Canary Islands

Las Palmas-Gando (Gran Canaria)

Schedule:

Madrid - Las Palmas

MSN:

45617

YOM:

1961

Flight number:

AO331

Location:

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a positioning flight from Madrid-Barajas Airport to Las Palmas to pick up German tourists back to Hamburg. While on a night approach to Las Palmas-Gando Airport, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 22 km east of Arinaga. Few debris were found floating on water and none of the 10 occupants survived the crash. The wreckage sank by a depth of 1,560 meters.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident remains determined.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-10-DK off Las Palmas: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1971 at 1815 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T.3-37

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Las Palmas-Gando (Gran Canaria)

Schedule:

Las Palmas - Al Aaiun

MSN:

14734/26179

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Las Palmas-Gando Airport, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, stalled and crashed into the sea. Three crew members were killed and two others were injured. There were high crosswinds at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in La Palma

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F27 Friendship

Operator:

Registration:

EC-BOD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

La Palma (La Palma Island)

MSN:

10360

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1992

Aircraft flight cycles:

3983

Circumstances:

The landing at La Palma Airport was completed with a tailwind component on a wet runway 03. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest down an embankment. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Casa 2.111 off Las Palmas

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1969

Type of aircraft:

Casa 2.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Las Palmas-Gando (Gran Canaria)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Gran Tarajal (Fuerteventura)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to ditch the aircraft off Las Palmas-Gando Airport. All three occupants were rescued by the crew of a boat while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Casa 352 in Gran Tarajal

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1968

Type of aircraft:

Casa 352

Operator:

Registration:

T.2B-235

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

126

Location:

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The central engine failed in flight, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed near Gran Tarajal, in the south of Fuerteventura Island. All three crew members were unhurt while the airplane was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL off Tenerife: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1966 at 0825 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

EC-ACX

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tenerife – Santa Cruz de La Palma

MSN:

19410

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

IB261

Location:

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

5000

Captain / Total hours on type:

3500.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1400

Copilot / Total hours on type:

350

Aircraft flight hours:

25134

Circumstances:

The aircraft took off from Tenerife airport at 0821. After two minutes of flight the propeller of the left engine began overspeeding. The pilot-in-command applied the normal overspeed procedures, but obtained no response to the manoeuvre. He then actuated the feathering mechanism but this also was ineffective and as the aircraft was losing height he was obliged to ditch it approximately one mile from the coast, since the orography of the locality made a landing impossible. The ditching took place normally. The aircraft remained afloat approximately five minutes and then sank carrying with it one of the passengers who refused to abandon it and who had impeded the evacuation of the other passengers and resisted the efforts of the pilot-in-command and hostess to get him to safety.

Probable cause:

The accident resulted as a consequence of propeller overspeed on the left side, the cause of which could not be determined owing to the fact that the aircraft was not recovered.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Tenerife: 32 killed

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1965 at 1840 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

EC-ARZ

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tenerife – Las Palmas

MSN:

13474

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

19245

Circumstances:

The flight was a non-scheduled domestic flight from Tenerife to Las Palmas. It took off from runway 30 at Tenerife Airport with an IFR flight plan at 1830 hours and disappeared from the view of the tower controller in low cloud about 500 m before the end of the runway. According to the tower controller, the pilot acknowledged the last instructions from the tower two minutes after takeoff and did not re-establish contact afterwards. The aircraft was not seen again until a few moments before the accident which was presumed to have occurred between 1834 and 1840 hours according to witnesses. It was later determined that the airplane went into a dive and crashed few km from the airfield, killing all 32 occupants, most of them Scandinavian tourists.

Probable cause:

In the light of the investigation, the cause of this accident was considered to be unknown, and was, therefore, classified as "undetermined". However, the reasons which may have caused the aircraft to enter a spin are listed hereunder: One probable cause was a failure of the suction pump or the vacuum system. If the vacuum system had failed the artificial horizon, directional gyro and turn-and-bank indicator would have become inoperative. A failure of this sort, aggravated by turbulence, would deprive the pilot of the means to control the aircraft which, in these conditions, might have stalled one or more times. Another cause which might have produced a spin was flying into very severe turbulence with loss of control leading to a stall. Engine failure was not considered probable, although a malfunctioning of one of the propellers was not ruled out. It was considered that the pilot would have alerted the tower if an emergency has occurred, whereas it was considered unlikely that he would have done so if the instruments failed or if he encountered severe turbulence, as in these circumstances his entire attention would have been concentrated on trying to restore the aircraft to a normal attitude.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-1049G-55 Super Constellation in Tenerife: 30 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1965 at 2117 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

EC-AIN

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Madrid – Tenerife

MSN:

4550

YOM:

1954

Flight number:

IB401

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

12947

Captain / Total hours on type:

4110.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

7802

Copilot / Total hours on type:

350

Circumstances:

Flight 401 was a scheduled domestic flight between Madrid, Spain and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands. At 2053 hours the aircraft was cleared for approach to runway 30 at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife/Los Rodeos Airport. At this time it was informed by the approach controller that the airport was below meteorological minima and that the following weather conditions prevailed:
Wind : 330/variable 10 to 12 kt, gust to 14 kt
Visibility: 100 to 500 m, reduced to zero over the runway by a bar of stratus
Present weather: distant fog, intermittent fog banks
Clouds: 6/8 stratus from 0 to 30 m
QNH: 30.03 in of Hg
QFE: 942.9 mb
Temperature: 14°
Dew-point : 14°.
This was acknowledged by the flight. The pilot, who saw the beginning of runway 30 clearly but not the rest of it, decided to make a very low run after which he re-applied power for a go-around at 2106 hours. He circled the aerodrome, apparently intending to land, and at 2115 hours reported on final. At 2117 hours he reported to the tower: "401 pulling up to go around", and this was the last communication received from the aircraft. It was subsequently found that, when starting its go-around, the aircraft struck a scraper and tractor located 50 m from the runway edge, with one leg of the undercarriage and the lower aft part of the fuselage. It left various debris scattered about and finally crashed on the western edge of the diversion canal of the Rodeo gorge. From there, it slid about 100 m across private farmland and finally burst into flames. The accident occurred at 2117 hours.

Probable cause:

The pilot-in-command should have proceeded in view of the adverse weather conditions prevailing at the airport, which he should have appreciated during his first fly-past. His partial view of the airport and the glow of lights must have induced him to make a new attempt with the consequences described above.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-7C in Tenerife

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1965

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-7

Operator:

Registration:

SE-CCC

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tenerife – Stockholm

MSN:

45325/826

YOM:

1957

Location:

Country:

Region: