Hong Kong – Tokyo – Vancouver

On March 4, 1966 at 08:15 PM, Hong Kong – Tokyo – Vancouver experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-8, operated by Canadian Pacific Airlines - CP Air, with the event recorded near Tokyo-Haneda Kanto.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

72 people were known to be on board, 64 fatalities were recorded, 8 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 88.9%.

Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 10, passengers on board: 62, passenger fatalities: 54, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Flight 402 was a scheduled international flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo and Vancouver. It took off from Hong Kong at 1614 hours Japan Standard Time and was routed via Taipei, Kagoshima and Ohshima. At 1908 hours it flew over "Spencer Victor" at 25 000 ft and started to descend gradually; at 1912 hours it crossed "Rice Victor" at 18 000 it and two minutes later entered the Kisarazu holding pattern at 14 000 ft where it waited for an improvement of the weather conditions at Tokyo International Airport (TIA). At 1942 hours the flight notified Tokyo air traffic control that if the weather conditions failed to improve within 15 minutes, it would divert to Taipei (alternate airport). Ten minutes later, at 1952 hours the flight was advised by Tokyo ATC that the RVR was 2 400 ft and the pilot then asked for a clearance for approach and landing. The approach clearance was given and the aircraft proceeded to descend to 3 000 ft, in the holding pattern. However, the weather conditions at TIA worsened and the aircraft did not proceed with the approach. The pilot requested a clearance to divert to Taipei at 1958 hours and commenced climbing. At 2005 hours, while heading for Tateyama en route to Taipei the flight was advised by Tokyo air traffic control that visibility at TIA had improved to 4 mile with RVR 3 000 ft. Consequently, the pilot requested a clearance to return to Kisarazu and began descending from 11 500 ft. At 2011 hours the aircraft arrived over Kisarazu at 3 000 ft and began another approach under instructions of the GCA. At this time the flight was quite normal. When the aircraft was 8 NM from touchdown at an altitude of 1 500 ft, it was advised that there was a light tailwind 150015 kt and was cleared to land on runway 33R. The rate of descent for final approach was begun about 5.3 NM from touchdown at approximately 2012:58 hours. The aircraft was on course and on the glide path with a ground speed of approximately 174 kt, gradually decreasing to approximately 140 kt at 2 NM and 114 kt after passing 1 NM. When the aircraft reached one mile from touchdown, the GCA final controller noted that the aircraft was slightly below the GCA glide path and advised "20 ft low, level off momentarily". Nevertheless, the aircraft continued its approach 20 ft below and in parallel with the GCA glide path. After the aircraft passed the P.M. (precision minimum), the aircraft requested the intensity of the lights to be reduced. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft made a sharp descent and its main landing gear wheel struck No. 14 approach light 2 800 ft from touch- down point approximately in an attitude of level flight. Following this first contact, the aircraft struck the approach lights one by one until No. 3 damaging or destroying them, and at approximately 2015 hours crashed against the sea wall with the bottom of the fore-fuselage. Then, the aircraft was thrown over near the end of runway 33R, destroyed and caught fire. All 10 crew members and 54 passengers were killed while eight others were injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration CF-CPK, MSN 45761, year of manufacture 1965.