Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-R in Manaus

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1973 at 1830 LT
Operator:
Registration:
PP-PDV
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Belém - Manaus
MSN:
120
YOM:
1962
Country:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
53
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following a wrong approach configuration, the airplane landed 848 meters past the runway 26 threshold. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in flames few dozen meters further. All 58 occupants were able to evacuate the cabin and five of them were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the flight crew who continued the descent while the aircraft was too high on the glide and unstable with an excessive approach speed. This caused the airplane to land too far down (848 meters past the threshold) a wet runway contaminated by heavy rain falls. In such conditions, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance and overran at a speed of 80 knots. Because the aircraft was unstable and the approach configuration was wrong, the crew should initiate a go-around maneuver.

Crash of a Sud-Est Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N on Mt Mellaline: 106 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1973 at 2210 LT
Operator:
Registration:
OO-SRD
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Paris - Tangier
MSN:
69
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
99
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
106
Captain / Total flying hours:
11630
Captain / Total hours on type:
3563.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1064
Copilot / Total hours on type:
47
Aircraft flight hours:
23193
Aircraft flight cycles:
17334
Circumstances:
Leased by Sobelair to Royal Air Maroc, the airplane was completing a charter flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Tangier. While descending to Tangier-Boukhalef Airport at night and marginal weather conditions, the airplane entered a wrong approach circuit and flew too far to the east. At an altitude of 2,400 feet, it impacted the slope of Mt Mellaline located 42 km east of Tangier-Boukhalef Airport runway 28 threshold. The wreckage was found a day later at an altitude of 750 metres and all 106 occupants have been killed. The airplane disintegrated and exploded on impact.
Probable cause:
An examination of the final minutes of the flight and the flight path, shows that the procedural turn was initiated beyond the distance specified on the ILS Instrument Approach Chart for Runway 28 at Tangier Airport. This situation can be attributed, on one hand, to the significant strength of the positive wind component at that distance. On the other hand, to the fact that the aircraft did not fly over the outer marker and that the pilot was unable to time the approach correctly in a timely manner. The aircraft was therefore outside the protection zones associated with the airport’s intermediate approach and found itself entering over mountainous terrain. It was subsequently exposed to various variations in mountainous atmospheric conditions characterized by severe turbulence, a significant wind gradient, and likely also gusts. Analysis of the flight recorder showed that during the final seconds of flight, the aircraft experienced a significant deceleration (23 knots in five seconds) followed by a loss of altitude of approximately 400 feet. This loss of altitude, combined with the aforementioned conditions, proved fatal for the Caravelle, which crashed head-on into the side of Pic ‘792’ at an altitude of approximately 750 meters and a distance of 23 NM from the QFU 28 of the destination airport.
Final Report:

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III in Algiers

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1973
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VAI
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
28
YOM:
1960
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing at Algiers-Dar El Beïda Airport for undetermined reasons. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N on Mt Babin Zub: 41 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1973
Operator:
Registration:
YU-AHD
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Skopje - Titograd
MSN:
151
YOM:
1963
Flight number:
JU769
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
35
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
41
Circumstances:
The crew was cleared to descend from 9,000 to 6,000 feet when, in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Babin Zub located about 55 km north of Titograd-Golubovci Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 41 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain. For undetermined reason, the crew descended prematurely to an unsafe altitude. Lack of visibility was a contributing factor.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle I in Barquisimeto

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1973
Operator:
Registration:
YV-C-AVI
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
20
YOM:
1960
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing, the right main gear partially collapsed and punctured the right wing. The airplane came to rest and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10R in La Coruna: 85 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1973 at 1140 LT
Operator:
Registration:
EC-BIC
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Madrid - La Coruna
MSN:
225
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
AO116
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
79
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
85
Captain / Total flying hours:
8610
Captain / Total hours on type:
304.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6283
Copilot / Total hours on type:
997
Aircraft flight hours:
13118
Aircraft flight cycles:
9380
Circumstances:
The Caravelle aircraft took off from Madrid-Barajas Airport at 08:30 GMT and proceeded normally to La Coruña Airport. At 09:14 radio contact was made with La Coruña tower and the flight crew reported 3 minutes away. The tower controller informed the flight that weather at the airport was below minima and that improvement would be slow. The flight crew then decided to hold over Lima Romeo Alpha and said they would report when holding. Shortly thereafter they informed the tower that they would make an approach down to minima to get a more precise idea of the weather and would hold thereafter. The controller switched on the VASIS and at 09:21 informed the flight that visibility was around 350 m, although he could not see the VASIS at the threshold of runway 22. The flight then reported at 3000 feet beginning the approach. At 09:23 the controller reported a visibility of 600 m. At 09:24 the pilot said he would attempt to land, that he was 2200 feet on approach and had not yet entered clouds. At 09:28 ATC reported 800 m visibility, but that a light breeze was coming up and fog was again closing in from the sea. The crew reported to the tower that they had descended to minima. Since the ground could not be seen, they would therefore begin to hold. At 09:32 the flight crew reported holding at 6000 feet and requested to be informed of any change that might take place. At 09:34 the controller reported a visibility of 400 m, that the VASIS was still visible. The flight crew then tried to make another attempt to land. At 09:36 the flight crew reported passing the LRA VOR on approach. The controller answered that the lights of the VASIS were no longer visible and that some fog had collected over the runway threshold. The pilot then decided to resume holding. Weather gradually improved and at 10:20 ATC reported a horizontal visibility of 1500 m and a vertical visibility of 150 m which improved to 250-300 m within three minutes. The pilot acknowledged and said he was leaving 5000 feet for approach. At 10:31 the flight reported passing LRA. At 10:32 the flight reported discontinuing the approach and 6 minutes later the pilot said he was initiating another approach and would report over LRA. At 10:39 the pilot reported over LRA again. Shortly afterward the Caravelle contacted eucalyptus trees, struck the ground and crashed onto several houses. The aircraft was totally destroyed and none of the 85 occupants survived. There were no casualties on the ground.
Probable cause:
Pilot violation of the regulations and instructions governing flight over national territory, and the international standards in force in Spain.
Final Report:

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-R in Stockholm

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1973
Operator:
Registration:
OY-SAN
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
98
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. While taxiing, the airplane collided with an obstacle and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The exact circumstances of the mishap remains unclear.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N in Mumbai

Date & Time: Jul 3, 1973 at 2030 LT
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DPO
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
128
YOM:
1963
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport, the airplane adopted a nose down attitude and landed nose first at an excessive speed. Upon impact, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid on its nose until it came to a halt on runway. A fire erupted in the nose gear bay. All 15 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The copilot was the pilot-in-command at the time of the accident. It was determined that he adopted a wrong approach configuration, causing the aircraft to land nose first at a too high speed. A lack of supervision on part of the captain was also considered.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-R in São Luís: 23 killed

Date & Time: Jun 1, 1973 at 0720 LT
Operator:
Registration:
PP-PDX
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Belém - São Luís
MSN:
126
YOM:
1962
Flight number:
SC109
Country:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
On final approach to São Luís-Marechal Cunha Machado Airport, while at an altitude of 90 meters, the pilot-in-command abandoned the approach and decided to make a go-around. While climbing, the airplane adopted a high nose-up attitude then stalled, banked to the right and crashed in flames 760 meters to the right of the approach path. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 23 occupants were killed. It was reported that the right engine did not develop any power at impact.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10R off Funchal: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1973 at 0140 LT
Operator:
Registration:
EC-BID
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Madrid - Funchal
MSN:
228
YOM:
1969
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a positioning flight from Madrid-Barajas to Funchal. While approaching the airport by night, the pilot-in-command made a turn to join the runway 06 approach path when the airplane stalled and crashed into the sea few km off shore. The wreckage sank by a depth of 740 meters and was not recovered. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it is believed that the aircraft's speed was probably too low during the last turn, causing the aircraft to stall and to crash. The distance between the aircraft and the water surface was insufficient to expect recovery.