Country
code
Flemish Brabant
Crash of a Boeing 707-329 in Brussels
Date & Time:
Mar 29, 1981 at 0940 LT
Operator:
Registration:
OO-SJA
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Brussels - Tenerife
MSN:
17623/78
YOM:
1959
Flight number:
SLR1915
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
110
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
64462
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane departed Brussels-Zavantem Airport runway 02 at 0929LT on a charter flight to Tenerife-Sur Reina Sofia with 110 passengers and a crew of seven on board. While climbing to an altitude of 7,000 feet, the engine n°3 exploded and caught fire. The crew declared an emergency and was cleared to return for a landing on runway 25L. After the fire was contained and while completing a last turn on final, the airplane was approaching too fast and overshot so the pilot decided to land on runway 25R. After touchdown, reversers on engine n°1 and 4 were activated and the crew initiated an emergency braking procedure. Nevertheless, the captain considered the remaining distance as insufficient and decided to steer the aircraft to the left of the runway where it came to rest. All 117 occupants were quickly rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the explosion of the engine n°3 was the consequence of the disintegration of a blade located on the 10th stage of the compressor due to fatigue cracks. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Approach completed with one engine inoperative,
- The total weight of the aircraft was above the max allowable weight upon landing,
- The approach speed was too high,
- The crew failed to use the brakes properly.
- Approach completed with one engine inoperative,
- The total weight of the aircraft was above the max allowable weight upon landing,
- The approach speed was too high,
- The crew failed to use the brakes properly.
Crash of a Boeing 707-329 in Brussels: 73 killed
Date & Time:
Feb 15, 1961 at 1005 LT
Operator:
Registration:
OO-SJB
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
New York – Brussels
MSN:
17624
YOM:
1959
Flight number:
SN548
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
61
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
73
Captain / Total hours on type:
21.00
Copilot / Total hours on type:
20
Aircraft flight hours:
3038
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful transatlantic flight from New York, the crew started the approach to runway 20 at Brussels-Zaventem Airport. On short final, while at an altitude of 900 feet, the crew raised the landing gear, increased engine power and made a go around. The plane made three 360° turns to the left and climbed to 1,500 feet. During these turns the bank angle increased more and more until the aircraft was in a near vertical bank. The wings then leveled, followed by an abrupt pitch up. The 707 lost speed, started to spiral rapidly towards the ground nose down, crashed and caught fire. All 72 occupants were killed as well as one farmer working in the field. Among the passengers were 17 members of the US National Hockey Team who were flying to Prague to take part to the World Championship.
Probable cause:
Having carried out all possible reasonable investigations, the Commission concluded that the cause of the accident had to be looked for in the material failure of the flying controls. However, while it was possible to advance certain hypotheses regarding the possible causes, they could not be considered entirely satisfactory. Only the material failure of two systems could lead to a complete explanation, but left the way open to an arbitrary choice because there was not sufficient evidence to corroborate it. The FAA commented that the most plausible hypothesis was a malfunction of the stabilizer adjusting mechanism permitting the stabilizer to run to the 10.5° nose-up position.
Final Report:
Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Brussels
Date & Time:
Aug 21, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
D-3
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Brussels - Brussels
MSN:
6739
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight when the aircraft crashed on landing for unknown reason. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and use for spares.
Crash of an Avro 652A Anson I in Brussels
Date & Time:
Feb 17, 1952 at 0620 LT
Operator:
Registration:
G-ALFD
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
London – Brussels
YOM:
1948
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Brussels-Zaventem Airport, the crew decided to reduce his altitude to maintain a visual contact with the ground due to foggy conditions when the twin engine aircraft hit a telephone pole and crashed on a house located about 100 meters from the approach path. Both crew members who were performing a cargo flight from London with newspapers on board were injured. Nobody on ground was hurt.
Crash of a Fiat G.212CP in Keerbergen: 8 killed
Date & Time:
Jul 1, 1948 at 1220 LT
Operator:
Registration:
I-ELSA
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Milan – Brussels
MSN:
04
YOM:
1948
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
19
Circumstances:
On approach to Brussels-Zaventem Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls, low visibility and a ceiling at 100 meters. In such conditions, the captain overshot the runway in Zaventem and was unable to land. He increased power on all three engines and continued to the northeast. Few minutes later, he decided to land on a makeshift airfield in Keerbergen but during the last turn to the left, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field. Three passengers and a crew member survived while all eight other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Insufficient speed during the last turn to the left caused the aircraft to stall. The distance between the aircraft and the ground was too low to expect a recovery. Poor weather conditions were considered as a contributory factor.
