Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pittsburgh - Johnstown

MSN:

U-125

YOM:

1969

Flight number:

AE317

Location:

Johnstown

Pennsylvania

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:

6331

Captain / Total hours on type:

383.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1790

Copilot / Total hours on type:

380

Aircraft flight hours:

7503

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Pittsburgh-International Airport, the crew deliberately started the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to approach below the minimum published altitude. While descending in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine airplane struck an ILS antenna and crashed few dozen yards short of runway 33 threshold. A pilot and four passengers were seriously injured while 12 other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed. By reason of numerous violations, unsafe practices, policies, and coercing tactics, Air East has demonstrated that it does not possess the judgement, responsibility or compliance disposition required of a holder of an air taxi commercial operators certificate. Thus, the operator's AOC was revoked on March 7, 1974.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was caused by a premature descent below a safe approach slope followed by a stall and loss of aircraft control. The reason for the premature descent could not be determined, but it was probably the result of the combination of the following factors:
- A deliberate descent below the published minimum descent altitude to establish reference with the approach lights and make the landing,
- A visual impairment or an optical illusion created by the runway/approach lighting systems,
- Downdrafts near the approach end of the runway.

Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Mukachevo: 24 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1974 at 1525 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-46357

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kiev - Ivano-Frankivsk - Uzhgorod

MSN:

07305807

YOM:

1970

Flight number:

SU075N

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

9280

Aircraft flight cycles:

8083

Circumstances:

En route from Ivano-Frankivsk to Uzhgorod, the crew was informed that Uzhgorod Airport was closed to traffic due to poor weather conditions and was instructed to divert to Mukachevo Airport. On approach, the crew encountered clouds and icing conditions. Cleared to descend, the crew selected flaps down to 38° when the airplane lost longitudinal stability. Shortly later, it entered a nose-down attitude and plunged at an angle of 70° and a speed of 230 km/h in an open field located 100 meters past the outer marker. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 24 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of control occurred in icing conditions while the deicing systems were switched off. On approach, when the flaps were selected down, the stabilizers were covered by ice and this caused the airplane to become unstable. At an altitude of 200 meters, control was lost when the airplane entered a nose-down attitude and the distance to the ground was insufficient to expect recovery.

Crash of a Fokker F28 Fellowship 1000 in Torino: 38 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1974 at 1238 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F28 Fellowship

Operator:

Registration:

I-TIDE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Cagliari - Bologna - Torino

MSN:

11015

YOM:

1969

Flight number:

IH897

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

8712

Aircraft flight cycles:

10206

Circumstances:

The approach to Torino-Caselle Airport was initiated in marginal weather with limited visibility due to foggy conditions and snow falls. On final, the flight crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck successively a tree and a building under construction before crashing in flames. The aircraft came to rest upside down about 3,7 km short of runway 36 threshold. A crew member and three passengers were rescued while 38 other occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the RVR for runway 36 was 900 meters.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Venezuela

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

YV-C-AFO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Aerangol (Transportes Aéreos de Angola)

MSN:

13699

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft registered YV-C-AFO (c/n 13699) crashed in unknown circumstances (maybe a mislanding) somewhere in Venezuela ? The exact date remains unknown but the aircraft was cancelled from the register in 1973.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 in Vila Gago Coutinho

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1973

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

CR-LKE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

04055

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Vila Gago Coutinho, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground. On impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the airplane slid on its belly for several meters before coming to rest. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The accident occurred somewhere in 1973 (the exact date remains unknown).
Source: https://ab4especialistas.blogspot.com/2014/07/o-cr-lke.html

Crash of a Nord 262A-24 in Dole

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Nord 262

Operator:

Registration:

F-BNTT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Suffered an accident while landing at Dole-Tavaux Airport. There were no injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A in West Palm Beach

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1973 at 1147 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

N19428

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Orlando - West Palm Beach

MSN:

11648

YOM:

1943

Flight number:

SHW103

Location:

West Palm Beach

Florida

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:

6464

Captain / Total hours on type:

509.00

Circumstances:

While approaching West Palm Beach on a flight from Orlando, both engines failed simultaneously. The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing on a highway when he saw the presence of a truck. To avoid a collision, he made a sharp maneuver when the airplane crashed. All 33 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure on approach caused by a fuel exhaustion. The following factors were reported:
- Inadequate preflight preparation,
- Mismanagement of fuel,
- Inattentive to fuel supply,
- Fuel exhaustion,
- Failure of both engines,
- Diverted attention from operation of aircraft,
- Failed to see and avoid objects or obstructions,
- Evasive maneuver to avoid collision,
- Forced landing off airport on land,
- Aircraft flown about seven hours since last recorded refueling.

Final Report:

Crash of a Tupolev TU-124V in Vinniki: 17 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1973 at 2208 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-124

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-45044

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Lviv - Kiev - Kuybyshev

MSN:

3351104

YOM:

1963

Flight number:

SU5398

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

13476

Aircraft flight cycles:

10942

Circumstances:

Following a night takeoff from Lviv-Snilow Airport, while climbing, the crew encountered a major technical failure on the left engine that caught fire. The airplane went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion in Vinniki, about 12 km east of the airfield. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 17 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that a turbine blade located on the 1st stage of the high pressure turbine of the left engine broke off shortly after rotation, due to conception failure. Analyses revealed that the turbine blade that failed had not been the subject of a standard thermic treatment, which had the effect of reducing its resistance and its hardness that was lower than the requirements of the technical specifications. Investigators stated that the turbine blade failure caused a sudden loss of power of the left engine and several debris smashed in the turbine chamber, resulting in the rupture of a fuel line. Under pressure, the fuel leaked into the chamber and ignited while contacting various elements whose temperature was high. Under such circumstances, the flight crew was unable to maintain an adequate control of the aircraft.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-R in Manaus

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1973 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PP-PDV

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: