Date & Time:
Sep 5, 1954 at 0239 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
Operator:
Registration:
PH-LKY
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Amsterdam – Shannon – New York
MSN:
4509
YOM:
1953
Flight number:
KL633
Country:
Ireland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
46
Pax fatalities:
25
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
28
Aircraft flight hours:
2498
Circumstances:
After a night takeoff from runway 32 at Shannon Airport, the four engine aircraft christened 'Triton' climbed to a maximum height of 260 feet and reached the speed of 155 knots when it went into a slight nose down attitude. It then started to descend until it crashed into the Shannon Estuary, about 8,170 feet from the departure end of runway 32. The crashed occurred approximately 35 seconds after liftoff. 28 occupants were killed while 28 others were rescued. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
- Failure of the captain to correlate and interpret his instrument indications properly during flap retraction, resulting in necessary action not being taken in sufficient time. This failure was partially accounted for by the effect on instrument indications of inadvertent and unexpected gear re-extension,
- Loss of aircraft performance due to inadvertent landing gear re-extension,
- The captain failed to maintain sufficient climb to give him an opportunity of meeting unexpected occurrences.
- Loss of aircraft performance due to inadvertent landing gear re-extension,
- The captain failed to maintain sufficient climb to give him an opportunity of meeting unexpected occurrences.
Final Report:
PH-LKY.pdf13.56 MB
