Date & Time:
Jul 17, 1973 at 1645 LT
Type of aircraft:
Convair CV-640
Operator:
Registration:
HB-IMM
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Zurich - Tromsø
MSN:
412
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
VS598
Country:
Norway
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
56
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total hours on type:
2100
Copilot / Total hours on type:
684
Aircraft flight hours:
29827
Aircraft flight cycles:
26426
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful charter flight from Zurich, the crew started the approach to runway 19 in excellent weather conditions. Following a wrong approach configuration, the aircraft landed nose first. On touchdown, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid on its nose for several meters before both mains gears collapsed as well. The airplane slid on its belly for dozen meters, veered off runway to the left and came to rest in a grassy area. All 60 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the captain who failed to follow several points of the approach procedure. The following factors were reported:
- The plane landed in a nose-down attitude, causing the nose gear to touchdown first and to collapse due to excessive g loads,
- The flaps were down at an angle of 40° while the company procedure did not allow more than 33°,
- The approach was completed with a tailwind of 10 knots, the maximum allowable speed,
- The captain failed to react in time and to initiate appropriate corrective actions.
- The plane landed in a nose-down attitude, causing the nose gear to touchdown first and to collapse due to excessive g loads,
- The flaps were down at an angle of 40° while the company procedure did not allow more than 33°,
- The approach was completed with a tailwind of 10 knots, the maximum allowable speed,
- The captain failed to react in time and to initiate appropriate corrective actions.
