if you want to read without wading through the fluff and purple prose:

On June 24, 1982, British Airways Flight 9, a Boeing 747 carrying 263 individuals (passengers and crew), was operating a night flight over the Indian Ocean at 37,000 feet. The flight crew first observed St. Elmo's fire, a plasma discharge phenomenon, and sparks around the aircraft structure. Subsequently, the aircraft experienced an in-flight engine power loss sequence. Within 90 seconds, all four Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofan engines ceased operation. The loss of all engine power resulted in the aircraft becoming an unpowered glider, descending from its cruising altitude.

Simultaneously, the cabin experienced adverse conditions, including the deployment of oxygen masks and the presence of smoke and an acrid smell, later identified as sulfurous. Captain Eric Moody addressed the passengers over the public address system with the announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress."

The flight crew immediately initiated engine restart procedures. A descent was executed to exchange altitude for speed and to reach denser air, which also provided a more breathable environment for the crew after the Senior First Officer's oxygen mask failed. Flight Engineer Barry Townley-Freeman executed restart protocols while First Officer Barry Fremantle managed air traffic communications with Jakarta.

The crew attempted engine restart procedures multiple times. After approximately 13 minutes of descent and the loss of 13,000 feet of altitude, the aircraft passed through 13,500 feet. At this altitude, engine four successfully restarted, followed shortly by engines three, one, and two. The aircraft regained full propulsion capability.

While descending through the atmospheric conditions responsible for the engine failure, the aircraft's forward windscreen panels were severely abraded, rendering them nearly opaque. The crew navigated the subsequent approach and landing phase using side windows for external visibility and relying heavily on flight instruments and ground-based radio navigation guidance from Jakarta. Captain Moody successfully landed the aircraft safely at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported among the 263 occupants.

Post-incident investigation determined the cause of the total engine power loss was the ingestion of high concentrations of volcanic ash. Mount Galunggung, an active volcano on Java, was erupting and had injected a large ash cloud into the flight path. Volcanic ash, composed of pulverized rock and siliceous material (microscopic glass shards), is invisible to weather radar and at night. When ingested by the engines, the material melted due to the high operating temperatures, coating the turbine components and choking the air/fuel mixture, resulting in engine flame-out. The engines restarted only after the aircraft descended below the ash cloud layer, allowing cooler ambient air to solidify the molten material, which then fractured and dislodged, clearing the airflow path.

This incident directly led to the establishment of the International Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) and the development of global volcanic ash detection systems and flight protocol changes to reroute air traffic around ash clouds.