Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 in Khulna: 44 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1969 at 2030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DOJ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Silchar – Agartala – Calcutta
MSN:
10214
YOM:
1962
Location:
Khulna
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
40
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
44
Aircraft flight hours:
14221
Aircraft flight cycles:
12017
Circumstances:
While descending to Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions over the border with Bangladesh when control was lost. The airplane crashed in an open field located in Khulna, some 55 km southeast of Dum Dum Airport and was destroyed upon impact. All 44 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by turbulences and severe downdrafts while flying in thunderstorm activity.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 Commando in Kinshasa: 45 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1969 at 0810 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
WIGMO - Western International Ground Maintenance Organization
Registration:
9T-PLJ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Kinshasa – Kananga – Mbuji-Mayi
MSN:
26710
YOM:
1943
Location:
Kinshasa
Kinshasa City Province
Country:
Democratic Republic of Congo
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
42
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
45
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport, the crew reported technical problems with the hydraulic systems and was cleared to return. To reduce weight, the pilot followed a holding pattern over the region when the airplane entered a dive and crashed into the Congo River. All 45 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident was not determined. However, it is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of a double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
PP-CBZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
11767
YOM:
1943
Location:
Santa Isabel do Rio Negro-Tapuruquara
Amazonas
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing at Santa Isabel do Rio Negro-Tapuruquara Airport. There were no injuries.

Crash of a Fairchild F27 in Roscas

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild F27
Operator:
Registration:
PI-C870
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
20
YOM:
1958
Location:
Roscas
Metro Manila
Country:
Philippines
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While landing at Roscas, near Manila, the airplane suffered a gear collapse. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Gear collapsed on landing.

Crash of a Vickers 757 Viscount in Seven Islands: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viscount
Operator:
Registration:
CF-THK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Seven Islands - Montreal
MSN:
271
YOM:
1957
Location:
Seven Islands
Quebec
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Seven Islands Airport, while climbing, the crew reported a fire on engine number two and was cleared to return for a safe landing. After touchdown, the crew started an emergency braking procedure when control was lost due to fire in the left main gear wheel well. The airplane veered off runway to the right before coming to rest in flames. A passenger died during the evacuation and the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Overheating of the starter selector relay during starting of no.1 and 2 engines. The proximity of a wire bundle to the relay provided a source of combustibles for the initial fire.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B near Zawoja: 53 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1969 at 1608 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
SP-LTF
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Warsaw - Kraków
MSN:
67302406
YOM:
1966
Flight number:
LO165
Location:
Zawoja
Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Małopolskie)
Country:
Poland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
48
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
53
Circumstances:
While descending to Kraków-Balice Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and a limited visibility due to heavy snow falls. At an altitude of 1,200 meters, the airplane struck trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located on Mt Polica, in the Babia Gora Mountain Range, near Zawoja. The wreckage was found few hours later about 150 meters below the summit and all 53 occupants have been killed. Due to poor visibility, the crew was unable to locate the mountain and at the time of the accident, the airplane was slightly off course.

Crash of a Douglas C-54B-15-DO Skymaster in Rio de Janeiro

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
PP-LET
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
18393
YOM:
1944
Location:
Rio de Janeiro-Galeão
Rio de Janeiro
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The nose gear collapsed upon landing at Rio de Janeiro-Galeão and the airplane came to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the nose gear upon landing.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Sagirdasht: 11 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1969 at 1235 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-98316
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Qal'ai Khumb – Tavildara – Dushanbe
MSN:
1102 473 14
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
SH84
Location:
Tavildara
Districts of Republican Subordination
Country:
Tajikistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Aircraft flight hours:
8606
Aircraft flight cycles:
12069
Circumstances:
On the leg from Qal'ai Khumb to Tavildara of a flight from Qal'ai Khumb to Dushanbe, the crew encountered below-minima weather conditions (the summits were covered by clouds), deviated from the prescribed flight path to the west by 8 km and crashed into a snow-covered slope of the Darwaz Mountain range, some 9 km SSW of Sagirdasht (Gorny Badakhshan). Two of the 3 pilots (including a check pilot) and 9 of the 10 passengers were killed and both survivors were seriously injured. The wreckage was found 31MAR69 and both survivors were evacuated three days later, on 02APR69.
Probable cause:
The crew decided to continue in below-weather minima in violation of the published procedures. Poor support on part of the meteorological services and lack of ATC assistance were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24 in Almaty: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1969 at 0637 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46751
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Alma-Ata - Karaganda
MSN:
47300905
YOM:
1963
Flight number:
SU2305
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
9607
Aircraft flight cycles:
7577
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Alma-Ata Airport, while climbing to a height of 80 meters, the airplane banked right, lost height and crashed in flames onto houses located in the village of Krasnoye Polye, near the airport. Few houses were destroyed as well as the aircraft. A crew member and three passengers were killed while 27 other occupants were injured. Fortunately, there were no casualties on the ground.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the right engine lost power during initial climb when the gear were retracted. The loss of speed caused the aircraft to stall.

Crash of a Douglas DC-9-32 in Maracaibo: 155 killed

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1969 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-9
Operator:
Registration:
YV-C-AVD
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Caracas – Maracaibo – Miami
MSN:
47243/448
YOM:
1969
Flight number:
VA742
Location:
Maracaibo-La Chinita
Zulia
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
74
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
155
Circumstances:
After takeoff from runway 04L at Maracaibo-Grano de Oro Airport, while in initial climb at an altitude of 150 feet, the airplane struck power cables. It lost speed and height then crashed in a huge explosion into the district of La Trinidad located near the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 84 occupants were killed as well as 71 people on the ground. More than 20 buildings were destroyed and more than 100 people were injured, some of them seriously.
Probable cause:
Takeoff to Miami was attempted in marginal weather conditions from runway 04L (6,792 feet long). For undetermined reason, the temperature sensors located along the runway transmitted wrong values. Prior to departure, the crew performed the calculations necessary for the takeoff configuration and referred to these wrong values, causing erroneous takeoff performances. Thus, the takeoff roll was longer than expected and the rotation was completed later than normal. After liftoff, the minimum altitude was insufficient to clear the obstacles located past the runway end.
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