Scheduled Revenue Flight

Lisbon-Portela de Sacavém

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Rome – Madrid – Lisbon – Santa Maria – Caracas

MSN:

45615

YOM:

1961

Flight number:

VA897

Location:

Estremadura - Lisbon District

Country:

Portugal

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

12886

Captain / Total hours on type:

189.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

12913

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

209

Circumstances:

VIASA Flight 897 operated on the route Rome - Madrid (MAD) - Lisbon (LIS) - Santa Maria (SMA) - Caracas (CCS) when it landed at Lisbon at 00:06 UTC. Following a crew change and inspection by KLM maintenance personnel the flight was cleared for a runway 23 departure. The DC-8 took off at 01:15, heading the Capiraca (LS) NDB. At 01:18:37 the aircraft advised that the cloud base was at 3700 ft and changed to the Lisbon area control frequency. It reported again at 01:19 :25 to Lisbon Control that it was "over LS at 19 climbing through FL 60". This message ended with two quickly spoken sentences. This was the last radio contact with the flight. The DC-8 entered a spiral dive to the left during the last message, banking to the left to 90° within about 20 seconds and striking the water after another 15 seconds . During the last 15 seconds, the bank was over-corrected to the right. It struck the sea with a pitch angle of approximately 25° nose down, while it was probably banking 30° to the right.

Probable cause:

Notwithstanding a very thorough, time-consuming investigation, in which many authorities and experts co-operated, it was not possible to establish a probable cause of the accident. The Netherlands, as state of registry commented: Though there are no direct indications in this respect, the Board regards it as possible that the accident was due to the pilot or pilots being misled by instrument failure, in particular of the artificial horizon, or to the pilot having been distracted, so that a serious deviation from the normal flight path was not discovered in time.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-1649 Starliner near Ghadames: 78 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1961 at 0112 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-1649 Starliner

Operator:

Registration:

F-BHBM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Brazzaville – Bangui – Fort Lamy – Marseille – Paris

MSN:

1027

YOM:

1957

Flight number:

AF406

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising by night at an altitude of 20,000 feet vertical to the Sahara Desert, the airplane disintegrated in the air and crashed in a desert area located in the east part of Algeria, at the border with Libya. The crew was unable to send any distress call. The debris were scattered on a wide area between Ghadamès (Libya) and Zarzaïtine, Algeria. All 78 occupants were killed in the crash.
Crew:
Mr. Bouchier, pilot,
Mr. Best, copilot,
Mr. Baylion, navigator,
Mr. Guntz, radio operator,
Mr. Gambart de Lignières, mechanic,
Mr. Burgaut, mechanic,
Mrs. Chiapolino, stewardess,
Mr. Eichelberger, steward,
Mr. Pasqueron, steward.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the probable cause of the accident was an act of sabotage with the denotation of a nitrocellulose explosive device. The reasons and the authors of this act remains unknown.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK in Kameshli

Date & Time: May 6, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

SU-ALP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Al-Hasakah Governorate (الحسكة‎)

Schedule:

Cairo – Damascus – Aleppo – Kameshli

MSN:

14662/26107

YOM:

1944

Location:

Kameshli

Country:

Syria

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Kameshli Airport, the aircraft was too low, struck the ground 300 meters short of runway threshold and came to rest in flames. All seven occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Lympne

Date & Time: May 1, 1961

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGOJ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

6850

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Landed hard, bounced and came to rest at Lympne Aerodrome, Kent. All six occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Stepanavan: 16 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1961 at 0918 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-98247

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Yerevan – Stepanavan

MSN:

199 473 10

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2225

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport at 0838LT bound for Stepanavan. Weather conditions on the first part of the leg was marginal and poor over the mountains with clouds and rain falls. While cruising at an altitude of 2,320 meters in the clouds, the pilot made a turn to the left when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 10 km southwest of Stepanavan Airport. Both pilots and a passenger were injured while all 16 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a poor flight preparation on part of the flying crew and operations of the company, which resulted in the violation of the published procedures as the crew decided to fly in the clouds without any visual references with the ground. Information related to weather conditions and transmitted to the crew did not reflect the truth, which was considered as a contributing factor. It was also reported there were 12 adults and 5 children (aged 3 months to 5 years) on board, which does not comply with the published procedures as the aircraft is certified for 12 passengers only (adults and/or children).

Crash of a Douglas C-47-Dl in Saint-Pierre

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CF-JNR

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

All Saint Pierre and Miquelon

MSN:

4595

YOM:

1942

Location:

Saint-Pierre

Country:

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll at Saint-Pierre Airport, the left main gear collapsed. The pilot-in-command abandoned he takeoff procedure but the aircraft overran and came to rest into a ravine. Five passengers were slightly injured while all other occupants escaped unhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left main gear during takeoff.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL on Mt La Gotera: 24 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1961 at 2115 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CC-CLDP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Castro – Puerto Montt – Osorno – Temuco – Santiago du Chili

MSN:

9716

YOM:

1943

Flight number:

LA210

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6012

Copilot / Total flying hours:

489

Aircraft flight hours:

18299

Circumstances:

A Douglas DC-3C passenger plane, operated by LAN Chile, was destroyed when it impacted a mountainside near Linares, Chile. LAN flight 621 was a domestic passenger flight from Castro to Santiago with en route stops at Puerto Montt, Osorno and Temuco. On board the flight were eight players and the trainer of the Green Cross football team. The DC-3 took off from Temuco at 18:30 hours local time for the last leg of the flight, following Airway 45 and 40 at an altitude of 8,500 feet. Estimated flying time was 2 hours and 30 minutes. While en route the flight was instructed to climb to 9,500 feet because of other traffic at 8500 feet. At 19:10 the crew requested a descent to 9,000 feet because of ice formation on the wings. The controller didn't authorize the descent because of conflicting traffic (LAN flight 205) on Airway 4. The controller later cleared the flight to turn back on Airway 45 and then descend to 6,500 feet on the same Airway, pass over Curico and to continue on Airway 40 to the Santo Domingo beacon. There was no more radio contact with the flight. After seven days of search operations, the wreckage was found on April 10. The airplane had impacted Cerro La Gotera, a mountain located in a sector of Sierra de las Ánimas, and east-northeast of a hill named Lástimas del Pejerrey. The aircraft was flying in a south-westerly direction, impacting 50 m below the summit of the mountain, at an elevation of about 3,500 m (11,480 feet). The wreckage slid down about 14 meters before coming to rest.

Probable cause:

The aircraft crashed on La Gotera Hill in the Lastima-Pejerrey Range. From the wreckage's position it was determined that the flight was on a south-west heading, although owing to the aircraft's being entirely destroyed and burnt out it was not possible to state its speed or altitude, or whether the left engine had failed. At impact it appeared that the right engine was functioning normally. It was not possible to determine the cause of the accident from the navigation instruments or the wreckage.

Final Report:

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18V in Forchheim: 52 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1961 at 2009 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-18

Operator:

Registration:

OK-OAD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Prague – Zurich – Rabat – Dakar – Conakry – Bamako

MSN:

180 0021 02

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

OK511

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

8572

Captain / Total hours on type:

354.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

11019

Copilot / Total hours on type:

179

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet over Bavaria, the four engine aircraft disappeared from radar screens at 2009LT and crashed in a field located near Forchheim, north of Nuremberg. The crew was unable to send any distress call prior to the crash. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 52 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

In the light of the investigations undertaken, it is probable that the accident occurred in one of the following ways, although the possibility of other causes cannot be ruled out:
a) Forced descent causing the aircraft to exceed the structural stress factor in the approach manoeuvre or during the pull-out owing to:
1) The aircraft falling into an uncontrollable flight position because of a defect in an artificial horizon or an electric instrument of equal importance. In air transport flight incidents throughout the world, where unintentional steep dives have occurred, such incidents can be explained by a defect in an artificial horizon,
2) An unnoticed over control of the electrical rudder or aileron trim adjustment occurring when the automatic pilot was operating with flight movements resulting therefrom after the automatic pilot was disconnected. The automatic pilot was not equipped with a trim servo-indicator to give warning of excessive trim adjustment,
3) Physical incapacity of one or both pilots.
b) Intentional descent owing to the presence of smoke, fire or similar emergency, during which the structural stress factor was exceeded in the approach manoeuvre or in the pull-out.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Natal: 23 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

2055

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rio de Janeiro – Natal – Belém

MSN:

4473

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Natal, the airplane went out of control and crashed 1,5 km short of runway. Both pilots and 21 passengers were killed. Five other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL near Pabna

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

AP-AAC

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors: