South African Airways Flight 201

South African Airways Flight 201

G-ALYY, the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
Date	8 April 1954 (1954-04-08)
Summary	In-flight metal fatigue failure leading to explosive decompression and in-flight breakup
Site	Mediterranean Sea between Naples and Stromboli 39°55′N 14°30′E / 39.917°N 14.500°E / 39.917; 14.500 (South African Airways Flight 201)
Aircraft
Aircraft type	de Havilland DH 106 Comet 1
Operator	South African Airways on behalf of BOAC
Registration	G-ALYY
Flight origin	London Heathrow Airport, London, England
1st stopover	Rome Ciampino Airport, Rome, Italy
Last stopover	Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt
Destination	Johannesburg Jan Smuts Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa
Passengers	14
Crew	7
Fatalities	21
Survivors	0

South African Airways Flight 201 (SA201), a de Havilland Comet 1, took off at 18:32 UTC on 8 April 1954 from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy, en route to Cairo, Egypt, on the second stage of its flight from London, England to Johannesburg, South Africa. The flight crashed at around 19:07 UTC, killing all on board. The flight was operated as a charter by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) using the aircraft registration G-ALYY^[1] ("Yoke Yoke"), with a South African crew of seven, and carrying fourteen passengers.