Date & Time:
Jan 11, 1959 at 1117 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
Operator:
Registration:
D-ALAK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hamburg – Frankfurt – Paris – Lisbon – Dakar – Recife – Rio de Janeiro – Buenos Aires
MSN:
4602
YOM:
1955
Flight number:
LH502
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
29
Pax fatalities:
29
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
36
Circumstances:
The Super Constellation operated on flight LH502 from Hamburg, Germany to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The crew were cleared to descend from 4,200 m to 3,000 m when 20 min out from Rio de Janeiro. They were to maintain 3,000 m to the KX NDB in preparation for an approach and landing at runway 14. Over KX they were cleared to descend to 900 m. Galeão Approach was contacted and normal position reports were made. The plane descended over Guanabara Bay under rainy conditions and struck the water with the nose wheel. The crew then presumably tried to continue the approach, but the Constellation crashed near Flecheiras Beach, short of the Galeão runway. The airplane was destroyed by fire and seven crew members and all 29 passengers were killed. Only three crew members survived. Crew duty and flight time exceeded the Brazilian limits but did not exceed the German limitations.
Probable cause:
In spite of an exhaustive investigation it was not possible to determine the actual cause. However, the probable cause was considered to be pilot error in descending below the minimum altitude on final approach. Aircrew fatigue was considered to be a contributing factor.
