Been out of the country for a few days so just catching up with the news. The Times has the obituary for Captain Eric Moody, known for saving the lives of 263 people in the Jakarta Incident when 4 engines flamed out on the BA 747 "City of Edinburgh" after they flew through a cloud of volcanic ash. Most famous, perhaps, for the quote of immortal British understatement:

"This is your captain speaking. We have a small problem and all four engines have stopped. We are all doing our damnedest to get them working again. I trust you are not in too much distress."

The article goes on:

According to those present, many of whom had boarded in London, there was no hysteria. “Mothers moved to comfort their children, husbands reached for their wives’ hands and air hostesses worked their way down the cabin, teaming solo passengers with a companion to accompany them into the darkest of nights,” one recalled. Others wrote farewell notes: “Ma, in trouble. Plane going down. Will do best for boys. Love, Pa,” read one man’s message to his wife.

Having diverted Speedbird 9 towards Jakarta, Moody decided that at 12,000ft he would turn out to sea and attempt to ditch on the water, thus avoiding a land disaster. “I think we had another ten minutes of glide left,” he said. As the aircraft drifted towards a dark and watery Indian Ocean grave, there was sudden jubilation in the cockpit: engine number four had restarted. After an interminable 90 seconds, the other three engines restarted. Even then the crisis was not over: number two failed again.

Approaching Jakarta airport, Moody could barely see the runway lights and asked for them to be turned up, not realising that his windscreen was covered in ash. The landing itself was smooth. “The aeroplane seemed to kiss the earth,” he recalled. In the cabin passengers broke into applause and cheers.

June 7, 1941 - March 19, 2024, aged 82.
Rest in Peace, Captain Moody.