F-BGNX de Havilland D.H.106 Comet
1A
(c/n 6020)
Air
France put the Comet into regular service on the route from Paris to
Beirut on 26 August 1953.
This aircraft had received the UK registration G-AOJT before going to
France, and it reverted to
this rego when it was returned to
the UK following the Comet 1A disasters early in 1954, resulting
in their being withdrawn from
service. This machine was returned first to the Ministry of
Supply,
and then went to the RAE at
Farnborough for testing before being scrapped in 1956. It was one
of three Comets delivered to the
French national carrier before the decompression problems forced
their early retirement.