Collision Course - mid air collision Zagreb 1976 Yugoslavia's worst air disaster

[@MenwithPurpose2012]

Richard Weston stood for truth and was not swayed from it. He put his emotions for loosing his girlfriend aside, to stand up for truth. He fought for Tasic as if he were his blood brother. We need such men in this world. I was deeply impressed by that man.

[@aljawad]

Many thanks for posting this program! I used to own a copy on VHS, and probably still do? Alas, over the years it seems to have disappeared!

[@Highland_Moo]

I’m from the Scottish highlands and I was born in the late 1970s, I hadn’t heard about this awful tragedy until I saw this video. It appeared as I was scrolling through aviation videos and I’m happy I found it. Thank you so much for sharing it. I’m a married mum of 3 grown u0 kids and I’ve always loved civil aviation even though I’ve rarely had a chance to fly. I’ve got so many books about aircraft and a good few on aircraft tragedies. I find it fascinating to see how investigators manage to put together the reasons for the tragedies or crashes where, thankfully, people have escaped. My kids have left home and I’m 43. I wish I had the money to be able to fly a transatlantic crossing in a beautiful 747. I’ve missed out in the DC10/MD11 and now that 747/4s are being dumped, I feel my hope fading. Anyway, apologies for hijacking the comments. Thanks again for sharing and a very happy new year to everyone who’s found this video 👍🏻

[@fionastevenson6019]

👍👍👍

[@mmburgess11]

I was fortunate enough to fly DC10, Western Airlines to Germany in the 1980's. I am currently trying to fly on a 747. Maybe Honolulu to South Korea or Vancouver to Frankfort....not many options left. Lufthansa seems like the last best hope....I hope you can do it! I live in Seattle now and I just missed seeing the last 747 made take off earlier this year. Cheers!

[@Dave-id6sj]

Once again KZbin throws up a gem of a suggestion for viewing. Really enjoyed this video, thanks for uploading it.

[@wildplumbeauty]

I’ll watch anything from the ‘70’s. It’s my FAVOURITE decade. This was a sad one though. RIP to those who perished.

[@cleopatraoatcake7364]

Me, too!

[@MayminVHS]

The saddest thing is the last words of the DC-9 on the recorder was "we are finished! Goodnight, goodbye! Bye!"

[@jamesgraham6122]

I remember watching this when it was first broadcast, I never forgot it and it stayed with me in my mind through 30+ years of my flying career, I was always extra vigilant when approaching a VOR or intersection, possibly as a result. Many thanks for posting it. Strangely, I may have even witnessed the collision, though I doubt it, I was driving up through Yugoslavia and on the coast road heading north. At that time I was pretty much abeam of Zagreb but possibly 80 miles to the west. I turned briefly to my passenger (left hand drive Citroen) as she was talking and saw a bright flash in the sky. I asked the passenger behind if they'd seen it but she hadn't. I thought no more about it until back in England when I first learned of the accident. Probably just a coincidence, it was a bright magnesium type flash, unlikely to be the result of a mid-air collision.

[@comandanteej]

It might have been the accident what you saw. Wikipedia says "a Lufthansa Boeing 737 was travelling eastbound on UB5 at flight level 290 towards Zagreb, only 15 miles behind the Trident. The co-pilot saw the collision as a flash of lightning and afterwards, out of a ball of smoke, two aircraft falling towards the ground."

[@krcalder]

I was playing in the street, when a British Airways officer came round to inform the man next door that his wife had died. I have thought about it on and off since. I started watching a few KZbin videos about air disasters and had to see what really happened then. I watched another one first, but this one is far superior in every respect.

[@nomadlebowski]

thank you for this wonderful, eye opening documentary.

[@deltaboy767]

Poor Tasic he was made the scapegoat of this accident.

[@MELLYMEDIA]

He was thrown under the bus.

[@ZivotuAustriji]

People an plane parts rained down in the village were my uncle and aunt lived. They always told me the stories what they saw... Horrifying. Seats fell into neighbors yard with people still sitting in them.. They went into the forest nearby, where most of the parts fell. They went in and saw people torn apart hanging in the trees... A neighbor has a seat in his backyard even today, where he sits and relaxes... Morbid

[@paule6945]

What a amazing documentary........absolutely first class 👏

[@kikkan7110]

What a Lawyer!! These men with their wisdom and clear minds are deeply missed in our time. I do however, not believe that the corruption and greed has decreased in the same manner as the lack of wise human beings.Thank you for this upload, really appreciated.

[@angelaberni8873]

My neighbour (3 doors down from us)was on the British plane. His name was Cedric,a tall handsome man. He had a small little boy and his wife was pregnant with their second child. He was a sailor and they called him a week before time to join his ship. It was a very sad day indeed when this happened and ever since I have been TERRIFIED of flying. RIP dear neighbour. 🙏

[@Smiley-uz9vo]

Rip

[@dejaporter7338]

😓😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@mirnacudiczgela1963]

😢😢😢

[@5milessep]

Thanks for posting this Rob, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched this doco over the last 40 years. I’m a life long aviation enthusiast (specifically around ATC) and this disaster had been something that I’ve followed with an obsession. In the late 90’s I published a write-up on this based on Western’s book and this doco (a Google search of Collision Course and Zagreb will find it). The analysis I put there really needs to be updated, there were just too many systemic stuff-ups that contributed to the disaster, but it became a training aid to ATC globally on lessons learnt. Thanks, AB

[@bristolmod]

I had a customer that had saved for years to visit her pen friend. She called in to collect her currency and travellers cheques the day before travelling- to be honest I was quite "quick" with her as I had customers waiting. On the Monday I came into work to be told the news. We received her travellers cheques back from the crash site some months later- the condition of those brought home the brutality of the MAC. I've never forgotten her.

[@ChristopherSaindon]

WOW Chris that hits HARD! :(

[@firebird9711]

Wow I didn’t remember this. The air disaster at Tenerife in March 77 overshadowed it.

[@gnored]

The more of these documentaries I watch, it becomes increasingly clear that the real cause of these accidents lies with incompetent managers and cost-cutting bean counters. The control service should have been shut down completely until adequate staff, functional equipment, and thorough/excellent training is available and used by every member of the staff. Anything less is simply criminally negligent.

[@franfinesim]

it's horrible how the staff does not get enough paid. human lifes don't have a price, and accidents would be rare

[@CathyKitson]

Added to this there is a certain disillusionment to it all. The stress must be unbelievable "pushing tin".

[@michelekisly2535]

Thank you This is an important historical event

[@simonf8902]

Brilliant work. The creation of TCAS is a vital step forward !

[@KuvDabGib]

Except it didnt helped in Uberlingen disaster or few other major collisions, just saying...

[@thorgarbinwessel-kjenner7736]

@@KuvDabGib It worked but was wrongly handled by the Tupolev crew. If the TU accended and not decended everything would have been fine and we would never had heard about those two planes. Just saying...

[@KuvDabGib]

@@thorgarbinwessel-kjenner7736 Well if incompetent retared ATC didnt instructed them to descend, they would probably did what TCAS was instructing. Alas that night Nilsen was on watch and he was dicking around...

[@simonf8902]

@@KuvDabGib so true. It takes a while for lessons to sink in !

[@cjmillsnun]

@@KuvDabGib Pilots are taught follow the TCAS over ATC. This was pilot error.

[@MariaDUS1976]

In January of 1976 I started working as a ground hostess in an airport, 40 KM northern of Cologne, the destination of the Inex Adria. For me this was the first air disaster and till today the worst I had to experience. Not only Inex Adria was a costumer of ours, which I use to check-In dozens of times, but also due to the vicinity of the destination-Airport. I remember my colleagues and me crying. It took them MONTHS to return the passengers remains back to Germany, also to my airport as they were from all over our area. It was awfull. I’ve seen this film a dozen of times and it crashes me every time. Now I’m retired, I’ve seen a lot of accidents since then but none broke my heart like this one.

[@marythecoolcat]

Thank you for uploading!

[@strikostriko9664]

"Radar was supposed to be only used as backup". I immediately felt chill in my spine remembering Ajjacio tragedy with another Inex Adria DC9 where Ajjacio did not had radar at all.

[@donaldcarpenter5328]

Great doc. Justice WAS served. It would have been served if ALL had been set free from the start.

[@vanjasmudformerlyknownasma6813]

How did this came up??? I have never heard about this documentary... But I did about the accident. Outstanding piece of work!

[@catbriggs8362]

Outstanding docudrama.

[@change_your_oil_regularly4287]

Thanks for the upload 👍 You seem to be a Geelong fan..... I won't hold that against you 😉

[@worldbrokeheart]

Weston u beauty.. sadly 1976 was repeated in 2002 uberlingen crash .. and yes system pressure and fault made a father a killer

[@middletech]

I look at how crude technology was back then and believe things are much better today. I remember when I saw this originally in the USA and the perspective of seeing it again with hindsight is fascinating.

[@cosmictruth3600]

Very similar to the midair collision in 2002 ..between the bashkarian tuplolev and The DHL Boeing... over Germany

[@dejaporter7338]

That was horrific and the ATC guy was murdered even though it wasnt really his fault

[@vulpesaustralis1452]

​@@dejaporter7338 I think what happened to these two controllers demonstrates the problem with the blame culture that often surrounds accidents where human error is involved, the urge to pinpoint one particular individual as THE cause. It can all too easily have serious and tragic real world consequences.

[@raymondyee2008]

They should have this on Air Crash Investigation.

[@brushy1953]

Yes I've been waiting for ACI to release the doco

[@KuvDabGib]

Too much politics, i dont think it will happen...

[@davebeattie9573]

@@KuvDabGib ACI has no problems covering politically charged incidents. It covered the 1958 Munich air disaster, when a British European Airways flight carrying the Manchester United football team (known as the Busby Babes) crashed during takeoff. The politics in that incident reached the top levels of the UK government, with the PM publicly commenting on the situation. This was followed by the case being reopened and the pilot cleared of any wrong doing (I'm still not certain that they reached the right conclusions tho). Another politically charged incident that ACI has covered was the 1983 Soviet shoot down of a South Korean 747 airliner with 269 people from 16 countries on board, one of whom was a US Congressman. Between 1979 and 1985 tensions between East and West were at a level not seen since the Cuban Missile Crisis. So don't be too quick to dismiss this incident being turned into an ACI episode. It may yet happen, and if it doesn't, it won't be because of politics getting in the way.

[@jdbarr769]

@@KuvDabGib yes. Notice how they're forcing experimental treatments on citizenry, silencing detractors from their narrative.

[@goldhawkroad]

@@davebeattie9573 if I remember correctly there was a legal challenge to the programme before it was broadcast

[@vickystander7884]

My cousin her hysband and their three daughters died in this crash😢

[@dubliners0999]

At 31:08 I feel like I've seen the actor who plays this ATC. Anyone know the actor's name?

[@tiadaid]

The one with the drink? His name is Nick Brimble. He was in House of Cards, the original British version, that is. And he played Little John in the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie.

[@djpalindrome]

What a bunch of spineless cowards throwing a colleague under the bus like that

[@CathyKitson]

29:27. Every single air traffic controller's living nightmare.

[@michelem189]

Little did anyone in that courtroom know at the time, by villainizing (i.e., scapegoating) Tasic, they were essentially signing his death sentence, as the decision by the court was a direct cause of his murder a few years later. The unintended consequences of the court's *need*, *insistence* to place blame on a single individual, instead of on those whose greed for profit rendered the entire system a mass casualty waiting to happen. Those are the group of individuals who should have been on trial.

[@Ashleii]

That group of individuals will never ever be on trial. Whether it’s a head of state, a vaccine manufacturer, a social media giant …. Those folk are always safe and seem to always get richer no matter what

[@al1976-v7m]

@@j.o.1516 you obviously confused him with someone else... Tasic's health surely suffered (liver cirrhosis so he obviously started drinking) but he died at age 60.

[@darrylbirdsall2342]

At the time this air disaster occurred, I didn't know that I would eventually become a citizen of Slovenia by descent, which was where the Yugoslav airline Inex-Adria Aviopromet (later renamed Adria Airways, now defunct) was based. This disaster was very tragic; and air traffic controller Tasić was also a victim. Moreover, what happened on that fateful day is every air traffic controllers worst nightmare. The ATC system failed. The acting in this video was excellent. One thing was unclear to me: I would assume that the court proceedings were conducted in Serbo-Croatian or were they actually conducted in English?

[@МилицаРацковић]

Yes, the court proceedings were conducted in Serbo-Croatian.

[@SPiderman-rh2zk]

Glad to find a good quality version, thanks for uploading. I've seen this a few times but each time it still leaves me with that sombre mood. This collision isn't as well known today, despite it being the highest loss of life on a British Aircraft as far as I know (Though through no fault of the crew). It's always stuck with me, how horrible it was to be sat in the cruise one minute and be very, very dead the next, with the aircraft going out of control with nobody to pilot it and the still conscious passengers in the back. From what I understand, the forward fuselage burst like a balloon. I've also heard a baby was found in the Trident wreckage with a pulse but was mortally wounded. That in itself is horrifying and I feel for those that had to pick up the pieces of both aircraft. As for Tasic himself I feel bad for him also, I don't think it was 100% his fault when you take accounts of all the facts. I certainly don't hate him, he was just a regular bloke doing a regular job, albeit very overstressed. I'd like to say that this brought changes but sadly not change enough; The collisions over the USA in 78 and 86, over India in 96, Lake Constance in 2002. Thankfully now it seems large aircraft collisions are a thing of the past. RIP to all aboard both aircraft. Thanks again 😁

[@brushy1953]

Thanks for your post, sadly this was a result of a failed and antiquated ATC in Yugoslavia and a controller who was made a scapegoat. The only good thing to come out of these tragedies is that air safety is vastly improved for future travellers.

[@brushy1953]

@Jens Nobel yes agree on what you say, the near misses that don't get reported and the overload on air traffic controllers, I guess TCAS has been the major contributor in lessening mid air collisions.

[@wynottgivemore9274]

@Jens Nobel these are my thoughts almost exactly,with The thinking they have it all figured out,brings arrogance and complacency ... That being said when the ATC's are at their stations they should have their minds on the plains and focused on work not taking to the other controllers about where and what they want to buy in stocks and bonds...

[@christophercarrera2005]

This doesn't appears in Air Crash Investigation. This case must be covered in ACI if they continues.

[@CathyKitson]

If something is a mistake - a genuine, true accident, it seems wrong to imprison someone for many years. It's not as if the man intended to kill anyone; he did not wake up that day and think, "Today I'm gonna kill 100 people." He has got to live forever with this terrible thing on his conscience as it is. Normal people (i.e. non-murderers) would find it hard to live with just one death on their conscience. Imagine over 100. idk, it seems wrong to me.

[@mirkamirkic5690]

I am surprised that the procedure for receiving flight supervision did not include the entry of the exact time: termination and acceptance of jurisdiction and responsibility. Of course, the fault is solely in the system, as in 2002, when DHL (Italy-Brussels) and a Russian plane full of children (Moscow-Barcelona) crashed over Zurich . In Zurich flight control, the radar and telephone connections were not working, and one of the two officers on duty had gone on a break.

[@crystalwilson3466]

Sadly his coworkers turned on him to save their asses. I hope they were all fired to say the least.

[@ComettableMabel]

25:19 is that Niles Crane?

[@grahambuckerfield4640]

Superb find which I dimly remember, I was only 12 or 13 in 1979 when this was shown. I even recognize some of the actors from other UK dramas. Just to note, it was, of course, a BA Trident, BEA having been merged in 1974 though in '76 plenty of aircraft had hybrid liveries. More access to information due to Yugoslavia in 1976, though a Communist state under the rule of Tito, compared to the Warsaw Pact nations it was somewhat some liberal, socially, economically, the latter in terms of travel. Being non aligned there was not the obsessive secrecy of the WarPac nations.

[@cjmillsnun]

At the time, the European operation and long haul were still being run separately, so the BEALINE and BEATOURS callsigns were correct, even though these were BA flights.

[@RDeckardN6]

I was 10 years old in 1976 and I was at my grandmother's house in Nerezine on Losinj island. I remember very well that suddenly her neighbours (who were from Zagreb) rushed to our door in the early afternoon of that fateful day with their faces upset and terrified, telling my granny that two aircraft had just collided over the sky of their city and everybody had died. It seems yesterday as I have such clear memory of that.

[@drewski1535]

I feel bad for Tasic it looked like he was set up and took the brunt of the blame for everything those other controllers should be ashamed including the management

[@mp1017]

Sure they were smoking a lot back in a day. Interesting video, watching a lot of air crash investigations and this falls into my category.

[@tomdavis3038]

Eastern Europeans still are.

[@MrEhmedxlambda1904]

Amazing

[@Drea3-l1r]

Did this happen over Croatia in 1976? 😢 rest in peace to all of those that died on board both of the planes.

[@goranhajduk1992]

Croatia now. But, back then, Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia. Septembar 10 1976. All 176 on board died.

[@goranhajduk1992]

20 years later, in India, almost the same scene happened with arabian and kazakhstan plane. 349 people died.

[@dipanwitadasgupta5221]

That was not a very fair judgement - that guy was made a scapegoat

[@missanella]

Its so weird hearing my native language in this video! I was trying to figure out if the words sooken in my native were English words 😂😂😂

[@franfinesim]

I remember reading the article about this crash! I never heard of it, and it happened near Zagreb where I live. my parents were kids at that time, but I do not think that they heard of this tragedy. Apparently, bodies and luggage fell from the sky and fucking villagers stole stuff from killed passengers. my boyfriends colleague told him that his grandmother stole one >:(

[@clareshaughnessy2745]

Is that Anthony Cher? Famous Shakespearean actor?

[@danahsutton101]

Yes. I just saw his name at the end. I've never heard of him but he is great actor. Anthony Sher.

[@clareshaughnessy2745]

@@danahsutton101 lol, I think the C is courtesy of autocorrect! He’s more known for theatre now, but was quite famous in 70’s /80’s/90’s

[@danahsutton101]

@@clareshaughnessy2745 Cher is one of my favorite singers!

[@seadfacic2924]

Nice video, but NO country on this planet would EVER admit guilt in case like this.You have to put enormous pressure on the country for that...So i liked the video, but hated the underline insuniations that thing like that would have played out differently in UK.

[@drewski1535]

I can tell Richard Weston was fighting more for Tasic and the disappointment on his face at the end of the trial seeing the other 5 be let off while Tasic went back to jail must have been hard to fight for his freedom but managed to do so 2 years later

[@lewischaisson4810]

Thanks 😔

[@savanhavivalis6860]

My Aunt lost her life on this flight

[@catbriggs8362]

I cannot imagine the impact on your family. I'm truly sorry.

[@5milessep]

I’m sorry to read this Savanha, very sad.

[@PeteretePeter]

Poor lady -x-

[@Olubumni]

🙏🏽

[@hive71recordinz89]

Very sad

[@MrCapi55]

The One and Only to GUILT has to be Charged is on THE CONTROLLER WHO ORDERED THE DC-9 PILOTS TO PUT THE TRANSPONDER IN "STANDBY". That made that Tassic Only see a shadow instead of the DC-9 Flight Number.

[@pierresimenc2343]

Wasn't it in 1976?

[@cjmillsnun]

The collision was, but the programme is from 1979

[@forgottentelevisiondrama2750]

Tx: 20 February 1979.

[@Airborne675]

Its a Documentary not a movie.

[@brushy1953]

@Airborne675 it's a dramatisation not a doco, but the narrative is taken from actual events and ATC transcripts

[@pie536]

Whats this movie?

[@CB-CB]

It's Zagreb, not Zargreb :-P

[@hrvojecosic8802]

It's DINAMO ZAGREB

[@t33ny76]

Worth a watch just for the 70s sexism and workplace smoking

[@GB-qo1ct]

Ah yes, the good old days, before you fun police ruined everything

[@wynottgivemore9274]

Wow!

[@mistofoles]

Nick Brimble !

[@maanmohammad8459]

I think it was 77 or 78 I was in a train from London to Cardiff coming from,wait for it,Zagreb,and saw the headline in a newspaper read by another passenger.

[@nomadicmonger9455]

This has a 70's porno movie feel to it.

[@dlondy5319]

Only in your sick, depraved mind!

[@mozmorry]

His girlfriend! I watched 80% of this thinking it was his daughter who died, who was the bird crying in his house? I thought it was his wife! and why did he order sandwiches a week before he needed them, as 70s kid myself I'm starting to realize why i turned like i did, the late 70s and early 80s was a weird time...

[@seadfacic2924]

You have missed the sandwich for a 100 miles.Get it now? 😀

[@userQ_00we]

Flight 498

[@ibelongtojesus0316]

It'll be really obvious to have someone smoke while still at work. If this really happened, could this fellow smoking while at work caused this collision.....?

[@anjay_alok123]

Error atc

[@trpimirkarlovic838]

Croats in Zagreb speaking British English?

[@brushy1953]

Because it was a BBC Panorama production it was alway going to be in English, but they've been careful to faithfully dramatise the event as factually as possible

[@tiadaid]

It's like the HBO series Chernobyl, where the actors all kept their accents despite portraying Russians.

[@jernejanarat6919]

Tepeš is a very bad person.

[@PIG_e27]

Gib