Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

MSN:

649

YOM:

1974

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Portage la Prairie Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in a field located few hundred meters from the runway end. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Crew:
John Kinzel, pilot,
Mark Hefferman, copilot.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of severe turbulences on climb-out.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-62M in Havana: 67 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1977 at 0845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-62

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-86614

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Havana-José Martí (Rancho Boyeros)

Schedule:

Moscow - Frankfurt - Lisbon - Havana

MSN:

51903

YOM:

1975

Flight number:

SU331

Location:

La Habana

Country:

Cuba

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5549

Aircraft flight cycles:

1144

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Lisbon, the crew started the descent to Havana-Jose Martí-Rancho Boyeros Airport and was cleared for an approach to runway 05. The crew encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions and failed to realize his altitude was too low after he initiated the final approach too late, causing the aircraft to be 64 meters below the minimum descent altitude. The aircraft turned onto runway heading at a distance of 9 km from the runway threshold. According to the approach procedure, the aircraft should have done so at 14-15 km from the threshold. Despite he did not have the runway in sight, the captain decided to continue to descent until the aircraft passed below the decision height. At a distance of 1,820 meters from the runway threshold, the aircraft was approaching at a speed of 280 km/h and at a height of 23-25 meters when it struck power cables. Elevators separated and flaps on the right wing were torn off. The airplane then struck 22 palms, continued to descent until it crashed in flames 1,270 meters short of runway and 121 meters to the right of its extended centerline. Two passengers were seriously injured while 67 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of several errors on part of the flying crew who failed to realize that the approach configuration was wrong. The approach was initiated too late (9 km iso 15 km) and the crew continued the descent below the glide due to a wrong altimeter setting. At the time of the accident, the visibility was below minimums due to foggy conditions and the crew failed to take corrective actions and to properly monitor the radio altimeter, causing the airplane to descend until it impacted with trees and ground.

Crash of a GAF Nomad N22 in Wewak

Date & Time: May 21, 1977

Type of aircraft:

GAF Nomad N.22

Operator:

Registration:

P2-DNJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Site:

MSN:

YOM:

1976

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances shortly after takeoff from Wewak-Boram Airport. The occupant's fate remains unknown.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP near Tavda: 14 killed

Date & Time: May 7, 1977 at 1402 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-44992

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Tavda - Tyumen

MSN:

1G27-15

YOM:

1962

Flight number:

SU801CH

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

16932

Aircraft flight cycles:

16482

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Tavda Airport on flight SU801CH to Tyumen, carrying 12 passengers and two pilots on board. After takeoff, the crew was cleared to climb to an altitude of 150 meters and continued to the south. Few minutes later, while cruising in marginal weather conditions with rain falls, limited visibility of 2 km and low clouds, at an estimated altitude of 175 meters, the airplane collided with an Aeroflot Antonov AN-2 registered CCCP-15925 that was completing a service from Tyumen to Tavda with 15 people on board. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in flames in an open field located 18 km south of Tavda. Both wreckages were found 392 meters from each other and all 29 occupants on both aircraft were killed.

Probable cause:

The in-flight collision was the consequence of a lack of ATC assistance and the fact that both crew were flying under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Tavda: 15 killed

Date & Time: May 7, 1977 at 1402 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-15925

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Convair CV-440 Metropolitan

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Tyumen - Tavda

MSN:

1148 473 16

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

SU397

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

17513

Aircraft flight cycles:

17391

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane was completing flight SU397 from Tyumen to Tavda with 13 passengers and two pilots on board. While approaching Tavda from the south, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with rain falls, limited visibility of 2 km and low clouds. At an estimated altitude of 175 meters, the airplane collided with an Aeroflot PZL-Mielec AN-2TP registered CCCP-44992 that was completing a service from Tavda to Tyumen and just departed Tavda Airport few minutes earlier with 14 people on board. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in flames in an open field located 18 km south of Tavda. Both wreckages were found 392 meters from each other and all 29 occupants on both aircraft were killed.

Probable cause:

The in-flight collision was the consequence of a lack of ATC assistance and the fact that both crew were flying under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions.

Crash of a Convair CV-440 Metropolitan in Guatemala City

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

TG-ACA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

MSN:

143

YOM:

1954

Location:

Guatemala City-La Aurora

Guatemala

Country:

Guatemala

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport, while climbing, the left engine failed. The pilot declared an emergency and was cleared to return. Unfortunately, he was unable to feather the left propeller and the airplane became unstable. In such conditions, the captain decided to attempt a belly landing in an open field located near the airport. The aircraft slid for dozen meters and came to rest. While all 28 occupants were evacuated safely, the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the failure of the left engine was the consequence of an hydraulic leak. Following maintenance, a hydraulic hose was not properly connected and failed after takeoff.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 in Sokoto

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F27 Friendship

Operator:

Registration:

5N-AAW

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

10217

YOM:

1963

Location:

Sokoto

Country:

Nigeria

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

21060

Aircraft flight cycles:

22167

Circumstances:

After landing, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and came to a halt few dozen meters further. While all 23 occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-53 in Tokyo

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1977 at 1522 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-8

Operator:

Registration:

RP-C803

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: