Crash of a De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou in the Caribbean Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GVYW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
291
YOM:
1970
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane was on a ferry flight from Guyana to Quebec (St Jean) following a 15 months period of storage in Guyana. While cruising south of Barbados Island, the crew informed ATC that an engine failed while the second was overheating. Few minutes later, the airplane crashed in the Caribbean sea about 77 km south of Bridgetown. SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the three crew members was found.
Crew:
Dave Holland, pilot,
Grant Davidson, pilot,
Richard Cusson, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Boeing 707-323C in the Pacific Ocean: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1979 at 2100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PP-VLU
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tokyo – Los Angeles – Lima – Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
19235
YOM:
1961
Flight number:
RG967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
23000
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane departed Tokyo-Narita Airport at 2023LT on a cargo flight to Rio de Janeiro with intermediate stops in Los Angeles and Lima. There were six crew members on board as well as 53 paintings by Manabu Mabe, returning from a Tokyo exhibition, valued at US$1.24 million. At 2045LT, the last radio transmission was recorded with ATC and about 15 minutes later, while in cruising altitude, the airplane disappeared from the radar screens. SAR operations were immediately initiated by Japanese and American Authorities but eventually suspended after several days as no trace of the aircraft nor the six occupants was found. The captain, Gilberto Araújo da Silva, was flying the Varig Boeing 707 that crashed while approaching Paris-Orly Airport on July 11, 1973.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences as the wreckage was not found, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined. However, it was reported that the crew did not send any distress call and it is believed that the accident may have been caused by a sudden and accidental decompression of the cabin.

Crash of a Cessna 421A Golden Eagle I in the Tyrrhenian Sea

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-INUR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
421A-0079
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route to Palermo, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation, reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft in the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 130 km northwest of Palermo-Punta Raisi Airport. The pilot took place in a dinghy and was rescued 40 hours later by the crew of the ferry 'Freccia Blue'. The aircraft sank and was not recovered.

Crash of a Lockheed P-3C-170-LO Orion in the Pacific Ocean: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1978 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
159892
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Adak - Adak
MSN:
285-5643
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
Alfa Fox 586
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew departed Adak Airport on a maritime patrol flight over the north Pacific Ocean under callsign 'Alfa Fox 586'. En route, the engine n°1 oversped and the crew was unable to feather its propeller. A lack of oil caused the engine to catch fire and the crew decided to ditch the airplane about 370 km south of Attu Island. Five occupants were killed while 10 others were rescued by the crew of a Soviet trawler.
Probable cause:
Failure and fire of the engine n°1 for undetermined reasons.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-6 into the Gulf of Mexico: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1978 at 1754 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N74Z
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Miami - San Juan
MSN:
14508/25953
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route from Miami to San Juan, the airplane suffered a major electrical failure. The crew lost his orientation and flew to the west over the Gulf of Mexico. Eventually, the captain elected to ditch the aircraft that crashed into the sea about 125 miles south of Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The crew of the merchant ship 'St Mary' was able to rescue three people while a crew member was killed.
Probable cause:
The aircraft was ditched after the crew became lost/disoriented following the failure of the electrical system. A forced landing off airport on water was completed after the airplane became low on fuel. The exact cause of the electrical failure could not be determined.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-277C in the Atlantic Ocean: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1978 at 1243 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N407D
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Fort Lauderdale - Havana
MSN:
2244
YOM:
1940
Flight number:
AAL902
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
15227
Captain / Total hours on type:
3000.00
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport runway 09L at 1129LT on a positioning flight to Havana, Cuba, to pick up 21 US citizens. While flying over the Florida Strait at an altitude of 6,000 feet in relative good weather conditions, the crew encountered difficulties to maintain radio contact with Cuban ATC. Thus, messages were relayed by the crew of another airplane flying higher. Eight minutes after the radio contact was properly established, the airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed into the sea. SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended three days later, on Sep 24, as no trace of the aircraft nor the four crew members was found.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences as the wreckage was not found, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined.
Final Report:

Crash of a Breguet SP-13A in the Irish Sea

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
253
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
58
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was dispatched in a maritime patrol flight and was flying over the Irish Sea when the right engine caught fire in flight. The pilot elected to divert to the RAF Machrihanish located on the west coast of the Mull of Kintyre but the right engine detached few minutes later. The crew eventually ditched the airplane few km south of the Scottish coast. All 14 occupants were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
In-flight fire of the right engine for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo into the Caribbean Sea: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N689WW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Santa Marta - Port-au-Prince
MSN:
31-69
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
§
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
4975
Captain / Total hours on type:
125.00
Circumstances:
En route from Santa Marta to Port-au-Prince, the twin engine airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed in unknown circumstances into the Caribbean Sea. The airplane and both occupants were never found.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, the cause of the accident could not be determined.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) into the Gulf of Mexico: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1978
Operator:
Registration:
N555BU
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Pompano Beach – Panama City
MSN:
61-0001
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
950
Captain / Total hours on type:
36.00
Circumstances:
En route from Pompano Beach to Panama City, Florida, the airplane crashed under unknown circumstances into the Gulf of Mexico. SAR operations were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor the pilot was ever found.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined. However, it was reported that the pilot-in-command attempted operation with known deficiencies in equipment as the altimeters seemed to be defective since a certain time.
Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 680 into the Atlantic Ocean: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1978
Operator:
Registration:
N128C
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Opa Locka - Immokalee - Freeport
MSN:
680-461-131
YOM:
1957
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
400
Captain / Total hours on type:
73.00
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Atlantic Ocean while on a flight from Immokalee to Freeport. SAR operations were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor both occupants was found.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, the cause of the accident could not be determined. However, it is believed the airplane was stolen or the flight was unauthorized.
Final Report: