Surabaya - Colombo - Jeddah
Flight / Schedule
Surabaya - Colombo - Jeddah
Aircraft
Douglas DC-8Registration
PH-MBH
MSN
45818/242
Year of Manufacture
1966
Operator
Martinair HollandDate
December 4, 1974 at 10:11 PM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Mountains
Crash Location
Maskeliya Central Province (<U+0BAE><U+0BA4><U+0BCD><U+0BA4><U+0BBF><U+0BAF> <U+0BAE><U+0BBE><U+0B95><U+0BBE><U+0BA3><U+0BAE><U+0BCD>)
Region
Asia • Sri Lanka
Crash Cause
Human factor
Narrative Report
On December 4, 1974 at 10:11 PM, Surabaya - Colombo - Jeddah experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-8, operated by Martinair Holland, with the event recorded near Maskeliya Central Province (<U+0BAE><U+0BA4><U+0BCD><U+0BA4><U+0BBF><U+0BAF> <U+0BAE><U+0BBE><U+0B95><U+0BBE><U+0BA3><U+0BAE><U+0BCD>).
The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.
191 people were known to be on board, 191 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 9, crew fatalities: 9, passengers on board: 182, passenger fatalities: 182, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is human factor. The airplane was completing a charter flight (hadj flight) from Surabaya to Jeddah with an intermediate stop in Colombo, carrying 182 Indonesian pilgrims on behalf of Garuda Indonesian Airways, and a crew of nine (seven Dutch citizens and two Indonesian). The descent to Colombo-Bandaranaike Airport was initiated by night and marginal weather conditions. The crew was cleared to descent to 5,000 feet and must report once the altitude of 8,000 feet was reached on descent. Then the crew was cleared to descent to 2,000 feet in view of a landing on runway 04. In poor visibility, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Anjimalai located about 85 km southeast of Bandaranaike Airport, near the city of Maskeliya. The wreckage was found few hours later in a quite unreachable area. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 191 occupants have been killed.
Aircraft reference details include registration PH-MBH, MSN 45818/242, year of manufacture 1966.
Fatalities
Total
191
Crew
9
Passengers
182
Other
0
Crash Summary
The airplane was completing a charter flight (hadj flight) from Surabaya to Jeddah with an intermediate stop in Colombo, carrying 182 Indonesian pilgrims on behalf of Garuda Indonesian Airways, and a crew of nine (seven Dutch citizens and two Indonesian). The descent to Colombo-Bandaranaike Airport was initiated by night and marginal weather conditions. The crew was cleared to descent to 5,000 feet and must report once the altitude of 8,000 feet was reached on descent. Then the crew was cleared to descent to 2,000 feet in view of a landing on runway 04. In poor visibility, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Anjimalai located about 85 km southeast of Bandaranaike Airport, near the city of Maskeliya. The wreckage was found few hours later in a quite unreachable area. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 191 occupants have been killed.
Cause: Human factor
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
9
Passengers On Board
182
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 191
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Surabaya - Colombo - Jeddah
Operator
Martinair HollandFlight Type
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Mountains
Region / Country
Asia • Sri Lanka
Aircraft Details
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