BOAC flight 911
Encyclopedia
BOAC Flight 911 was a round-the-world flight operated by British Overseas Airways Corporation
.
On 5 March 1966, the Boeing 707
-436 operating this flight was commanded by Captain Bernard Dobson, 45, from Dorset
, an experienced 707 pilot who had been flying these aircraft since November 1960.
The aircraft, registered G-APFE, disintegrated and crashed near Mount Fuji
, Japan
shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport
, at the start of the Tokyo
-Hong Kong
segment. All 113 passengers and 11 crew members were killed in the disaster, including a group of 75 Americans associated with Thermo King Corporation
of Minneapolis, Minnesota
, on a 14-day company sponsored tour of Japan and Southeast Asia
. There were 26 couples traveling together in the group, leaving a total of 63 children orphan
ed.
This was the third fatal passenger airline accident in Tokyo in a month. On February 4, the worst single plane crash in aviation history at the time
occurred near the same airport when 133 persons died as a Boeing 727
belonging to All Nippon Airways
, then a purely domestic Japanese airline, plunged into Tokyo Bay
while preparing to land. Then, less than 24 hours before the BOAC disaster, a Canadian Pacific Airlines
Douglas DC-8
jet crashed
on the runway while landing at the Tokyo International Airport, killing 64 of the 72 people aboard.
reported: "Despite these reports of a fire and explosion aviation experts said that adverse wind conditions around the volcanic cone about 40 miles south of Tokyo may have caused the crash. The vicinity of the 12,388-foot peak is notorious for tricky air currents. Technicians in New York said that a condition could exist where turbulent air could have caused the aircraft to undergo a drastic maneuver that might lead to a crash. Such violent forces, they said, might have caused an engine to disintegrate, possibly setting fire to the wing or fuselage."
The accident aircraft arrived in Tokyo at 12:40 hours on the day of the accident from Fukuoka Airport
where it had diverted the previous day due to conditions on the ground in Tokyo. The weather there had since improved behind a cold front
with a steep pressure gradient
bringing cool dry air from the Asian mainland on a strong west-northwest flow, with crystal clear sky conditions. During their time on the ground, the crew received a weather briefing from a company representative, and filed an instrument flight rules
(IFR) flight plan
calling for a southbound departure via the island of Izu Ōshima
, then on airway
JG6 to Hong Kong at flight level
310 (31,000 feet).
At 13:42 hours the crew contacted air traffic control
requesting permission to start engines, and amending their clearance request for a visual meteorological conditions
(VMC) climb westbound via the Fuji-Rebel-Kushimoto waypoints, which would take them nearer to Mount Fuji, possibly to give the passengers a better view of the landmark. The aircraft began taxiing
at 13:50 and took-off into the northwest wind at 13:58. After takeoff, the aircraft made a continuous climbing right turn over Tokyo Bay
, and rolled out on a southwest heading, passing north of Odawara
. It then turned right again toward the mountain, flying over Gotemba on a heading of approximately 298°, at an indicated airspeed
of 320 to 370 knots, and an altitude of approximately 4,900 m (16,000 ft), well above the 3,776 m (12,388 ft) mountain peak.
While flying into the wind, approaching Mount Fuji from the downwind side, the aircraft encountered severe clear-air turbulence
associated with lee waves
, causing a sudden structural failure
that initiated the in-flight breakup sequence. At the time of the accident, winds at the summit of Mount Fuji were measured at 60 to 70 knots from the northwest. Lenticular cloud
s associated with lee waves were observed on weather satellite photos taken 30 minutes before the accident some 240 km (150 mi) to the south, but were not visible in the vicinity of the accident where the skies were clear.
A U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawk
that was sent up shortly after the accident to search for the wreckage encountered extreme turbulence in the accident area. The cockpit accelerometer display registered peak acceleration
values of +9 and -4 g-units
, causing temporary loss of control, and leading the Navy pilot to believe his aircraft would also break-up in the turbulence. The pilot regained control and landed safely, but the aircraft was grounded for post-flight inspection by maintenance personnel
. Many other aircraft that passed near Mount Fuji that day also reported moderate to severe turbulence.
The accident was photographed by Japan Self-Defense Forces
personnel at the nearby East Fuji Maneuver Area
, and an 8 mm film
shot by one of the passengers during the flight had resisted the crash. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the aircraft in a flat spin
trailing white "smoke" prior to breaking up in flight. The white cloud was later determined to be atomized jet fuel escaping from the fuel tanks due to the breakup. The film shot on board was developed by investigators, and showed evidence that the aircraft experienced severe turbulence just prior to the accident. No evidence was recovered from the flight data recorder
, which was destroyed by fire with the rest of the nose section which fell separately. The aircraft did not have a cockpit voice recorder
, and no distress call was received from the flight.
The aircraft left a debris field 16 km (10 mi) long. Analysis of the location of wreckage allowed the accident investigators to determine that the vertical stabilizer
attachment to the fuselage failed first. It left paint marks indicating that it broke off the port side horizontal stabilizer as it departed to the left and down. A short time later, the ventral fin and all four engine pylons failed due to a leftward over-stress, shortly followed by the remainder of the empennage
. The aircraft then entered a flat spin, with the forward fuselage section and the outer starboard wing breaking off shortly before impact with the ground.
Although some stress cracking was found in the vertical stabilizer bolt holes, it was determined by subsequent testing that it did not contribute to this accident. Still, it was potentially a significant safety-of-flight issue. Subsequent inspections on Boeing 707 and similar Boeing 720
aircraft as a result of this discovery did reveal this was a common problem, and corrective maintenance actions on the fleet eventually followed.
The probable cause determination was: "The aircraft suddenly encountered abnormally severe turbulence over Gotemba City which imposed a gust load considerably in excess of the design limit."
crashed and burned on landing at Tokyo International Airport. Indeed, Flight 911 had taxied past the still smouldering wreckage of that Douglas DC-8
immediately before taking off on the flight that would shortly lead to its own accident.
Several booked passengers decided to cancel their tickets at the last moment in order to see a ninja
demonstration. These passengers, Cubby Broccoli
, Harry Saltzman
, Ken Adam
, Lewis Gilbert
and Freddie Young
, were in Japan scouting locations for the fifth James Bond
film, You Only Live Twice
.
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
.
On 5 March 1966, the Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
-436 operating this flight was commanded by Captain Bernard Dobson, 45, from Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, an experienced 707 pilot who had been flying these aircraft since November 1960.
The aircraft, registered G-APFE, disintegrated and crashed near Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport
Tokyo International Airport
, commonly known as , is one of the two primary airports that serve the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. It is located in Ōta, Tokyo, south of Tokyo Station....
, at the start of the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
-Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
segment. All 113 passengers and 11 crew members were killed in the disaster, including a group of 75 Americans associated with Thermo King Corporation
Thermo King Corporation
Thermo King Corporation, based in Bloomington, Minnesota and a unit of Ingersoll Rand Company Limited, is a manufacturer of transport temperature control systems for trucks, trailers, shipboard containers and railway cars as well as HVAC systems for bus, shuttle and passenger rail applications...
of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, on a 14-day company sponsored tour of Japan and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. There were 26 couples traveling together in the group, leaving a total of 63 children orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed.
This was the third fatal passenger airline accident in Tokyo in a month. On February 4, the worst single plane crash in aviation history at the time
All Nippon Airways Flight 60
All Nippon Airways Flight 60 was a Boeing 727-81 aircraft that crashed on February 4, 1966. All 133 passengers and crew were killed when the aircraft crashed into Tokyo Bay about from Tokyo's Haneda International Airport in clear weather conditions while on a night approach...
occurred near the same airport when 133 persons died as a Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
belonging to All Nippon Airways
All Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
, then a purely domestic Japanese airline, plunged into Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
while preparing to land. Then, less than 24 hours before the BOAC disaster, a Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986...
Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
jet crashed
Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 402
On March 4, 1966, Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 402 , struck the approach lights and a seawall during a night landing attempt in poor visibility at Tokyo International Airport in Japan. Of the 62 passengers and 10 crew, only 8 passengers survived...
on the runway while landing at the Tokyo International Airport, killing 64 of the 72 people aboard.
Accident investigation results
One day after the tragedy, speculation was that fierce winds above Mount Fuji were responsible. The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported: "Despite these reports of a fire and explosion aviation experts said that adverse wind conditions around the volcanic cone about 40 miles south of Tokyo may have caused the crash. The vicinity of the 12,388-foot peak is notorious for tricky air currents. Technicians in New York said that a condition could exist where turbulent air could have caused the aircraft to undergo a drastic maneuver that might lead to a crash. Such violent forces, they said, might have caused an engine to disintegrate, possibly setting fire to the wing or fuselage."
The accident aircraft arrived in Tokyo at 12:40 hours on the day of the accident from Fukuoka Airport
Fukuoka Airport
, formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Japan. It is officially designated a second class airport. It is operating at full capacity, and cannot be further expanded. Flights stop at 10 p.m...
where it had diverted the previous day due to conditions on the ground in Tokyo. The weather there had since improved behind a cold front
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
with a steep pressure gradient
Pressure gradient
In atmospheric sciences , the pressure gradient is a physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the pressure changes the most rapidly around a particular location. The pressure gradient is a dimensional quantity expressed in units of pressure per unit length...
bringing cool dry air from the Asian mainland on a strong west-northwest flow, with crystal clear sky conditions. During their time on the ground, the crew received a weather briefing from a company representative, and filed an instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
(IFR) flight plan
Flight plan
Flight plans are documents filed by pilots or a Flight Dispatcher with the local Civil Aviation Authority prior to departure...
calling for a southbound departure via the island of Izu Ōshima
Izu Oshima
is a volcanic island in the Izu Islands and administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, Japan, lies about 100 km south of Tokyo, 22 km east of the Izu Peninsula and 36 km southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. serves as the local government of the island...
, then on airway
Airway (aviation)
In aviation, an airway is a designated route in the air. Airways are laid out between navigational aids such as VORs, NDBs and Intersections ....
JG6 to Hong Kong at flight level
Flight level
A Flight Level is a standard nominal altitude of an aircraft, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa , the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either...
310 (31,000 feet).
At 13:42 hours the crew contacted air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
requesting permission to start engines, and amending their clearance request for a visual meteorological conditions
Visual meteorological conditions
In aviation, visual meteorological conditions is an aviation flight category in which visual flight rules flight is permitted—that is, conditions in which pilots have sufficient visibility to fly the aircraft maintaining visual separation from terrain and other aircraft. They are the opposite of...
(VMC) climb westbound via the Fuji-Rebel-Kushimoto waypoints, which would take them nearer to Mount Fuji, possibly to give the passengers a better view of the landmark. The aircraft began taxiing
Taxiing
Taxiing refers to the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or push-back where the aircraft is moved by a tug...
at 13:50 and took-off into the northwest wind at 13:58. After takeoff, the aircraft made a continuous climbing right turn over Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
, and rolled out on a southwest heading, passing north of Odawara
Odawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
. It then turned right again toward the mountain, flying over Gotemba on a heading of approximately 298°, at an indicated airspeed
Indicated airspeed
Indicated airspeed is the airspeed read directly from the airspeed indicator on an aircraft, driven by the pitot-static system. IAS is directly related to calibrated airspeed , which is the IAS corrected for instrument and installation errors....
of 320 to 370 knots, and an altitude of approximately 4,900 m (16,000 ft), well above the 3,776 m (12,388 ft) mountain peak.
Clear-Air Turbulence
Clear air turbulence is the turbulent movement of air masses in the absence of any visual cues such as clouds, and is caused when bodies of air moving at widely different speeds meet....
associated with lee waves
Lee waves
In meteorology, lee waves are atmospheric standing waves. The most common form is mountain waves, which are atmospheric internal gravity waves...
, causing a sudden structural failure
Structural failure
Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carrying capacity of a component or member within a structure or of the structure itself. Structural failure is initiated when the material is stressed to its strength limit, thus causing fracture or excessive deformations...
that initiated the in-flight breakup sequence. At the time of the accident, winds at the summit of Mount Fuji were measured at 60 to 70 knots from the northwest. Lenticular cloud
Lenticular cloud
Lenticular clouds are stationary lens-shaped clouds that form at high altitudes, normally aligned perpendicular to the wind direction. Lenticular clouds can be separated into altocumulus standing lenticularis , stratocumulus standing lenticular , and cirrocumulus standing lenticular...
s associated with lee waves were observed on weather satellite photos taken 30 minutes before the accident some 240 km (150 mi) to the south, but were not visible in the vicinity of the accident where the skies were clear.
A U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawk
A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...
that was sent up shortly after the accident to search for the wreckage encountered extreme turbulence in the accident area. The cockpit accelerometer display registered peak acceleration
Acceleration
In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. In one dimension, acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down. However, since velocity is a vector, acceleration describes the rate of change of both the magnitude and the direction of velocity. ...
values of +9 and -4 g-units
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
, causing temporary loss of control, and leading the Navy pilot to believe his aircraft would also break-up in the turbulence. The pilot regained control and landed safely, but the aircraft was grounded for post-flight inspection by maintenance personnel
Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Aircraft maintenance technician, as used in the United States, refers to an individual who holds a mechanic certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration; the rules for certification, and for certificate-holders, are detailed in Subpart D of Part 65 of the Federal Aviation Regulations ,...
. Many other aircraft that passed near Mount Fuji that day also reported moderate to severe turbulence.
The accident was photographed by Japan Self-Defense Forces
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
personnel at the nearby East Fuji Maneuver Area
East Fuji Maneuver Area
is the major training grounds for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force on Honshū, Japan. It is one of several military facilities located in the foothills of Mount Fuji and extends over parts of Gotemba, Susono and Oyama, in Shizuoka Prefecture...
, and an 8 mm film
8 mm film
8 mm film is a motion picture film format in which the filmstrip is eight millimeters wide. It exists in two main versions: the original standard 8mm film, also known as regular 8 mm or Double 8 mm, and Super 8...
shot by one of the passengers during the flight had resisted the crash. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the aircraft in a flat spin
Spin (flight)
In aviation, a spin is an aggravated stall resulting in autorotation about the spin axis wherein the aircraft follows a corkscrew downward path. Spins can be entered intentionally or unintentionally, from any flight attitude and from practically any airspeed—all that is required is sufficient yaw...
trailing white "smoke" prior to breaking up in flight. The white cloud was later determined to be atomized jet fuel escaping from the fuel tanks due to the breakup. The film shot on board was developed by investigators, and showed evidence that the aircraft experienced severe turbulence just prior to the accident. No evidence was recovered from the flight data recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
, which was destroyed by fire with the rest of the nose section which fell separately. The aircraft did not have a cockpit voice recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
, and no distress call was received from the flight.
The aircraft left a debris field 16 km (10 mi) long. Analysis of the location of wreckage allowed the accident investigators to determine that the vertical stabilizer
Vertical stabilizer
The vertical stabilizers, vertical stabilisers, or fins, of aircraft, missiles or bombs are typically found on the aft end of the fuselage or body, and are intended to reduce aerodynamic side slip. It is analogical to a skeg on boats and ships.On aircraft, vertical stabilizers generally point upwards...
attachment to the fuselage failed first. It left paint marks indicating that it broke off the port side horizontal stabilizer as it departed to the left and down. A short time later, the ventral fin and all four engine pylons failed due to a leftward over-stress, shortly followed by the remainder of the empennage
Empennage
The empennage , also known as the tail or tail assembly, of most aircraft gives stability to the aircraft, in a similar way to the feathers on an arrow...
. The aircraft then entered a flat spin, with the forward fuselage section and the outer starboard wing breaking off shortly before impact with the ground.
Although some stress cracking was found in the vertical stabilizer bolt holes, it was determined by subsequent testing that it did not contribute to this accident. Still, it was potentially a significant safety-of-flight issue. Subsequent inspections on Boeing 707 and similar Boeing 720
Boeing 720
The Boeing 720 is a four-engine narrow-body short- to medium-range passenger jet airliner. Developed by Boeing in the late 1950s from the Boeing 707, the 720 has a shorter fuselage and less range...
aircraft as a result of this discovery did reveal this was a common problem, and corrective maintenance actions on the fleet eventually followed.
The probable cause determination was: "The aircraft suddenly encountered abnormally severe turbulence over Gotemba City which imposed a gust load considerably in excess of the design limit."
Related information
This accident was one of five fatal aircraft disasters -- four commercial and one military -- in Japan in 1966, and occurred less than 24 hours after Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 402Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 402
On March 4, 1966, Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 402 , struck the approach lights and a seawall during a night landing attempt in poor visibility at Tokyo International Airport in Japan. Of the 62 passengers and 10 crew, only 8 passengers survived...
crashed and burned on landing at Tokyo International Airport. Indeed, Flight 911 had taxied past the still smouldering wreckage of that Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
immediately before taking off on the flight that would shortly lead to its own accident.
Several booked passengers decided to cancel their tickets at the last moment in order to see a ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
demonstration. These passengers, Cubby Broccoli
Albert R. Broccoli
Albert Romolo Broccoli, CBE , nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer, who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career, most of them in the United Kingdom, and often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and EON Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the...
, Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman was a Canadian theatre and film producer best known for his mega-gamble which resulted in his co-producing the James Bond film series with Albert R...
, Ken Adam
Ken Adam
Sir Kenneth Adam, OBE, born Klaus Hugo Adam , is a motion picture production designer most famous for his set designs for the James Bond films of the 1960s and 1970s.-Childhood in Germany:...
, Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert CBE is an English film director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:He was the son of music hall performers, and spent his early years travelling with his parents, and watching the shows from the side of the stage. He first performed on-stage at the age of 5, when asked to drive a...
and Freddie Young
Freddie Young
Freddie Young OBE, BSC , was one of Britain's most distinguished and influential cinematographers...
, were in Japan scouting locations for the fifth James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film, You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
.