Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Kampot

Country:

Cambodia

Region:

Lineas Aéreas Orientales (LAOS Colombia)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While taking off from Kampot Airport, the airplane was shot down by a mortar shell and crashed by the runway. Three passengers were killed while eight other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Shot down by ground fire.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando in Leticia

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

HK-791

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo

MSN:

26805

YOM:

1944

Location:

Amazonas

Country:

Colombia

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown, a tyre burst. The airplane veered off runway and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Loss of control after a tyre burst upon landing.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Leningrad: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1973 at 1506 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-104

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-42505

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leningrad – Moscow

MSN:

0 2 19 03

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

SU2420

Location:

Leningrad-Shosseynaya

Leningrad oblast

Country:

Russia

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

17095

Aircraft flight cycles:

10698

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Leningrad-Shosseinaya Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 7,800 meters, a stewardess informed the cockpit crew about a passenger who wanted to fly to Stockholm and was carrying a pistol and a hand grenade. After entering the cockpit, the hijacker stand by the flight engineer. The crew returned to Leningrad-Shosseinaya and on final approach, while at a height of 120-140 meters, the captain asked the copilot to lower the gear. When the hijacker realized they were flying back to Leningrad, he unpin the grenade that exploded in the cockpit, causing a huge hole in the fuselage. The hijacker and the flight engineer were killed while both pilots were slightly injured. 30 seconds later, the pilots were able to land the airplane at a speed of 310 km/h. After touchdown, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid for several dozen meters before coming to a halt. All 55 other occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was not repaired.

Probable cause:

Hijacked after takeoff and severely damaged by the explosion of a grenade and the failure of the nose gear after landing.

Crash of a Beechcraft E18S in Davenport: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1973 at 1704 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft E18

Operator:

Registration:

N310WA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Schedule:

Muscatine - Davenport - Chicago

MSN:

BA-12

YOM:

1954

Location:

Davenport

Iowa

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:

6000

Captain / Total hours on type:

2000.00

Circumstances:

On approach to Davenport Airport, the right wing detached. The twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in an open field located few miles from the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Structural failure of the right wing on descent due to fatigue cracks. The following factors were reported:
- Airframe, wings spars,
- Fatigue fracture,
- Inadequate inspection of aircraft on part of the maintenance personnel,
- Preexisting crack on lower spar cap WS-81 that was discernible but not detected over a 6-year period,
- Right wing folded upward.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 in Bamyan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

YA-GAT

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bamyan - Kabul

MSN:

111

YOM:

1968

Location:

Bamyan

Country:

Afghanistan

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

At liftoff at Bamyan Airport, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed. Both pilots and two passengers were killed while 15 other occupants were injured. All passengers were US and Canadian citizens.

Crash of a Vickers 735 Viscount in Mosul

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viscount

Operator:

Registration:

YI-ACL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Baghdad - Mosul

MSN:

YOM:

1955

Location:

Mosul

Nīnawā (Nineveh) (نينوى)

Country:

Iraq

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

24498

Aircraft flight cycles:

14649

Circumstances:

While descending to Mosul, the crew encountered technical problems with the fuel supply system and declared an emergency. In a certain confusion, the pilots did not follow the approach checklist and failed to lower the undercarriage. The airplane landed on its belly and slid for dozen meters before coming to rest. While all 33 occupants were evacuated safely, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Improper operation of the fuel system followed by failure to extend the undercarriage.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Vilnius

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1973

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-05820

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

1G15-08

YOM:

1962

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, the aircraft suffered an engine failure, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing near Vilnius. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-54 Skymaster in Buon Ma Thuot: 62 killed

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1973 at 1005 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

XV-NUI

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Saigon – Đà Nẵng

MSN:

22174

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While in cruising altitude on a flight from Saigon to Đà Nẵng, the four engine aircraft disappeared from radar screens. The crew was unable to send any distress message. The wreckage was found few hours later about 24 km south of Buôn Ma Thuột and all 62 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. An explosion from an unknown origin occurred in the cargo hold, between both wings, causing a brutal decompression of the cabin and the explosion of the airplane. The assumption that the detonation was caused by an explosive device was not ruled out.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Smolensk

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1973

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-70816

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors: