Scheduled Revenue Flight

Kotzebue-Ralph Wien Memorial

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Point Hope - Kotzebue

MSN:

546

YOM:

1977

Location:

Alaska

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2800

Captain / Total hours on type:

300.00

Circumstances:

En route from Point Hope to Kotzebue, the twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off the Alaskan coast. SAR operations were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor both occupants was found.

Probable cause:

Due to lack of evidences, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 727-282 in Funchal: 131 killed

Date & Time: Nov 19, 1977 at 2148 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 727-200

Operator:

Registration:

CS-TBR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Brussels - Lisbon - Funchal

MSN:

20972

YOM:

1975

Flight number:

TP425

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

156

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

131

Aircraft flight hours:

6154

Aircraft flight cycles:

5204

Circumstances:

While descending to runway 24 on an NBD approach, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility to 3 km, clouds down to 1,500 feet and rain falls. Unable to establish a visual contact with the runway, the pilot-in-command initiated a go-around. Few minutes later, while on a second attempt to land, the crew landed too far down, about 2,060 feet past the runway threshold (runway 24 is 5,000 feet long) at a speed of 148 knots. Immediately after touchdown, the crew activated the thrust reversers and deployed the spoilers but unable to stop on a wet runway, the airplane overran. It went down a steep embankment, collided with a stone bridge, broke into several pieces and eventually came to rest in flames on a beach located about 40 meters below airfield elevation. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Six crew members and 125 passengers were killed while 33 other occupants were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following contributing factors:
- Very unfavorable weather conditions at the time of landing,
- Possible existence of conditions for hydroplaning,
- Landing at a speed of Vref + 19 knots,
- Landing long with a too long flare,
- Sudden directional correction after touchdown on the runway.

Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 on Mt Aag: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1977 at 1208 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-70453

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Esso – Milkovo – Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

MSN:

1G143-32

YOM:

1972

Flight number:

SU956

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Milkovo Airport at 1117LT bound to the south. En route, weather conditions worsened and clouds developed over the Sredinny Mountain Range. At an altitude of 2,400 meters, the airplane entered clouds while descending to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Galaktyrka Airport. At an altitude of 2,200 meters, strong downdrafts were encountered then the airplane lost height and crashed on the north face of Mt Aag (2,230 meters high) located about 28 km northeast of Galaktyrka Airport. The burned wreckage was spotted a day later in deep snow and it was confirmed that all seven occupants were killed. Two days later, an avalanche dragged the wreckage for almost 700 meters and only the copilot's body was later found.

Probable cause:

The crew descended into clouds without knowing his exact position and without any visual contact with ground (mountains). At the time of the accident, strong atmospheric downdrafts were present as well as strong winds from the west, which was considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Convair CV-580 in San Antonio del Táchira

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Convair CV-580

Operator:

Registration:

YV-59C

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Servicios Aéreos Martinez Leon

MSN:

445

YOM:

1958

Location:

San Antonio del Táchira

Táchira

Country:

Venezuela

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed upon landing for unknown reasons. All 34 occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-8 Islander in San Cristóbal de Las Casas: 13 killed

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Britten-Norman Islander

Operator:

Registration:

XA-FUA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

San Cristóbal de Las Casas

Schedule:

Palenque - San Cristóbal de Las Casas

MSN:

388

YOM:

1974

Location:

Chiapas

Country:

Mexico

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to San Cristóbal de Las Casas Airport, the twin engine airplane suffered an in-flight explosion and crashed in flames few dozen meters short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all 13 occupants were killed, among them members of the National Indian Institute.

Probable cause:

The cause of the in-flight explosion remains unknown.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2T in Srednekolymsk

Date & Time: Oct 18, 1977 at 1156 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-55625

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Schedule:

Srednekolymsk – Nalimsk

MSN:

1123 473 05

YOM:

1959

Location:

Srednekolymsk

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Srednekolymsk Airport, while climbing to a height of 150 meters, the engine started to misfire. Power dropped and fire sprayed out from the right side of the engine. The crew elected to make an emergency landing but inadvertently switched off the battery so he was unable to lower the flaps. The airplane crash landed at high speed, lost its undercarriage and lower wings and came to a halt, broken in two. All five occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the engine misfiring as a result of a failure of the rear spark plug on cylinder n°2, which occurred as a result of the central electrode falling out of the candle with subsequent burning of its body in the cylindrical part near the turnkey hexagon. The falling out of the central electrode of the rear spark plug of cylinder n°2 was caused by the destruction of the insulator due to the formation of a microcrack and internal stresses in the insulator in the process of making candles. According to the conclusions of the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation, this defect was the consequence of a faulty design and manufacture.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Samarkand

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1977

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-33254

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Samarkand Province (Samarqand viloyati)

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

1G58-22

YOM:

1965

Location:

Samarkand

Country:

Uzbekistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

In flight, the crew mishandled the engine power, causing the engine to fail. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed near Samarkand and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Pilot error.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-62H in Kuala Lumpur: 34 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-8

Operator:

Registration:

JA8051

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Kuala Lumpur-Subang-Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah

Schedule:

Tokyo - Hong Kong - Kuala Lumpur

MSN:

46152

YOM:

1971

Flight number:

JL715

Location:

Selangor

Country:

Malaysia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Kuala Lumpur-Subang Airport on a flight from Tokyo via Hong Kong, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility. On final approach, the captain descended below the MDA when the four engine airplane struck tree tops and crashed in a rubber plantation located about 6 km from runway 15 threshold. The aircraft broke into several pieces and 34 occupants were killed, among them eight crew members. All 45 other people were injured.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the captain descending below minimum descent altitude without having the runway in sight, and continuing the descent until the aircraft struck terrain four nautical miles short of the runway threshold.
A subsidiary contributory factor was insufficient monitoring of the aircraft's flight path by the captain under the adverse weather conditions with several aircraft in the holding pattern awaiting their turn for approach and, more importantly, the co-pilot's failure to challenge the captain's breach of company regulations.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain into Lake Minchumina

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1977 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain

Operator:

Alaska Central Airlines

Registration:

N103TA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors: