Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider in Bangkok

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1977
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L4K-19/19
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bangkok - Bangkok
MSN:
20085
YOM:
1954
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
14847
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff, the airplane stalled and crashed adjacent to the runway. All four crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed. The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport.

Crash of a Boeing 707-366C in Bangkok: 73 killed

Date & Time: Dec 25, 1976 at 0345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-AXA
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Rome - Cairo - Bombay - Bangkok - Manila - Tokyo
MSN:
20763/871
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
MS864
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
44
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
73
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Bombay, the crew started the descent to Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport by night. On approach, the pilot reported runway in sight and was cleared to land on runway 21L. On short final, he failed to realize his altitude was too low when the four engine airplane struck the roof of a building and crashed in flames on a spinning factory located 2 km short of runway. The aircraft and several buildings were killed. All 53 occupants on board the B707 were killed as well as 20 people working in the factory. At the time of the accident, the visibility was estimated to be 4 km.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of several errors on part of the flying crew who continued the approach below the minimum safe altitude until impact with ground.

Ground explosion of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III in Ho Chi Minh: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1976
Operator:
Registration:
F-BSGZ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ho Chi Minh – Bangkok
MSN:
83
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While parked at Ho Chi Minh-City Airport, the airplane was hijacked by a Vietnamese passenger. All 19 occupants were quickly released and when police forces approached the aircraft, the hijacker set off two grenades that exploded in the cabin. The hijacker was killed and the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Explosion of two grenades in the cabin after the aircraft has been hijacked.

Crash of a Boeing 707-330B in New Delhi

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1973 at 0103 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-ABOT
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bangkok - New Delhi - Frankfurt
MSN:
18463
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
LH645
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
98
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
10992
Captain / Total hours on type:
5503.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1303
Copilot / Total hours on type:
81
Aircraft flight hours:
41731
Circumstances:
The approach to New Delhi-Palam Airport was initiated by night and marginal weather conditions with a limited visibility due to haze/fog. The copilot was the pilot-in-command and about 8 km on final, the airplane was too high on the glide with an approach speed in excess of 65 knots. Flaps were configured in a down position and the airplane started to lose height and speed. The captain failed to intervene and to realize that the airplane was too low when it struck approach lights and various equipments about 460 meters short of runway threshold. Out of control, the airplane crashed on the ground, lost its four engines and slid for few hundred meters before coming to rest in flames. Fire brigade and rescuers arrived on the scene 18 minutes later and the aircraft was largely consumed by fire. All 109 occupants were evacuated, among them 40 were injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of several errors on part of the flying crew during a night approach. The following factors were reported:
- Deviation from the approved published procedure caused the aircraft to be unstable,
- Failure to exercise an adequate monitoring of the flight,
- Lack of supervision on part of the captain,
- Poor flight control on part of the copilot who was the pilot-in-command,
- Poor crew coordination,
- Poor crew resources management,
- Lack of adequate weather information,
- Lack of visibility due to haze/fog down to 200 feet above ground which may cause an optical illusion to pilots.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-33 in Kathmandu: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HS-TGU
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bangkok - Kathmandu
MSN:
45526/89
YOM:
1960
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
100
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
After touchdown at Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport, the four engine airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost its undercarriage and one engine before coming to rest in a dump. Onee people on the ground was killed and four passengers were injured. The aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the pilot-in-command who landed too far down the runway, causing the braking distance to be insufficient.

Crash of a Convair CV-880-22M-21 near Pleiku: 81 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1972 at 1359 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VR-HFZ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Singapore – Bangkok – Hong Kong
MSN:
22-00-53
YOM:
1961
Flight number:
CX700Z
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
71
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
81
Captain / Total flying hours:
14343
Captain / Total hours on type:
5261.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
7649
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2687
Aircraft flight hours:
29434
Circumstances:
Flight CX700Z was a scheduled international flight from Singapore to Hong Kong with an en-route stop at Bangkok. It made a 55 minute stop at Bangkok during which 68 passengers and baggage were off loaded, and 35 passengers and baggage, in addition to 35 000 lbs of JP-1 fuel, were loaded. The aircraft took off from Bangkok at 0455 hours GMT bound for Hong Kong via airway Green 67 at FL290. The flight proceeded normally with the aircraft maintaining routine radio contact first with Bangkok ACC and from 0542 hours with Saigon ACC. The last message from the aircraft was received at 0554 hours by Saigon ACC giving the aircraft's position at 0553 hours over reporting point "PE5" at FL290, with an estimated time over "XVK" reporting point of 0606 hours. At 0620 hours, when no further messages had been received from the aircraft, Saigon ACC called it several times but received no reply. A request for information concerning the aircraft, made by Saigon ACC at 0640 hours to Hong Kong and then Taipei ACCs, produced negative results. The Distress Phase was initiated at 0715 hours and DETRESFA signalled to Tan Son Nhut RCC for appropriate action. The RCC advised Saigon ACC at 0755 hours that a Convair type aircraft had crashed about 30 NM southeast of Pleiku TACAN beacon. The aircraft was identified as VR-HFZ by two helicopter pilots who reached the accident site soon after the occurrence and while the wreckage was still burning. They recovered two bodies from the burning wreckage and flew them to Pleiku. The aircraft was totally destroyed and none of the 81 occupants survived the crash.
Probable cause:
The aircraft broke up in the air and caught fire following the detonation of a high explosive device within the passenger cabin.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-53 in New Delhi: 86 killed

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1972 at 2018 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
JA8012
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tokyo – Bangkok – New Delhi – Tehran – Cairo – Rome – Frankfurt – London
MSN:
45680/213
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
JL471
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
76
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
86
Circumstances:
During a night approach to runway 28 at New Delhi-Palam Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck several houses and crashed in flames on the west shore of the Yamuna River, some 22 km east of the airport. Ten crew members and 72 passengers as well as four people on the ground were killed. Five other occupants were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. At the time of the accident, the copilot was the pilot-in-command.
Probable cause:
Japanese investigators claimed a false glide path signal to be responsible for the descent into terrain. Indian investigators say the accident was caused by a total disregard of laid down procedures by the crew and abandoning all instrument indications without properly ensuring sighting of the runway.

Crash of a Sud-Est Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III in Bangkok

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1969
Operator:
Registration:
HS-TGK
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hong Kong - Bangkok
MSN:
34
YOM:
1960
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
68
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The approach to Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport was completed by the copilot in poor weather conditions (low visibility and heavy rain falls due to tropical storm) when the ILS equipment failed. It was decided to continue the approach and at an altitude of 700 feet, the pilot-in-command was able to locate the runway lights. At this time, the aircraft was slightly too high on the glide and too far to the left. Once the altitude of 300 feet was reached on descent, the IAS was 127 knots, about five knots above the planned speed. Thus, the copilot decided to reduce the speed to 122 knots when the airplane suddenly lost height. The captain elected to regain control but it was too late. With a relative high sink rate, the airplane landed very hard, causing both main landing gear to puncture the wings. The aircraft came to rest after a course of several hundred yards. While all 75 occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Windshear is suspected.

Crash of a Boeing 707-321C in Calcutta: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1968 at 0058 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N798PA
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
San Francisco – Honolulu – Hong Kong – Bangkok – Calcutta – New Delhi – Beirut – Istanbul – Frankfurt – London – New York
MSN:
18790
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
PA001
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
53
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
5392
Captain / Total hours on type:
2475.00
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft christened 'Clipper Caribbean' was performing the westward Pan Am flight 001 from San Francisco to New York with intermediate stops in Honolulu, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Calcutta, New Delhi, Beirut, Istanbul, Frankfurt and London. Following an uneventful flight from Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport, the crew started the approach to Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport by night and marginal weather conditions due to low clouds at 400 feet and rain showers. The crew deployed the flaps at 50° and continued the approach when he misunderstood the atmospheric pressure value transmitted by ATC. Instead of setting the QNH value of 993 mb, the crew set the QFE at 29,93, which caused the aircraft to descent 360 feet below the glide. It continued below the decision height until it struck tree tops located 1,128 meters short of runway threshold then impacted the ground and came to rest in flames one km short of runway. A crew member and five passengers were killed while 20 others were injured. 37 people were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Improper IFR operation on part of the flying crew who misused the flaps. Misinterpretation of the approach QNH/QFE values on part of the crew which caused the aircraft to complete the approach below the minimum prescribed altitude.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft Queen Air 80 in Damnoen Saduak: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
02018
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bangkok - Bangkok
MSN:
LD-255
YOM:
1966
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport with four passengers, among them photographers and a crew of two who were involved in an aerial photography mission of a Thai Airways Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle. At an altitude of 10,000 feet, the crew of the Queen Air took position to the left of the Caravelle when the propellers of the right engine struck the left wing of the Caravelle. While the crew of the Caravelle was able to manage a safe landing at Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport, the Queen Air entered a dive and crashed in Damnoen Saduak in the Samut Sakhon province, about 50 km southwest of Bangkok. All six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Poor judgement on part of the crew while maintaining a safe separation between both aircraft.