Scheduled Revenue Flight

Suffered a ground accident at an unknown airport in São Paulo. There were no casualties.

G-ARCO left London-Heathrow Airport at 2145 hours on 11 October 1967, operating British European Airways (BEA) flight BE284 to Athens. It carried 38 passengers and 2 154 kg of freight, including 920 kg for Nicosia. The aircraft arrived at Athens at 0111 hours on 12 October and reached its parking area on the apron at about 0115 hours. Six Athens passengers were disembarked. At Athens the flight became Cyprus Airways flight CY 284 for Nicosia. Four passengers and the captain remained on board the aircraft whilst it was refuelled and serviced for the flight to Nicosia. The Captain and the two First Officers continued with the aircraft but the cabin staff was changed, the new staff being those of Cyprus Airways. Twenty-seven passengers joined the aircraft at Athens for the flight to Nicosia. From the evidence of the BEA and Olympic Airways staff at Athens the aircraft's transit was normal. It was refuelled to .a total of approximately 17 000 kg and only one minor defect, relating to the Captain's beam compass, was recorded in the technical log. This defect was dealt with by the ground crew. The baggage for the passengers joining the aircraft for the flight to Nicosia and the freight was placed in holds 1 and 2; the baggage and freight from London to Nicosia remained in holds 4 and 5. The aircraft taxied out at 0227 hours and was airborne on schedule at 0231 hours; it was cleared by Athens Control to Nicosia on Upper Airway Red 19 to cruise at flight level (FL) 290. After take-off it climbed to 4 000 ft on the 180' radial of Athens VOR and then turned direct to Sounion, which it reported crossing at 0236 hours. At 0246 hours, the aircraft reported that it was crossing R19B at FL 290 and was estimating Rhodes at 0303 hours. At 0258 hours at an estimated position 3fi041'N, 27O13'E, the aircraft passed a westbound BEA Comet which was flying at FL 280. Each aircraft saw the other; the Captain of the westbound aircraft has staked that flight conditions were clear and smooth. G-ARC0 passed Rhodes at 0304 hours and at 0316 hours reported passing R19C at FL 290 and that it estimated passing abeam of Myrtou, Cyprus, at 0340 hours. This message was not received by Athens direct but was relayed by the westbound aircraft. G-ARC0 was then cleared by Athens to change to the Nicosia FIR frequency. The recording of the R/T communications with Nicosia shows that G-ARC0 called them to establish contact; the time of this call was 0318 hours + 9 seconds and it is estimated that the aircraft would then have been at a position 35° 51'N 30°17' E, approximately 15 NM to the east of R19C. Nicosia replied to the aircraft with an instruction to go ahead with its message but no further transmission was heard. Nicosia continued to try to contact the aircraft but without result and overdue action was therefore taken. At 0440 hours R.A.F. Search and Rescue aircraft took off from Akrotiri; at 0625 hours wreckage from G-ARC0 was sighted in the vicinity of R19C, the last reported position. None of the 66 occupants survived the crash.

Before leaving Dublin no landing forecast for Lulsgate was available but the forecast conditions for Filton, 10 miles north of Lulsgate, were well above the company minima of 260 ft critical height and 800 rn RVR. About 25 minutes before commencing the approach to land and whilst the aircraft was on the airway near Strumble, the latest weather conditions for Lulsgate obtained by radio from air traffic control, showed that there was 3/8 cloud at 1 000 ft, visibility was 1 500 m with the sun tending to disperse cloud and mist. After leaving the airway, the aircraft was positioned by Lulsgate radar for an approach to runway 28 on a right-hand base leg. At 0752 hours GMT before the final approach was commenced, the latest weather conditions were passed by the Lulsgate rabar controller who was also the approach controller, these conditions showed a surface wind northerly 8 to 10 kt, QFE 979, QNH 1 001, visibility in mist 1 800 m. During the final turn on to the approach at 6 miles, the aircraft drifted to the left of the extended centre line which was regained closing from left to right during the final descent. At five miles from touchdown, still to the left of the centre line, a descent from 1 500 ft (QFE) was commenced at a rate of 300 ft per mile with advisory altitudes being passed every half mile. The air was calm and the commander was able to achieve a high degree of precision during the approach; heights were accurately flown during the descent and the aircraft's track, cow verging on the centre line, was steady, When the aircraft was between 3 and 34 miles from touchdown, the controller informed it that visibility had deteriorated to 1 200 m. At two miles, when steering 2950, the aircraft intercepted the approach centre line and its heading was corrected to 290°; at one and a half miles at 500 ft, a further heading correction was made on to 287°. A drift to the right, away from the centre line, became apparent when the aircraft was between 1 and 12 miles from touchdown and the controller gave further corrections to the left to 285° and 280°. At one mile from touchdown at 350 feet, a further left correction to 275° was given but the aircraft continued to track to the right of the centre line. At half a mile from touchdown, when the talk-down was complete, the controller informed the aircraft it was well to the right of the centre line and that it should overshoot if the runway was not in sight. Shortly afterwards the aircraft was seen, by a controller, heading towards the control tower before commencing its corrective turn to the left. The commander, who was at the controls of the aircraft, said it was possible to refer to the ground and natural horizon until passing through about 650 ft when a thin layer of cloud followed by misty conditions required the remainder of the approach to be made on instruments. Whilst descending through 300 ft, the commander asked the co-pilot if he could see anything but just as he replied in the negative the commander saw the approach lights ahead and to his left and he promptly commenced an 'St turn to line up with them. As he did so he called for 400 of flap and less power in order to reduce the airspeed from 130 kt to about 112 kt. During this phase, he lost contact with the lights "for some seconds" but he elected to continue the approach because the last reported visibility was 1 200 rn and he was confident the runway lights would shortly appear ahead. When they came into view the aircraft was over the left-hand side of the runway and not properly aligned with it; the commander said he attempted to turn on to the runway centre line as he flared out for the landing. During this manoeuvre, although he was not aware of it, the starboard wing tip and No. 4 propeller struck the runway; the aircraft then touched down on all its wheels with considerable port drift. The commander took overshoot action, applying full power, calling for 20° of flap and the undercarriage to be raised; the airspeed had, in the meanwhile, fallen below 100 kt. The commander realised that the aircraft was not accelerating normally and saw that it was headed towards buildings on the northern perimeter of the aerodrome; rather than risk flying into these obstructions, he flew the aircraft on to the ground with its undercarriagi retracting. The aircraft touched down starboard wing first, ground-looped tb the right as it slid along the remaining section of the adjacent runway, then crashed tail first through a fence. Ten of the occupants of the passenger cabin were injured, three of them seriously; fire did not break out; rescue and fire vehicles arrived promptly on the scene. The accident occurred at 0759 hours.

Flight 523 was a scheduled international flight from Prague, Czechoslovakia to Havana, Cuba, via Shannon, Ireland, and Gander, Newfoundland. It departed Prague at 1649 hours GMT on 4 September and proceeded to Shannon where it arrived at 2020 hours for a routine servicing stop. It departed Shannon at 2131 hours arriving at Gander at 0326 hours on 5 September following an uneventful flight. The crew which had flown the aircraft from Prague disembarked at Gander and was replaced by a crew which had been off duty in Gander from 3 September. At Gander the aircraft was serviced and refuelled under the supervision of the flight engineer of the outgoing flight. A flight plan to Havana was filed at about 0405 hours and at 0504 hours the aircraft began taxiing to the threshold of runway 14. It was cleared to take-off at 0508 hours. The length of the ground roll was normal, the undercarriage and flaps were retracted, but the angle of climb was abnormally shallow. At 0509 hours the flight advised the tower controller that the aircraft was airborne, the tower controller acknowledged the transmission and advised the flight to contact Air Traffic Control Centre on a frequency of 119.7 MHz. Whilst the radio operator was changing frequency the aircraft struck the ground about 4 000 feet beyond the end of the runway. The accident occurred at 0510 hours GMT. Debris scattered on 1,500 meters and 32 occupants were wounded while 37 others were killed, among them 4 crew members.

Shortly after take off from Myeshchura Airport, while on initial climb at a height of 150 meters, the engine control lever got disconnected. The airplane lost speed, stalled, hit tree tops at a speed of 100 km/h then crashed in flames in the taiga some three kilometers from the airport. Six passengers were killed while seven other occupants, including both pilots, were injured.

While approaching Marshfield Airport from the northeast, the right engine failed. The pilot increased power on the left engine but as he was unable to maintain a safe altitude, he ditched the aircraft off Humarock. All 14 occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft later came to rest onto the beach and was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft departed Vientiane-Wattay Airport at 0935LT bound for Luang Prabang, in the north. While approaching his destination, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was unable to locate the airport. The captain decided to follow a holding pattern when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain shrouded in clouds. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 16 occupants have been killed. The airplane was leased from Taiwan Aviation.

The three engine aircraft departed Asheville Regional Airport at 1158LT and climbed to its assigned altitude. About three minutes later, while climbing to an altitude of 6,132 feet in a limited visibility due to clouds, the aircraft collided with a Cessna 310 registered N3121S. Operated by Lanseair, it was carrying two passengers and a pilot. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a dense wooded area located about nine miles southeast of Asheville Airport. The wreckage of the 727 was found in a forest along a highway located in Hendersonville. All 82 occupants in both aircraft were killed.

Shortly after liftoff, while climbing to a height of 100 feet, one of the engine caught fire and exploded. The airplane stalled and crashed in a prairie located about 720 meters past the runway end. Three crew members and 39 passengers were killed, among them Albert Sylla, the Malagasy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The three crew members who were killed were Mr. Chevrier, captain, Mr. Turin, mechanic and Mr. Goirand, radio navigator.

The four engine aircraft departed Conakry Airport on an international scheduled flight to Moscow with intermediate stops at Rabat and Prague. While descending to Rabat, the pilot was informed by ATC that it was not possible to land in Rabat due to poor weather conditions and was vectored and rerouted to Casablanca-Anfa Airport. Unfamiliarized with this airport, the pilot-in-command started the approach to runway 21 at an insufficient altitude when he spotted a building in the approach path. He increased power and gain altitude, causing the aircraft to pass over the glide but continued the approach, causing the airplane to land too far down the runway. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest 300 meters further. All 102 occupants were evacuated, among them 10 were injured. The aircraft was destroyed and its wreckage caused the airport to be closed to all traffic for three days.