Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-6 Islander on Mt Gimie: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1973 at 1940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Britten-Norman Islander
Operator:
Compagnie Antillaise de Transport Aérien - CATA
Registration:
N37JA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Castries - Hewanorra
MSN:
210
YOM:
1970
Location:
Mt Gimie
All Saint Lucia
Country:
Saint Lucia
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising by night on a flight from Castries to Hewanorra, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Gimie (950 meters high) located in the center of the island. The wreckage was found a day later and all four occupants have been killed. The flight was operated by the Compagnie Antillaise de Transport Aérien (CATA) on behalf of Sun Island Air Services.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2P in Kolpashevo

Date & Time: Oct 27, 1973
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70408
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kolpashevo – Tomsk
MSN:
1G141-62
YOM:
1973
Location:
Kolpashevo
Tomsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the single engine aircraft stalled and crashed. There were no casualties but the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The takeoff procedure was attempted while the aircraft has not been properly deiced.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Nyrob

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1973
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01609
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
1G82-03
YOM:
1967
Location:
Nyrob
Perm Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the single engine aircraft stalled and crashed. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Takeoff attempted with a total weight above the MTOW.

Crash of a NAMC YS-11A-211 in Rio de Janeiro: 8 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1973 at 0850 LT
Type of aircraft:
NAMC YS-11
Operator:
Registration:
PP-SMJ
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Rio de Janeiro - Belo Horizonte
MSN:
2068
YOM:
1968
Location:
Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont
Rio de Janeiro
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
60
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, about 8 knots below V1 speed, the captain noticed a loss of power on both engines while the turbine temperature was at its maximum. In such situation, the captain decided to abort the takeoff procedure and applied brakes. It appears the aircraft failed to decelerate properly so the crew activated the emergency brakes that were effectives on the right main gear only. As the end of the runway was approaching, the captain retracted the undercarriage so the airplane sank on its belly and slid before coming to rest into the Guanabara Bay. The aircraft sank about 10 minutes later and was lost. Eight passengers were killed while 57 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Crash of a Boeing 727-14 in Mazatlán

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-100
Operator:
Registration:
XA-SEN
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Denver - Mazatlán
MSN:
19398/345
YOM:
1966
Location:
Mazatlán
Sinaloa
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
117
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Denver-Stapleton Airport, the crew started the descent to Mazatlán-General Rafael Buelna Airport. On short final, the airplane struck the ground, lost its undercarriage and came to rest about 1,500 meters short of runway threshold. All 123 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Lukla

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1973
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
9N-ABG
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lukla - Kathmandu
MSN:
370
YOM:
1973
Location:
Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary
Sagarmatha
Country:
Nepal
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while taking off from Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Moscow: 122 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1973 at 2018 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-104
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42486
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kutaisi - Moscow
MSN:
0 2 15 04
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
SU964
Location:
Moscow-Domodedovo
Moscow oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
114
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
122
Aircraft flight hours:
16250
Aircraft flight cycles:
9776
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Kutaisi, the crew started the descent to Moscow-Domodedovo by night and good weather conditions. On approach at an altitude of 1,300 feet, the airplane banked left to an angle of 75° then nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion in a potatoes field located 16,3 km from the runway threshold. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 122 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control on approach was the consequence of the failure of artificial horizons as a result of a malfunction of the on-board electrical system. The combination of night, lack of visibility and flight instruments failure caused the pilot to suffer a spatial disorientation and the eventual loss of control.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Goris

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70880
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
1125 473 03
YOM:
1960
Location:
Goris
Syunik
Country:
Armenia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reason, the crew was flying below the minimum safe altitude when the single engine aircraft hit a mountain and crashed near Goris. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-7 Islander in Itaituba: 8 killed

Date & Time: Oct 4, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Britten-Norman Islander
Operator:
Taxi Aero Cesar Aguiar
Registration:
PT-DVN
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
259
YOM:
1971
Location:
Itaituba
Pará
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Itaituba Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine airplane stalled and crashed. All eight occupants were killed, among them Cesar Aguiar, founder and director of the company.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Sverdlovsk: 108 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1973 at 2037 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-104
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42506
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Sverdlovsk – Omsk – Novosibirsk – Chita – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok
MSN:
0 2 19 04
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
SU3932
Location:
Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo
Sverdlovsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
100
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
108
Aircraft flight hours:
20582
Aircraft flight cycles:
9412
Circumstances:
After takeoff by night from Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport, the crew was cleared to climb to 1,500 meters and initiated a left turn as instructed by ATC. The airplane first banked left to an angle of 35-40° and at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the left angle increased to 75-80° when control was lost. The airplane entered a dive and crashed in a huge explosion in a wooded area located 10 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and none of the 108 occupants survived the crash. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as marginal with a visibility limited to 6 km, overcast 800 feet, wind from northwest at 15 knots and light rain.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control during initial climb was the consequence of the failure of artificial horizons as a result of a malfunction of the on-board electrical system. The combination of night, lack of visibility and flight instruments failure caused the pilot to suffer a spatial disorientation and the eventual loss of control.
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