Hungarian plane exploded, widower struggles to bury his late wife

A Hungarian aircraft blew up and plunged into the sea, claiming the lives of all on board, their remains lost in the depths of the sea. The only wish of a Hungarian stewardess’s widower is to lay his spouse to rest, yet the task appears impossible.

According to Blikk, a Hungarian news outlet, Malév’s TU-154 passenger carrier met its tragic fate on 30 September 1975, when it was probably shot, and thus, it crashed into the sea. Mr Németh, who lost his 24-year-old wife, a flight attendant who worked on board of the ill-fated plane, remains haunted by the enigma of the Hungarian aircraft and its people, vanishing into the abyss of the deep sea.

However, László Németh, the Hungarian widower, clings to the hope of recovering his long-lost wife’s earthly remains and giving her a proper burial. Based on some sources, nearly half a century ago, Lebanese rescue teams managed to retrieve some of the victims. Still, these claims do little to console the grief-stricken widower.

Mr Németh recalls that soon after the tragedy, speculations arose that the Hungarian plane had carried weaponry and fighters to support the Palestinian cause against Israel, as the Soviet Union backed that struggle, while the USA aided Israel. According to this narrative, the Hungarian plane fell victim to one of the numerous peripheral conflicts of the Cold War.

Passengers aboard the Hungarian plane had no chance of survival

Mr Németh believes the Hungarian government could obtain information from the Americans about what actually happened. However, there has been little attempts made. Up to this day, we only know that the plane blew up probably because it was hit by a land-air rocket.

Fifty passengers were travelling on the 160-seat plane, with only one Hungarian among them, László’s 24-year-old wife. There were Australians, Finns, Duch and Angolans. Additionally, the cargo hold contained metal or wooden crates bearing the inscription “Videoton,” one of Hungary’s major companies during the Socialist-Communist era. These crates were stowed in place of the removed seats.

Radio communication faltered 10 kilometres before the plane’s arrival in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. According to British air force officer Tom Norcross, the aircraft now rests 800-1,000 meters beneath the sea’s surface. Technically, there are no obstacles to its retrieval. However, this has not occurred to date. Mr Németh firmly believes that everyone deserves a proper burial.

Blikk reports that the Hungarian government established a fund for this purpose in 2007 but has never utilised it. In 2003, a report was issued stating that no evidence remained regarding the tragedy. This MALÉV plane catastrophe represents the world’s largest air disaster without a transparent investigation.

HERE is an article about an American plane crashed in Hungary. And in THIS article, you may read about a Hungarian plane crashed in Sweden.

Featured image: Illustration