Ref: "15Feb59, PanAm 115, with Capt Waldo Lynch out-of-seat, and out-of-cockpit: "Clipper 115" a B707, N712PA, en route from Paris-London-Gander to NY, made an uncontrolled descent of approximately 29000 feet. Following recovery aircraft flown to Gander. … extensive structural damage."
I asked an old friend who was a F/E at PAA for many years if he recalled the incident and he provided the following information:
"Waldo was out of the cockpit "Glad Handing" all the guests aboard. Copilot didn't have his seat belt fastened, Flight Engineer was George Sinsky (passed away earlier this year).
Aircraft had gradually accelerated to a higher mach speed, when suddenly it pitched down and really accelerated. Co-pilot closed the throttles.
Copilot tried to pull back the yoke, resulted in just lifting him outof the seat. George tried wrapping his arms around the copilot and hold him, result was negative. Altimeter was spinning fast and with rate of climb pegged-out at 6,000 fpm down. Aircraft started to buffet.
George rotated his seat and got his seat belt off and slipped out of his seat to the floor. He moved forward on his knees and straddeled the center pedestal ,where he released the stab trim handles and started cranking nose up.
The aircraft started to pull-up with resultant high "G" forces and turned slightly.
Waldo was on his knees and crawling towards the cockpit. All the stuff that had floated to the cabin ceiling started to come down and strike folks. Some passengers that didn't have their seat belts on also came down. Waldo finally got to the cockpit and resumed flying the airplane which was still difficult to control. They declared a Mayday and gradually turned the airplane back towards YQX. Escorts soon met Clipper 115 and escorted them to YQX.
After arrival at YQX they saw the extensive damage to the airplane. The entire empenage was displaced to the left. Boing builds strong structures! Passengers that were injured were taken to the hospital and others accomadated in local hotels till the relief airplane arrived next day.
Ultimately, it was determined that the airplane went into a "Mach Tuck". Credit for saving the flight went to Waldo, the skipper.
George told me what had really happened when I met him some time later. I recently wrote the Editor of the "Clipper" magazine recently and Flight Engineer George Sinsky's version was published.
George was one gentleman and a great Flight Engineer."
Sounds like quite an exciting incident, to say the least! At any rate, not being of that generation, I now see why there was so much anxiety when the two crew airplanes came into service.