Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

National Capital Territory of Delhi

Schedule:

Bangkok - New Delhi - Frankfurt

MSN:

18463

YOM:

1964

Flight number:

LH645

Location:

New Delhi-Palam

Country:

India

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10992

Captain / Total hours on type:

5503.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1303

Copilot / Total hours on type:

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:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-40521

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Kirov – Shurma – Plotbishche - Kirov

MSN:

1G83-24

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Douglas DC-10

Operator:

Registration:

EC-CBN

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Madrid - Boston

MSN:

46925/87

YOM:

1973

Flight number:

IB933

Location:

Boston-Logan

Massachusetts

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

154

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Boeing 707

Operator:

Registration:

N407PA

Flight Phase:

Parking

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Rome-Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci

Schedule:

New York - London - Rome - Beirut - Tehran

MSN:

18838

YOM:

1965

Flight number:

PA110

Location:

Lazio

Country:

Italy

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

166

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Piper PA-31-310 Navajo

Operator:

Registration:

CF-YTL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Le Havre-aux-Maisons - Gaspé

MSN:

31-461

YOM:

1969

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Tupolev TU-124

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-45061

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Vilnius - Moscow

MSN:

4 35 14 06

YOM:

1964

Flight number:

SU2022

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Air Union Laos

Registration:

XW-PKK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Phnom Penh-Pochentong

Phnom Penh

Country:

Cambodia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

4W-ABR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

12823

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Tupolev TU-104

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-42503

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: