The landing at Shannon Airport, Ireland, was routine. As the Pan American Airways Clipper (bound for Lisbon from New York) taxied towards the airport terminal, the pilot snapped an order: "Flaps up." The copilot, who had flown many hours in DC-4s, instinctively reached down with his left hand, yanked the lever next to his seat.
But the copilot was not in a DC-4. He was in a Constellation (which has a landing-gear lever where the DC-4 has its flap lever). Instead of the flaps coming up, the wheels came up. The Connie crashed seven feet, on to the runway. The...
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