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"A perfect pilot, a good guy and a great professional."
― Colleague Ad de Bruin typifying Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten  source
Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten
Unavngivet
Birthday 5 February 1927 in Lisse, Netherlands
Death day 27 March 1977
Adress
Gender Male
Total hours for 27.3.1977 11700
Total hours for 27.3.1977 on Boeing 747 1545
Total hours for 27.3.1977 on last 30 days 61
Total hours for 27.3.1977 on last 24 hours Unknown
Last medical examination 29 December 1976
Last proficiency check 25 January 1977
Certificates and ratings Unknown

Jacob Louis Veldhuyzen van Zanten (5 February 1927 – 27 March 1977) was a Dutch aircraft captain and flight instructor. He was captain of the KLM Flight 4805 and died in the Tenerife airport disaster, the deadliest accident in aviation history. He was KLM's chief instructor.

Biography and career in KLM[]

Born in Lisse, Netherlands, Veldhuyzen van Zanten obtained his private pilot's licence on 21 June 1947, and his commercial pilot's licence on 18 April 1950. That year, he began working for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as a flight director, and in 1951, he commenced duty as a first officer on the Douglas DC-3. He then obtained his Flight Radio Telephone Operator's Licence on 22 September 1952, Airline Transport Pilot's Licence on 19 October 1956, and Flight Navigator's Licence on 6 August 1963. On 23 January 1971, Veldhuyzen van Zanten was type-rated on the Boeing 747. Later that year, he and two colleagues went to Seattle to take delivery of KLM’s first 747, the Mississippi (registered PH-BUA). At the time of the disaster, he had 11,700 flight hours (1,545 of which were on the Boeing 747). In addition to his duties as a regular airline pilot, he had been promoted to chief flight instructor for the Boeing 747. At the time of his death, he was in charge of training all of KLM's pilots on this type of aircraft and the head of KLM's flight training department.

Jan Bartelski, a KLM captain until 1978 and later president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, was a contemporary of Veldhuyzen van Zanten and knew him personally. In his book Disasters In The Air, he describes Veldhuyzen van Zanten as:

a serious and introverted individual but with an open-hearted and friendly disposition. He was a studious type and regarded as the company’s pilot expert on the Boeing 747 systems.

And adds that:

He believed in partnership, to the extent that he insisted on his first officers addressing him during flight as "Jaap" and not "Captain Van Zanten".

Shortly before the Tenerife airport disaster, in which he was involved, Veldhuyzen van Zanten was photographed for KLM's advertising campaign. While this has been attributed to his high position within KLM, Jan Bartelski argues that Veldhuyzen van Zanten was photographed simply because he was the only captain available (due to his responsibilities as a flight instructor) to KLM public relations, as others were away flying.

When the news of the Tenerife disaster broke, the KLM executives looked for Veldhuyzen van Zanten to aid their investigation team, only to realize that he was the captain of the flight involved in the accident and had died in it.

Personal life[]

Veldhuyzen van Zanten lived in Sassenheim, Netherlands, with his wife and two children.Veldhuyzen van Zanten was married to Henriёtte Veldhuyzen van Zanten-Segers (b. 1926).

Trivia[]

  • During the 1970s, he took part in numerous advertising campaigns for KLM. The reason he was choosen as airline's "model" is a matter of dispute: according to the book "Disasters In The Air - Mysterious Air Disasters Explained" by Jan Bartelski, the main reason for that was the fact Veldhuyzen van Zanten was the only captain who was available: all other pilots were always out flying, while Veldhuyzen van Zanten spent most of his time on the ground, training other pilots. But there are very different suggestions and theories as well, which claim that he was chosen because he was very experienced, high-ranking and had the right looks ([[1]).
  • Besides aviation, Veldhuyzen van Zanten's hobbies and interests included music, the USA, cars and road racing. At the time of his death, he owned a Ferrari Dino.
  • In a movie "Crash Of The Century", Veldhuyzen van Zanten is being portrayed by a Dutch actor, Michael Hofland. In this movie, Veldhuyzen van Zanten is shown as an imperious, arrogant and rude captain who constantly demeans his colleagues. In reality, none of the sentences which are in the script can be proved either by a CVR nor by witnesses: the producers of the movie most likely made these phrases and moments up to make the event look more dramatic.

Documentaries[]

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