Landing (descent or approach)

The Super Constellation operated on flight LH502 from Hamburg, Germany to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The crew were cleared to descend from 4,200 m to 3,000 m when 20 min out from Rio de Janeiro. They were to maintain 3,000 m to the KX NDB in preparation for an approach and landing at runway 14. Over KX they were cleared to descend to 900 m. Galeão Approach was contacted and normal position reports were made. The plane descended over Guanabara Bay under rainy conditions and struck the water with the nose wheel. The crew then presumably tried to continue the approach, but the Constellation crashed near Flecheiras Beach, short of the Galeão runway. The airplane was destroyed by fire and seven crew members and all 29 passengers were killed. Only three crew members survived. Crew duty and flight time exceeded the Brazilian limits but did not exceed the German limitations.

During a night approach to Bristol-Tr-Cities Airport, the airplane was too low and struck the slope of Mt Holston located 15 miles from runway 27 threshold. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all ten occupants were killed. The evidence indicates Flight 308 departed Nashville, Tennessee, with an inoperative radio compass. Although the flight was cleared by way of low frequency airway Green 5, it does not appear that the facilities defining this airway were used. Upon arriving in the Tri-Cities area the aircraft was east of its intended track and erroneously identified the reporting point from which an ILS approach procedure was to be initiated. During the instrument approach, which was conducted in snow showers, the flight missed the outer marker. The approach was continued under instrument conditions without utilizing the VOR facility which would have been of assistance in confirming the flight's position. Without having clearly established his position, the pilot flew 15 miles beyond the outer marker and descended to an altitude too low to clear high terrain in this area.

Due to foggy conditions, the Santos Dumont Airport was closed to trafic and the crew diverted to Galeão Airport where the passengers disembarked. When the weather conditions improved, the crew was able to complete a short ferry flight back from Galeão to Santos Dumont. After touchdown on runway 02, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and plunged into the Guanabara Bay. All five crew members were injured and the aircraft was lost.

After touchdown at Brindisi Airport, the four engine airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All three crew members were injured and the aircraft was written off.

After touchdown, the airplane encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest against a radio mast. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

On the leg from Mys Kosistyy to Khatanga of a flight from Pevek to Moscow during the polar night, the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight path to the left by 38 km. The crew descended prematurely and the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a hill (340 metres high) located about 65 km from the Khatanga Airport. It came to rest upside down after some 400 metres and caught fire. The rescue teams arrived on the scene a day later, on December 31. A passenger was seriously injured while all 16 other occupants were killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Munich, the crew started an ILS approach to Vienna-Schwechat runway 30. On final, the captain made a visual circuit when ground contact was apparently lost, causing the airplane to lose height. On short final, the Constellation crash landed in a field 2,2 km short of runway 30 threshold and came to rest. All 34 occupants were rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

On approach to Tashkent-Yuzhny Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The visibility was reduced due to the combination of snow falls and night. On final, the captain decided to make a go around and attempted a second approach instead of diverting to a suitable airport. During the second approach, as he was unable to locate the runway, the crew again decided to make a go around when, at a height of 100-150 meters, the airplane stalled, banked right and crashed in a snowy field. All 21 occupants were killed.

Upon landing at Cochrane Airport, the right tire burst. Both main landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded on its belly and came to rest. All three occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was not repaired.

The crew (six pilots and one instructor) was completing a local night training mission at Ulyanovsk-Baratayevka Airport. While approaching the airfield in icing conditions, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames 400 meters from the airfield. Four occupants were killed while three others were injured. The airplane was partially destroyed by fire.