Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10R off Funchal: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1973 at 0140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle
Operator:
Registration:
EC-BID
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Madrid - Funchal
MSN:
228
YOM:
1969
Location:
Funchal
Madeira
Country:
Portugal
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a positioning flight from Madrid-Barajas to Funchal. While approaching the airport by night, the pilot-in-command made a turn to join the runway 06 approach path when the airplane stalled and crashed into the sea few km off shore. The wreckage sank by a depth of 740 meters and was not recovered. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it is believed that the aircraft's speed was probably too low during the last turn, causing the aircraft to stall and to crash. The distance between the aircraft and the water surface was insufficient to expect recovery.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Frobisher Bay

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
CF-OOV
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Frobisher Bay – Resolute Bay
MSN:
13300
YOM:
1944
Location:
Frobisher Bay
Nunavut
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Frobisher Bay Airport, while climbing, one of the engine lost power. The crew elected to return when the airplane stalled and crashed by the airport. All three occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The aircraft was returning from a major overhaul in Toronto few days ago.
Probable cause:
Loss of engine power for unknown reason.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Kursk

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46202
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kuybyshev – Kursk – Moscow
MSN:
6 73 027 01
YOM:
1966
Location:
Kursk
Kursk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a positioning flight from Kuybyshev to Moscow with an intermediate stop in Kursk. He started the approach by night and snow falls. In poor visibility, the aircraft dropped below the glide and hit tree tops some 2,500 meters before the inner marker. The aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area. While the aircraft was destroyed, all three crew members were unhurt.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2M in Velikaya Vulyga: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1972 at 1550 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-02369
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Velikaya Vulyga - Vinnitsa
MSN:
7 015 38
YOM:
1967
Location:
Velikaya Vulyga
Vinnytsia Oblast
Country:
Ukraine
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
3093
Aircraft flight cycles:
15040
Circumstances:
On a positioning flight from Velikaya Vulyga to Vinnitsa after crop-spraying operations, the intoxicated crew (a pilot and an aircraft mechanic) forgot to remove the clamps from rudder and stabilizer prior to takeoff. After liftoff, while climbing to a height of some 10-15 metres, the airplane lost height, crashed 500 metres from its parking position, caught fire and burnt out. Both occupants were killed. The pilot had a blood alcohol level of 1.84 ‰ against 1.24 ‰ for the mechanic.
Probable cause:
Poor flight preparation on part of the pilot who failed to check the aircraft prior to departure.

Crash of a Learjet 23 in Innsbruck: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1972 at 1306 LT
Type of aircraft:
Learjet 23
Operator:
Vodavia
Registration:
HB-VAM
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
London - Innsbruck
MSN:
23-044
YOM:
1965
Location:
Innsbruck
Tyrol
Country:
Austria
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While approaching Innsbruck-Kranebitten Airport in limited visibility, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck trees and crashed on a mountain located few km from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-52 off Las Palmas: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 6, 1972 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-8
Operator:
Registration:
EC-ARA
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Madrid - Las Palmas
MSN:
45617
YOM:
1961
Flight number:
AO331
Location:
Las Palmas-Gando (Gran Canaria)
Canary Islands
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a positioning flight from Madrid-Barajas Airport to Las Palmas to pick up German tourists back to Hamburg. While on a night approach to Las Palmas-Gando Airport, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 22 km east of Arinaga. Few debris were found floating on water and none of the 10 occupants survived the crash. The wreckage sank by a depth of 1,560 meters.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident remains determined.

Crash of a Learjet 25B off Antibes: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Learjet 25
Operator:
Registration:
SX-ASO
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Athens - Nice
MSN:
25-074
YOM:
1971
Location:
Antibes
Alpes-Maritimes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
On final approach to Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport, while on a positioning flight from Athens-Ellinikon Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea off Antibes. Both crew members were killed.

Crash of a Vickers VC-10-1109 at London-Gatwick

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Vickers VC-10
Operator:
Registration:
G-ARTA
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
London-Heathrow - London-Gatwick
MSN:
803
YOM:
1962
Location:
London-Gatwick
West Sussex
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a positioning flight from Heathrow to Gatwick. After touchdown on runway 08, the pilot selected spoilers and reverse thrust when the airplane became airborne again then landed back heavily and bounced twice. The fuselage was bent just prior to the wings, a tyre on the nose wheel burst and a wheel separated. The aircraft rolled for several hundred meters before coming to rest. All four crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Damanka: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1971 at 1352 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-98292
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Maykop - Kerch - Vinnitsa
MSN:
1102 473 03
YOM:
1958
Location:
Damanka
Krasnodar Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
9802
Aircraft flight cycles:
37200
Circumstances:
The aircraft was flying too low and deviated from the prescribed flight path to the south by 15 km while encountering below-minima weather conditions (poor visibility). At a height of 300 meters, the single engine aircraft collided with tree tops on a hill located southwest of Damanka (some 22 km west of Krymsk), crashed, caught fire and burnt out. The copilot survived and the captain was killed.
Probable cause:
Poor flight preparation on part of the crew who decided to continue in below-minima weather conditions.

Crash of a Cessna 402A near Sa da Bandeira

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 402
Operator:
Sociedad Angolana de Taxis Aéreos
Registration:
CR-LKC
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
402A-0087
YOM:
1969
Location:
Lubango
Huíla
Country:
Angola
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot encountered unknown technical problems and decided to perform an emergency landing about 40 km from Sa da Bandeira (now Lubango). The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was slightly injured.
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