Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P Bandeirante in Eirunepé: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1978
Operator:
Registration:
PT-GKW
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
110-128
YOM:
1976
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while taking off from Eirunepé-Amaury Feitosa Tomaz Airport. All 12 passengers were injured and both pilots were killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3D in San Vicente del Caguán: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1978 at 1350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1351
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Neiva - San Vicente del Caguán
MSN:
42958
YOM:
1946
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
While descending to San Vicente del Caguán Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with low clouds. At an altitude of 6,800 feet, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Granada covered by clouds. The aircraft was destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander III-1 in Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1978 at 0855 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1711
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Barranquilla – Valledupar
MSN:
1002
YOM:
1974
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The three engine airplane departed Barranquilla-Ernesto Cortissoz Airport at 0820LT on a regular schedule service to Valledupar, carrying 16 passengers and a crew of two. About half an hour into the flight, the right engine lost power and failed. unable to maintain the prescribed altitude, the crew attempted an emergency landing and ditched the airplane in shallow water in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta lagoon. All 18 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Kisangani: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9Q-CLR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kisangani - Kinshasa
MSN:
10406
YOM:
1969
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
11733
Aircraft flight cycles:
10387
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Kisangani Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane stalled and crashed near the runway end. Three passengers were killed while 19 other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-201D off Río Grande

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1978 at 0800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N15598
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Charlotte Amalie - San Juan
MSN:
2258
YOM:
1940
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3107
Captain / Total hours on type:
965.00
Circumstances:
En route from Charlotte Amalie to San Juan, while flying along the east coast of Puerto Rico, the left engine failed. The crew was attempting to feather the propeller when the right engine lost power. The captain reduced his altitude and ditched the airplane about 1,000 feet of the Río Grande district. All five occupants were rescued while the aircraft sank.
Probable cause:
Engine failure and malfunction during normal cruise due to mismanagement of fuel. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Inattentive to fuel supply,
- Fuel starvation,
- Failed to follow approved procedures,
- Improper emergency procedures,
- Inadequate preflight preparation,
- Inadequate supervision of flight crew,
- Inadequate inspection of aircraft,
- Failed to use the checklist,
- Aircraft came to rest in water,
- Complete engine failure,
- Forced landing off airport on water,
- Both fuel selectors on the right main tank that was empty,
- Fuel available in the left main tank.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 747-237B off Mumbai: 213 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1978 at 2041 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VT-EBD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bombay - Dubaï
MSN:
19959
YOM:
1971
Flight number:
AI855
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
23
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
190
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
213
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport runway 27, while climbing by night at an altitude of 2,400 feet, the captain contacted ATC and wished a Happy New Year. He was cleared to climb to 8,000 feet and initiated a turn to the right according to departure procedures. Once the turn was finished and the aircraft was leveling, the captain realized his Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) was still showing a right-bank indication. The copilot confirmed his ADI was correct and the flight engineer noticed the difference between the captain's ADI and the third ADI system. Despite these two confirmation, the captain started a turn to the left as he thought the aircraft was still in a right-bank attitude. The airplane entered a left turn to an angle of 40° then until an excessive angle of 108° when control was lost. From an altitude of 2,000 feet, the airplane entered a dive and crashed into the Arabian Sea. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 213 occupants were killed. Most of the debris were found in shallow water about 3 km offshore. Control was lost as the pilot-in-command was flying over the sea by night without any visual references with the ground.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of this accident was due to the irrational control wheel inputs given by the captain following complete unawareness of the attitude of the aircraft on his part after Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) had malfunctioned. The crew failed to gain control based on the other flight instruments. He had failed to determine the attitude of the aircraft with the associated flight instruments including Standby Horizon Indicator. The co-pilot had failed to monitor the flight instruments and did not render any assistance to the captain in ascertaining the attitude of the aircraft.

Crash of a Vickers 764D Viscount in Cuenca: 24 killed

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1977
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HC-BEM
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Guayaquil - Cuenca
MSN:
183
YOM:
1956
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
24
Circumstances:
The crew filed an IFR flight plan from Guayaquil to Cuenca. After passing over the city of Puna, he decided to cancel the flight plan and continued under VFR mode. While descending to Cuenca, pilots encountered low clouds and failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the four engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located few km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 24 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Following several negligences, the crew started the descent prematurely under VFR mode in clouds, causing the aircraft to continue below the minimum prescribed altitude until it struck the mountain (controlled flight into terrain).

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo off Willemstad: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1977
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N9164Y
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Charlotte Amalie - Willemstad
MSN:
31-217
YOM:
1968
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While approaching Willemstad-Hato Airport on a schedule flight from Charlotte Amalie-Cyril E. King Airport, the twin engine airplane nosed down and crashed into the Caribbean Sea few km offshore. The aircraft was destroyed and all 10 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Cessna 207 Skywagon near Iliamna

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1977 at 1130 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1656U
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Iliamna - Naknek
MSN:
207-0256
YOM:
1974
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3222
Captain / Total hours on type:
331.00
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Iliamna, the pilot was unable to maintain flying speed. In poor weather conditions, the single engine airplane stalled and crashed in a snow covered field. All eight occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Stall during normal cruise after the pilot failed to maintain flying speed. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Improper in-flight decisions or planning,
- Continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions,
- Snow,
- Conditions conducive to carburetor/induction system icing,
- Visibility two miles or less,
- IFR weather conditions.
Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Ekimchan

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1977
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-02708
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G124-14
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Ekimchan. There were no casualties. It is reported that the total weight of the aircraft was above the MTOW at the time of the accident.