incident interesting but it was told in such a repetitive style that it quickly became boring for me to read.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A spectacular story, told from the perspective of someone who actually lived through it. Otherwise, not much else to recommend about it - you could get most of the interesting stuff by reading the news articles (though a few of the people interviewed have interesting things to say).

[Incunabula_and_intercourse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me forever to find a local, affordable copy of this book, but man was it worth it. A little dense at times, but a stunning picture of one flight's reaction to an unforeseen catastrophe—and with a happy ending, to boot!

[Sam Blondell · Rating 3 out of 5]

not what i expected

[Dom Pouton]

i think its amazing

[Jeremy Hannaford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aviation incidents or disasters are dark guilty pleasure for me and this book was a great read. Enjoyed both the scientific and first hand account sides of the novel.
Only issue I would say is that it gets very repetitive when the same sequence of events are described by different people in very similar ways but hey the whole thing lasted about 30 minutes so the author get a alot of good content out of such a short time.