Auckland - Papeete - Los Angeles

On July 22, 1973 at 10:06 PM, Auckland - Papeete - Los Angeles experienced a crash involving Boeing 707, operated by Pan American World Airways - PAA, with the event recorded near Papeete Tahiti.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

79 people were known to be on board, 78 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 98.7%.

Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 10, passengers on board: 69, passenger fatalities: 68, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The airplane was completing a internationaal service from Auckland to Los Angeles with an intermediate stop in Papeete, Tahiti. After a night takeoff from Papeete-Faaa Airport runway 04, while climbing to a height of 300 feet, the pilot-in-command initiated a turn to the left according to departure procedures. Then the aircraft entered a left banked, lost altitude and crashed into the sea about 3 km offshore. Few debris were found floating on water and one passenger was evacuated while all 78 other occupants were killed. The aircraft sank by a depth of about 700 meters and both CVR and FDR were not found.

Aircraft reference details include registration N417PA, MSN 18959/470, year of manufacture 1966.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -17.5366°, -149.5562°.