Abstract This paper examines technological disasters in the airline industry. In particular it looks at the British jet aircraft industry after the accidents. It allows us to gain insight into what people's conceptions were, and why certain events unfolded as they did. It shows us how people can learn from technological disasters, and even though they seem catastrophic at the time, they give us the necessary tools to insure that such disasters do not happen again.
From the paper:
"The Comet planes, operated predominantly by BOAC had established Britain as both a successful pioneer and leader in civil jet aviation. However, several American companies, including Boeing, were in hot pursuit of de-Havilland, fighting for their share of the new civil jet market. ?The Comets symbolized to Britons their nation's pre-eminence in jet aviation,? 5 and so the accidents came as a devastating blow, both in the short and long term. In the aftermath of the accidents, all Comets were grounded pending investigation, causing huge problems and losses."
