Crash of a Douglas C-47 on Mt Kennedy: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1978 at 1655 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-680
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Riohacha – Santa Marta – Barranquilla – Bogotá
Location:
Mt Kennedy
Magdalena
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The C-47 departed Riohacha Airport at 1615LT on a flight to Bogotá with intermediate stops in Santa Marta and Barranquilla. About five minutes before ETA, while cruising in low clouds, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Kennedy located about 22 km east of Santa Marta-Simon Bolivár Airport. The wreckage was found in an isolated area three days later and all eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Jaime Sánchez Tocarruncho, pilot,
Lt Ramon Villanueva Rodriguez, copilot,
Cpt Jose Orlando Moscoso Valencia, navigator,
Cpt Edra Rincón TAvera, navigator,
Ezequiel Prada Rueda, mechanic,
Omar Hernán Linares Rifaldo, mechanic.
Passengers:
1st Lt Guillermo Leon Valencia Obando,
Sgt Ramiro Waldo Giraldo Ramirez.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules near Pichincha: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
FAE748
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
4748
YOM:
1977
Location:
Pichincha
Guayas
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
En route, the four engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of Pichincha. All 11 occupants attached to the 11th Airborne squadron were killed.

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 100 on Terceira Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Casa 212 Aviocar
Operator:
Registration:
6518
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Lajes - Lajes
MSN:
50
YOM:
1976
Location:
Serra de Santa Bárbara (Terceira Island)
Azores Islands
Country:
Portugal
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While flying in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Serra de Santa Bárbara National Forest, on the west side of Terceira Island. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Cessna 402B near Tarija: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 402
Operator:
Registration:
FAB-012
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
402B-0211
YOM:
1972
Location:
Tarija
Tarija
Country:
Bolivia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of Tarija. All four occupants were killed.

Crash of a Shin Meiwa PS-1 near Takaoka: 13 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Shin Meiwa PS-1
Operator:
Registration:
5812
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
1012
Location:
Takaoka
Chūbu
Country:
Japan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
13
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area located northwest of Takaoka. All 13 crew members were killed.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Gazimurski Zavod: 10 killed

Date & Time: May 6, 1978 at 1403 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-41921
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Nerchinsk – Gazimurski Zavod
MSN:
12347308
YOM:
1952
Flight number:
SU327V
Location:
Gazimurski Zavod
Zabaykalsky Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Aircraft flight hours:
19656
Circumstances:
The flight from Nerchinsk to Gazimurski Zavod was completed at an altitude of 1,900 meters in marginal weather conditions. On approach to Gazimurski Zavod, the crew descended into clouds when he was facing a mountain. Engine power was added but the airplane struck tree tops in a flat attitude and crashed in a wooded area located on the slope of a mountain (1,256 meters high) located about 12 km southeast of Gazimurski Zavod. Five passengers were injured while 10 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the pilot's decision to continue the descent under VFR mode in clouds and a below minimums visibility. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight preparation,
- Lack of crew coordination,
- Wrong altimeter setting on part of the copilot,
- Lack of assistance from weather services.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Ufa

Date & Time: May 1, 1978
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01367
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
1G45-16
YOM:
1964
Location:
Ufa
Republic of Bashkortostan
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying in below-minima weather conditions, the aircraft struck a hill and crashed near Ufa. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Cessna 411A near Santa Fe: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1978 at 1946 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 411
Operator:
James E. Ferguson
Registration:
N417DR
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sierra Vista - Lamar
MSN:
411-0265
YOM:
1967
Location:
Santa Fe
New Mexico
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
2700
Circumstances:
While flying by night at an altitude of 11,700 feet, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of Santa Fe. The wreckage and all six dead bodies were found a week later, on April 2.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain caused by inadequate preflight preparation and improper in-flight decisions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154 near Damascus: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-154
Operator:
Registration:
LZ-BTB
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sofia - Damascus - Sharjah
MSN:
72A027
YOM:
1972
Location:
Damascus
Damascus Governorate (مُحافظة دمشق‎)
Country:
Syria
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
7800
Circumstances:
On approach to Damascus Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the three engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 22 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed. They were performing a cargo flight from Sofia to Sharjah with an intermediate stop in Damascus.

Crash of a Beechcraft A65-8200 Queen Air near Angmagssalik: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1978 at 2215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 65 Queen Air
Operator:
Vernair Transport
Registration:
N8431N
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Washington D.C. – Sondreströmfjord – Reykjavik – Liverpool
MSN:
LC-307
YOM:
1969
Location:
Angmagssalik (Tasiilaq)
Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq
Country:
Greenland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a ferry flight from Washington DC to Liverpool, UK, with intermediate stops in Sondreströmfjord and Reykjavik. On the leg between Greenland and Iceland, the crew encountered icing conditions and declared an emergency after the right engine failed. He was vectored to Kulusuk Airport which is a VFR Airfield located on the southeast coast of Greenland, near the city of Angmagssalik (Tasiilaq) and open to traffic by day only. An hour later, the crew started the descent but due to a limited visibility caused by night and clouds, he was unable to locate the runway and initiated a go-around. About 45 minutes later, while descending to an altitude of 1,700 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located near Angmagssalik. The airplane was destroyed upon impact and both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain while attempting an approach below weather minimums. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was descending to an altitude of 1,700 feet while the minimum safe altitude for that area was 3,500 feet.
Final Report:
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