Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL in Itaituba: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1973
Operator:
Registration:
PT-CEV
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Itaituba – Jacareacanga
MSN:
20182
YOM:
1944
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff, while climbing at low speed, the pilot-in-command made a turn to the right when the airplane stalled and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of a power loss on one engine or maybe both. The cause of the loss of power may be caused a contaminated fuel.

Crash of a Convair CV-600 on Mt Black Fork: 11 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1973 at 2052 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N94230
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Memphis – Pine Bluff – El Dorado – Texarkana – Dallas
MSN:
56
YOM:
1948
Flight number:
TI655
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Captain / Total flying hours:
11800
Captain / Total hours on type:
6000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
7106
Copilot / Total hours on type:
4500
Aircraft flight hours:
51208
Aircraft flight cycles:
25913
Circumstances:
Texas International Airlines Flight 655 was a regularly scheduled passenger and cargo flight from Dallas to Memphis and return, with en route stops at Texarkana, El Dorado, and Pine Bluff. Flight 655 departed Memphis on the return flight at 18:42. After a stop at Pine Bluff, the flight continued toward El Dorado were it landed at 19:53. The crew conferred with the waiting pilots and used the Convair's weather radar to examine the weather echoes west of El Dorado. The crew commented on what appeared to be a 15-mile-wide break in the line of weather echoes, near the 300° radial of the El Dorado VORTAC and about 35 miles west-northwest of the airport. As Flight 655 taxied to runway 22, the crew contacted the FSS and stated that they were taxiing and would be proceeding under visual flight rules (VFR) to Texarkana. The aircraft took off at 20:15. After takeoff, the aircraft flew a magnetic heading of 290° and climbed to an altitude of 1,500 feet msl. The flight operated between altitudes of 1,500 feet and 3,000 feet until 20:49:47. From that time until the time of impact at 20:52:19, the aircraft's altitude varied between 2,200 feet and 2,025 feet. As the flight progressed, the first officer (pilot flying) expressed concern about the flight's position relative to the elevation of the terrain. About 12 minutes before impact, the first officer stated, "I sure wish I knew where ... we were." A few minutes later he stated, "Paintin' ridges and everything else boss, and I'm not familiar with the terrain." Two minutes and 40 seconds before impact and after the captain's ordered descent to 2,000 feet, the first officer said, "I'll be .... Man, I wish I knew where we were so we'd have some idea of the general ... terrain around this ... place." The captain told the first officer that the highest point in the area was "twelve hundred" feet and that they were not near that point. About 14 seconds before impact, the first officer mentioned that they were about to pass over Page VORTAC. Six seconds later the captain said that the heading to Texarkana was 180°. The first officer said that it was 152°. At 20:52:17, the first officer said, "Minimum en route altitude here is forty-four hun..." His statement was terminated by the sound of the crash. The aircraft crashed into the steep, heavily wooded, north slope of Black Fork Mountain in the Ouachita Mountain Range at an elevation of 2,025 feet (617 m) and about 600 feet below the top of the ridge.
Probable cause:
The captain's attempt to operate the flight under VFR in night IMC without using all the navigational aids and information available to him; and his deviation from the preplanned route, without adequate position information. The carrier did not monitor and control adequately the actions of the flight crew or the progress of the flight.
Final Report:

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III in Algiers

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1973
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VAI
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
28
YOM:
1960
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing at Algiers-Dar El Beïda Airport for undetermined reasons. There were no casualties.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Hovd

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BNMAU-4206
Site:
MSN:
87304206
YOM:
1968
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While approaching Hovd Airport, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain and crashed few km from the airport. The occupant's fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 in Kampot

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
XW-PKD
Survivors:
Yes
Location:
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. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N on Mt Babin Zub: 41 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1973
Operator:
Registration:
YU-AHD
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Skopje - Titograd
MSN:
151
YOM:
1963
Flight number:
JU769
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
35
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
41
Circumstances:
The crew was cleared to descend from 9,000 to 6,000 feet when, in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Babin Zub located about 55 km north of Titograd-Golubovci Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 41 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain. For undetermined reason, the crew descended prematurely to an unsafe altitude. Lack of visibility was a contributing factor.

Crash of a Fairchild F27 in Daet

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PI-C875
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
10
YOM:
1958
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll on runway 06, while at a speed of 60 knots, the crew encountered technical problems with the nosewheel steering system. The airplane deviated to the right, veered off runway and came to rest against a pile of gravel. All 24 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 in Kashin: 15 killed

Date & Time: Sep 4, 1973 at 0827 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01616
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tver - Kashin
MSN:
1G82-10
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Kalinin (Tver) at 0747LT on a flight to Kashin. Few minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 450 meters, the crew was informed about the weather conditions at destination : low clouds, mist and visibility limited to 1,500 meters. In such conditions, ATC advised the crew to divert to the alternate airport located in Kalyazin, about 20 km southeast of Kashin. At 0815LT, the crew obtained a second weather bulletin but the conditions did not improve. Despite the situation, the captain decided to continue to Kashin. While flying in poor visibility at a height of 85 meters, the airplane struck a TV antenna (101 meters high) located few km from Kashin, dove into the ground and crashed in flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 15 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the crew to divert to the alternate airport and the wrong decision of the captain to continue to Kashin in below-minima weather conditions.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Kyzyl

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-09649
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G75-33
YOM:
1966
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For undetermined reason, the pilot was flying too low when the aircraft hit the ground and crashed. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.