Crash of a Lockheed C-141A-LM Starlifter in Søndre Strømfjord: 23 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1976 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter
Operator:
Registration:
67-0008
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Thule - Söndreströmfjord
MSN:
300-6257
YOM:
1967
Location:
Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord)
Qeqqata Kommunia
Country:
Greenland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Aircraft flight hours:
15228
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Thule Air Base on Greenland for a two-hour flight to Sonderstromfjord Air Base. From Sonderstromfjord it was to return to Thule and continue back home to McGuire AFB. The flight carried enough fuel for the flight to McGuire. Following a PAR approach the airplane landed slightly long on the 9235 feet long runway 11. The aircraft rolled for 1,500 to 2,000 feet with no thrust reverse or spoiler deployment. A go around was commenced. The plane then rotated abruptly and lifted off the runway with a pitch attitude as high as 45°. The aircraft stalled. The left wing struck the ground and burst into flames. The aircraft became airborne again with portions of the left wing missing. It flew for 650 feet before striking the ground with the right wing, causing it to catch fire. It then bounced once more and disintegrated 500 feet from runway centerline.
Source: C-141 Lifetime Mishap Summary / Lt. Col. Paul M. Hansen
Probable cause:
Investigation revealed that the crew were very inexperienced (a captain with less than 100 hours in command). The were probably affected by an optical illusion. The first 3,000 feet of runway 11 has an upslope of 1.51%; it rises 59 feet from the threshold. At touchdown, the last two-thirds of the runway disappears, giving the impression of a very short runway.

Crash of a Douglas C-54E-15-DO Skymaster in Vejer de la Frontera: 12 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1976 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
T.4-11
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Getafe - Las Palmas
MSN:
27344
YOM:
1944
Location:
Vejer de la Frontera
Andalusia
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
28
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane was completing a flight from Getafe Airbase in Madrid and Las Palmas-Gando Airport, carrying officers of the Spanish Army and family members. En route, an engine caught fire and the captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when the airplane struck trees and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Vejer de la Frontera. 12 occupants were killed while 20 others were injured.
Probable cause:
An engine caught fire in flight.

Crash of a Boeing 747-131F in Huete: 17 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1976 at 1535 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 747-100
Operator:
Registration:
5-283
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tehran - Madrid - McGuire
MSN:
19677/73
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
ULF48
Location:
Huete
Castile-La Mancha
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a military logistic flight from Tehran to McGuire AFB via Madrid, carrying Iranian and US officers. The flight took off from Tehran at 08:20 GMT and climbed to a cruising altitude of FL330. After establishing contact with Madrid control, clearance was received to CPL VOR via Castejon. At 14:25 the flight was cleared to FL100. At 14:30 the crew advised Madrid that they were diverting to the left because of thunderstorm activity, and at 14:32 Madrid cleared ULF48 to 5,000 feet and directed him to contact Madrid approach control. At 14:33 the crew contacted approach control and advised them that there was too much weather activity ahead and requested to be vectored around it. Last radio contact was when ULF48 acknowledged the 260° heading instructions and informed Madrid that they were descending to 5,000 feet. The aircraft was later found to have crashed in farmland at 3,000 feet msl following left wing separation. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 17 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
After analyzing all of the available evidence, it is concluded that the most probable sequence of events which culminated with multiple structural failures and separation of the wing began with an ignition of the fuel vapors in the n°1 fuel tank. The damage to the structure in the area of the tank provided positive indications of an explosion. The possibility that the explosion was a secondary result of structural failure caused by excessive aerodynamics forces developed during high velocity gusts and turbulence cannot be completely dismissed; however, the evidence and the probabilities of an aircraft's encountering these unique environmental conditions make this hypothesis less supportable.
Final Report:

Crash of a Grumman S-2F-1 Tracker in Naples: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Grumman S-2 Tracker
Operator:
Registration:
MM144711
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sorrento - Naples
MSN:
672
YOM:
1958
Location:
Naples
Campania
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While approaching Naples-Capodichino Airport in poor weather conditions, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Camaldoli located about 7 km short of runway 06 threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Orazio Carbone,
Lt Gianfranco Aquili,
Lt Michelangelo Abbondante,
Lt Gaspare Aladino.

Crash of an IAI Arava 201 near Itaguazurenda: 19 killed

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1976
Type of aircraft:
IAI Arava 201
Operator:
Registration:
TAM-76
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Camiri - Itaguazurenda
MSN:
24
YOM:
1975
Location:
Itaguazurenda
Santa Cruz
Country:
Bolivia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Camiri on a short flight to Itaguazurenda, carrying 18 passengers and a crew of four. En route, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous and wooded area located between localities separated by 50 km. The wreckage was found two days later. Three passengers were injured while 19 other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-65-DL in Faya-Largeau

Date & Time: Feb 16, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Chadian Air Force - Force Aérienne Tchadienne
Registration:
TT-LAG
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
18972
YOM:
1943
Location:
Faya-Largeau
Borkou
Country:
Chad
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances. No casualties.

Crash of a Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker in Cabanillas del Campo: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
Operator:
Registration:
60-0368
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Madrid
MSN:
18143/482
YOM:
1961
Location:
Cabanillas del Campo
Castile-La Mancha
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
5481
Circumstances:
While descending to Torrejón Airbase by night and limited visibility, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in Cabanillas del Campo, about 22 km northeast of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.
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