Only on final descent did the crew realise that their view through the windscreens had been rendered opaque by the sandblasting effect of the ash. With just a two-inch strip of visibility at the edge of his windscreen, Moody perched in his seat, told his crew that they were not going to die today, and guided the airliner to a faultless landing despite recalcitrant engines and there being no runway instrument-landing system.
The flight engineer knelt at the bottom of the steps and kissed the ground. When Moody asked why, and the engineer replied that “The Pope does it,” to which Moody responded: “He flies Alitalia.”
Moody and his cabin manager Skinner were awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air; Moody also received the Honourable Compay of Air Pilots’ Hugh Gordon-Burge Award, given to a member of crew whose outstanding behaviour and action contributed to the saving of their aircraft or passengers.
Eric Henry John Moody was born on June 7 1941 in Hampshire. He grew up close to the New Forest and attended the Peter Symonds grammar school in Winchester.
He was fascinated by aircraft from an early age and aged seven, after his father had taken him to see the last of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) flying boats at Southampton, he had set his heart on being a pilot. Moody joined the RAF cadets and learned to fly a glider before he could legally drive a car.
He secured entry to the BOAC pilot training college at nearby Hamble but he was accepted only after having his nose straightened – to meet safety mask requirements. In his resultant career at BOAC/British Airways he amassed over 17,000 flying hours across 32 years, notably on the VC10 and the 747, and was the embodiment of professionalism and sang froid.
He was a member of the legal committee of the British Airline Pilots’ Association.
He retired in 1996 and flew privately in a Piper Navajo. He also toured as a much-admired public speaker and was particularly concerned about “keyboard” computerised piloting, urging young pilots to study airmanship.
Latterly resident at Chilworth, he was a dedicated Southampton Football Club fan and season ticket holder.
In 1966 he married Patricia Collard, with whom he had a daughter, Sarah, and a son, Iain, also an airline pilot.
Eric Moody, born June 7 1941, died March 18 2024
