The Boeing 707 in the Opening Credits

Sixteen months before the release of Dimension 5, the Pan Am Boeing 707 (registration: N761PA) that Jeffrey Hunter is seen leaving from during the opening credits sustained an uncontained engine failure just after taking off from San Francisco.

According to the Aviation Safety Network:

"Pan Am flight 843 experienced an explosive disintegration of the third stage turbine disk of the No. 4 engine. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from San Francisco, at an altitude of about 800 feet above the ground.
Disintegration of the turbine disk was followed by a fire in the No. 4 engine area and an explosion in the outboard reserve fuel tank. The No. 4 engine and approximately 25 feet of the right outer wing separated from the aircraft.
The fire was extinguished and a successful emergency landing was accomplished at Travis Air Force Base, California, with no injuries to the 143 passengers or 10 crewmembers aboard the flight.

"PROBABLE CAUSE: 'The failure of the third stage turbine disk. This failure was caused by a transient loss of operating clearance between the third stage turbine disk and the third stage inner sealing ring. This loss of clearance resulted from a combination of improper turbine rotor positioning during engine assembly, the use of serviceable worn parts, and an operating clearance which was less than predicted in design analysis.'"

More info. and a photo are here:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19650628-0