Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Yerevan

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87629
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
9 14 10 19
YOM:
1971
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Yerevan-Erebuni Airport, the aircraft entered in a patch of fog and the pilots continued the approach despite they lost visual contact with the ground. The airplane struck the runway surface, went out of control and came to rest. While all occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew.

Crash of a Boeing 707-330B in New Delhi

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1973 at 0103 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-ABOT
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bangkok - New Delhi - Frankfurt
MSN:
18463
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
LH645
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
98
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
10992
Captain / Total hours on type:
5503.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1303
Copilot / Total hours on type:
81
Aircraft flight hours:
41731
Circumstances:
The approach to New Delhi-Palam Airport was initiated by night and marginal weather conditions with a limited visibility due to haze/fog. The copilot was the pilot-in-command and about 8 km on final, the airplane was too high on the glide with an approach speed in excess of 65 knots. Flaps were configured in a down position and the airplane started to lose height and speed. The captain failed to intervene and to realize that the airplane was too low when it struck approach lights and various equipments about 460 meters short of runway threshold. Out of control, the airplane crashed on the ground, lost its four engines and slid for few hundred meters before coming to rest in flames. Fire brigade and rescuers arrived on the scene 18 minutes later and the aircraft was largely consumed by fire. All 109 occupants were evacuated, among them 40 were injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of several errors on part of the flying crew during a night approach. The following factors were reported:
- Deviation from the approved published procedure caused the aircraft to be unstable,
- Failure to exercise an adequate monitoring of the flight,
- Lack of supervision on part of the captain,
- Poor flight control on part of the copilot who was the pilot-in-command,
- Poor crew coordination,
- Poor crew resources management,
- Lack of adequate weather information,
- Lack of visibility due to haze/fog down to 200 feet above ground which may cause an optical illusion to pilots.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Urzhum: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1973 at 0955 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-40521
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kirov – Shurma – Plotbishche - Kirov
MSN:
1G83-24
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
5918
Circumstances:
On the leg from Kirov to Shurma (without passengers or cargo) of a flight from Kirov to Plotbishche, the crew encountered below minima weather conditions (snowfall and poor visibility) between Urzhum and Shurma and suffered from severe icing. The decision to divert to Kilmez was taken too late so the aircraft went out of control due to icing and crashed in a snow covered field between Shevnino and Sanatorny, some 10 km east of Urzhum Airfield. The aircraft caught fire and burnt out, killing both pilots. The wreckage was found two days later, on December 21.
Probable cause:
Loss of control in flight due to severe icing conditions.

Crash of a Douglas DC-10-30 in Boston

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1973 at 1543 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EC-CBN
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Madrid - Boston
MSN:
46925/87
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
IB933
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
154
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
21705
Captain / Total hours on type:
426.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
34189
Copilot / Total hours on type:
403
Aircraft flight hours:
2016
Circumstances:
On approach to runway 33L at Boston-Logan Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with rain falls and a limited visibility to 3/4 mile in fog. While passing from IFR to VFR mode on short final, the captain failed to realize that the airplane lost height when the right main gear struck a dyke and was torn off. The airplane struck the runway surface, veered off runway to the right then lost its undercarriage and came to rest in flames. All 168 occupants were evacuated, six of them were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The captain did not recognize, and may have been unable to recognize, an increased rate of descent in time to arrest it before the aircraft struck the approach light piers. The increased rate of descent was induced by an encounter with a low-level wind shear at a critical point in the landing approach where he was transitioning from automatic flight control under instrument flight conditions to manual flight control with visual references. The captain's ability to detect and arrest the increased rate of descent was adversely affected by a lack of information as to the existence of the wind shear and the marginal visual cues available. The minimal DC-10 wheel clearance above the approach lights and the runway threshold afforded by the ILS glide slope made the response time critical and, under the circumstances, produced a situation wherein a pilot's ability to make a safe landing was greatly diminished.
Final Report:

Ground explosion of a Boeing 707-321B in Rome: 33 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1973 at 1300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N407PA
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
New York - London - Rome - Beirut - Tehran
MSN:
18838
YOM:
1965
Flight number:
PA110
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
166
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
33
Circumstances:
While parked at Rome-Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci Airport and ready for departure, the aircraft was attacked by six members from a Palestinian terrorist group. Shots burst with police forces and several grenades detonated, causing the aircraft to catch fire. 15 occupants were seriously injured while 129 others were unhurt. Unfortunately, 33 passengers were killed during this terrorist attack.
Probable cause:
Terrorist attack.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Gaspé

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-YTL
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Le Havre-aux-Maisons - Gaspé
MSN:
31-461
YOM:
1969
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Gaspé-Michel Pouliot Airport runway 28, the twin engine aircraft crashed in a wooded area located near Haldimand, about 6 km east of the airfield. All eight occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-124V in Karacharovo: 51 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1973 at 1910 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-45061
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Vilnius - Moscow
MSN:
4 35 14 06
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
SU2022
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
46
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
51
Aircraft flight hours:
14903
Aircraft flight cycles:
13832
Circumstances:
The crew was cleared to descent to 5,700 meters when a technical issue occurred on the elevator trim system. The airplane entered a dive and during the descent, the captain was able to regain control at an altitude of 2,000 meters. While flying by night, the gyro failed and the pilot suffered a spatial disorientation. So he lost again control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in a near vertical attitude at a speed of 900 km/h in an open field located about 480 meters from Karacharovo. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 51 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
An electrical short-circuit occurred in the elevator trim system, causing the elevator to be jammed in a down position. In such conditions, the airplane entered a dive and became uncontrollable after the gyro failed as well.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 Commando in Phnom Penh

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XW-PKK
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon touchdown at Pochentong Airport, a landing gear collapsed. The airplane went out of control and came to rest. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 in Ta'izz

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
4W-ABR
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
12823
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances upon landing at Ta'izz-Al Janad Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Moscow: 16 killed

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1973 at 2229 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42503
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kutaisi - Mineralnye Vody - Moscow
MSN:
0 2 19 01
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
SU964
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
68
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Aircraft flight hours:
18300
Aircraft flight cycles:
10983
Circumstances:
The descent to Domodedovo Airport was initiated by night and marginal weather conditions with limited visibility due to snow falls. On final, the airplane was unstable and not properly aligned on the glide so the captain decided to make a turn to the left when the airplane banked left to 35-40°, causing the left wing to struck the ground 135 meters short of runway threshold and 25 meters to the right of its extended centerline. Out of control, the airplane crashed in flames and came to rest 340 meters past the threshold and 220 meters to the left of the runway. Five crew members and seven passengers were killed while 63 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire. Within 10 days after the accident, four other passengers died from their injuries.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew adopted a wrong approach configuration in marginal weather conditions and failed to initiate a go-around maneuver while the aircraft was not properly aligned on the glide and was unstable. The sharp turn completed by the captain caused the airplane to become uncontrollable and to crash.