Daily Politics from the New Statesman The greatest aviation disaster that didn't happen
Dec 22, 2025
Kate Mossman, a journalist and author for the New Statesman, shares gripping details about the near-catastrophe of British Airways Flight 2069. Months before 9/11, a passenger seized control, leading to a dramatic nosedive, yet everyone survived. The conversation touches on cockpit security norms of the time, including notable passengers aboard, like Brian Ferry. Mossman reflects on her reporting, the pilots' contrasting memories, and the survivors' psychological aftermath, revealing how fear and trauma have shaped their lives since.
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Near-Crash On Flight 2069
- A passenger seized the controls of British Airways Flight 2069 on December 29, 2000, causing a sudden nosedive that woke almost 400 people.
- The plane did not crash and the episode forced survivors to confront mortality despite no catastrophe occurring.
Cockpit Access Before 9/11
- Before 9/11 cockpits were often open and crew interaction with passengers was normal, making the idea of a locked cockpit hard to imagine.
- The 9/11 attacks later drove swift international changes to cockpit security and reinforced doors became law.
Famous Passengers Aboard
- Flight 2069 carried a notable passenger list including Bryan Ferry, Jemima Khan and multiple Goldsmith family members, making the near-disaster feel historically strange.
- Kate Mossman reflected on the unsettling counterfactual of such prominent people potentially having died.