Frankfurt - Berlin

Pan Am's scheduled cargo flight 708 from Frankfurt to Berlin usually lands at Tempelhof Airport. However because of resurfacing of the runways at Tempelhof, Pan Am operated in and out of Tegel Airport since the evening of November 13th. Flight 708 departed Frankfurt at 02:04 and climbed to the cruising altitude of FL90. At 02:35 the flight reported leaving this altitude for FL30. Three minutes later Berlin Control cleared the flight to "turn left heading zero three zero, descend and maintain two thousand". When 6,5 miles from the Outer Marker, the controller cleared the flight to "turn right heading zero six zero cleared ILS runway eight right approach". Immediately after the acknowledgment from the flight crew, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed about 10 miles from the airport in the Soviet occupation zone. Weather was poor with 2,6 km visibility in snow; cloud coverage 3/8 at 500 feet and overcast a 600 feet with a temperature of -1deg C. The Soviet authorities returned about 50 percent of the wreckage. Some major components were not returned which included the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, flight control systems, navigation and communication equipment.

Flight / Schedule

Frankfurt - Berlin

Aircraft

Boeing 727-100

Registration

N317PA

MSN

18995

Year of Manufacture

1966

Date

November 15, 1966 at 02:42 AM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Cargo

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Plain, Valley

Crash Location

Berlin-Tegel Berlin

Region

Europe • Germany

Coordinates

52.5882°, 13.2897°

Crash Cause

Human factor

Narrative Report

On November 15, 1966 at 02:42 AM, Frankfurt - Berlin experienced a crash involving Boeing 727-100, operated by Pan American World Airways - PAA, with the event recorded near Berlin-Tegel Berlin.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Pan Am's scheduled cargo flight 708 from Frankfurt to Berlin usually lands at Tempelhof Airport. However because of resurfacing of the runways at Tempelhof, Pan Am operated in and out of Tegel Airport since the evening of November 13th. Flight 708 departed Frankfurt at 02:04 and climbed to the cruising altitude of FL90. At 02:35 the flight reported leaving this altitude for FL30. Three minutes later Berlin Control cleared the flight to "turn left heading zero three zero, descend and maintain two thousand". When 6,5 miles from the Outer Marker, the controller cleared the flight to "turn right heading zero six zero cleared ILS runway eight right approach". Immediately after the acknowledgment from the flight crew, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed about 10 miles from the airport in the Soviet occupation zone. Weather was poor with 2,6 km visibility in snow; cloud coverage 3/8 at 500 feet and overcast a 600 feet with a temperature of -1deg C. The Soviet authorities returned about 50 percent of the wreckage. Some major components were not returned which included the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, flight control systems, navigation and communication equipment.

Aircraft reference details include registration N317PA, MSN 18995, year of manufacture 1966.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 52.5882°, 13.2897°.

Fatalities

Total

3

Crew

3

Passengers

0

Other

0

Crash Summary

Pan Am's scheduled cargo flight 708 from Frankfurt to Berlin usually lands at Tempelhof Airport. However because of resurfacing of the runways at Tempelhof, Pan Am operated in and out of Tegel Airport since the evening of November 13th. Flight 708 departed Frankfurt at 02:04 and climbed to the cruising altitude of FL90. At 02:35 the flight reported leaving this altitude for FL30. Three minutes later Berlin Control cleared the flight to "turn left heading zero three zero, descend and maintain two thousand". When 6,5 miles from the Outer Marker, the controller cleared the flight to "turn right heading zero six zero cleared ILS runway eight right approach". Immediately after the acknowledgment from the flight crew, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed about 10 miles from the airport in the Soviet occupation zone. Weather was poor with 2,6 km visibility in snow; cloud coverage 3/8 at 500 feet and overcast a 600 feet with a temperature of -1deg C. The Soviet authorities returned about 50 percent of the wreckage. Some major components were not returned which included the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, flight control systems, navigation and communication equipment.

Cause: Human factor

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

3

Passengers On Board

0

Estimated Survivors

0

Fatality Rate

100.0%

Known people on board: 3

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Frankfurt - Berlin

Flight Type

Cargo

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Plain, Valley

Region / Country

Europe • Germany

Aircraft Details

Aircraft

Boeing 727-100

Registration

N317PA

MSN

18995

Year of Manufacture

1966