Boeing 720

NASA - National Aeronautics %26 Space Administration

The aircraft was used by the NASA to test fuel fire retardant and crashed upon landing without any passengers or crew on board. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Pakistan International Airlines - PIA

On approach to Quetta, the crew was unable to lower the nose gear that remained stuck in its wheel well. The captain initiated a go-around and decided to return to Karachi Intl Airport. Despite several manual attempts to lower the gear, the crew eventually decided to land in a nose gear-up configuration. Upon touchdown, the airplane slid on its nose for few hundred yards before coming to rest. All 79 occupants escaped without injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Avianca

After landing at Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost its nose gear and came to a halt about 70 meters past the runway end. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Avianca

During the last segment on final approach to Mexico City-Benito Juarez Airport, while passing over the runway threshold, the four engine airplane entered an area of heavy rain falls. The pilot-in-command apparently lost visual contact with the runway and decided to initiate a go-around manoeuvre when the airplane stalled, nosed down and struck the runway surface nose gear first. Upon impact, the nose gear was torn off and the airplane slid for several metres before coming to rest. All 127 occupants were evacuated safely.

Middle East Airlines - MEA

After all passengers disembarked at Beirut International Airport following a schedule service from Amman, the airplane was apparently struck by a mortar shell and exploded. A crew member was killed while two others were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

US Global of Florida

The airplane was completing a cargo flight from Bogotá to Miami with an intermediate stop in Barranquilla, carrying four crew members and a load of 19 tons of flowers. On approach to Barranquilla-Soledad Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility and the captain requested ATC to increase the intensity of the runway lights. Shortly later, while too low, the airplane struck obstacles and crashed in flames short of runway 04. All four occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was destroyed. For unknown reason, the crew was approaching below the glide.

Middle East Airlines - MEA

The aircraft was on its way from Beirut to Dubai, cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet by night when it disappeared from radar screens at 0530LT. The crew was unable to send any distress call. The wreckage was later found about 37 km northwest of Al Qaysumah, in the Saudi desert. Debris scattered on a wide area and none of the 82 occupants survived the crash.

Conair of Scandinavia

Upon touchdown, the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft slid for several dozen meters before coming to rest. There were no injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Western Airlines

The crew was completing a training flight from Los Angeles to Ontario. The pilot under supervision was supposed to complete an ILS approach with one engine inoperative, to make a missed approach and a go-around procedure. On final to runway 25R, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a field. The airplane was totally destroyed and all five crew members were killed.

Middle East Airlines - MEA

Following an uneventful flight from Lagos via Kano, the crew started the approach to Beirut in poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls, turbulences and wind gusting to 45 knots. On short final, the airplane was unstable and landed nose gear first. On impact, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest in flames. All 49 occupants were rescued, 10 of them were injured. The aircraft was partially consumed by fire.

Pakistan International Airlines - PIA

Flight 705 was a scheduled international public transport flight from Karachi to Dhahran, Cairo, Geneva and London. No defects were reported by the crew at Dhahran. The flight departed Dhahran at 2122 hours W. It reported abeam Aqaba, 196 MM from the Cairo omni at 2313 hours, leaving FL 360 at 2322 hours, RD fix at 2330 hours and approaching Ft 130 and one minute away from the field at 2338 hours. The flight was then cleared dm to FL 65 and was given a QNH of 1 014 mb. It reported coming overhead at 2339 hours, passing FL 100 and was instructed to maintain FL 65. It then made a holding turn in the Cairo range pattern, descending to FL 65. On reporting overhead Cairo range station, after completing one holding at 2340 hours the flight was cleared to join left-hand circuit for runway 34 and to report downwind. The crew then informed the tower that they would carry out an instrument let-down and would call when commencing the procedure turn. The flight was then cleared to descend to FL 45 and was told to report procedure turn inbound descending to 2 500 ft. At 2345 hours the crew informed the tower that they were in a position for reporting downwind for runway 34 and, on being asked by the control tower about their intention, they requested a clearance to proceed downwind. During this period the aircraft continued on a southerly heading towards a downwind position for a left-hand circuit for runway 34. Cairo approach control then cleared the flight to descend to circuit height for final approach to runway 34 and to change over to tower frequency 118,1 Mc/s for landing, At 2345 hours the crew reported that they would be turning on final and changing to tower frequency. The flight was then cleared to continue approach and to report on short final. It was given weather information for landing and was asked whether it was turning on to final. At 2348:30 hours the crew acknowledged: "affirmative" and finally, at 2348~55 hours, a scratching noise was heard on the control tower receiver and nothing further was heard from the aircraft. Six passengers survived while 121 other occupants were killed. The aircraft was totally destroyed.

Lufthansa

The crew departed Frankfurt-Main Airport at 0933LT on a training mission, initially scheduled at an altitude of 13,000 feet. After he completed several maneuvers, the crew was cleared to descend to 3,600 feet when control was lost. The airplane apparently rolled inverted and crashed in a huge explosion in a field located in Ansbach. All three crew members were killed.

Northwest Airlines

The aircraft arrived in Miami at 1240, following a routine flight from Chicago, Illinois The captain of the inbound flight reported that the only mechanical discrepancy was, "the outflow valves being a little sticky merely made it a little difficult to maintain the pressurization in a smooth manner. "These valves were cleaned, and a leaking rivet at the No. 4 reserve fuel tank was plugged when it was noticed by the mechanic. This was the only maintenance performed during the "turnaround". Flight 705 is regularly scheduled from Miami. to Portland, Oregon, with intermediate stops at Chicago, Illinois and Spokane and Seattle, Washington. The computed takeoff gross weight of 175,784 pounds, and center of gravity (e.g.) of 25 percent mean aerodynamic chord (MAC) were both well within the allowable limits. Prior to departing the ramp at 1325, the crew asked the ground controller about the departure routes being utilized, and he replied that most flights were departing ". . either through a southwest climb or a southeast climb and then back over the top of it. . . "The flight departed Miami with an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance at 1335 In accordance with the pilot's request for a". . . southeast vector "a left turn was rude after takeoff from runway 27L and circuitous routing was utilized in conjunction with radar vectors from Miami Departure Control, to avoid *** of anticipated turbulence associated with thunderstorm activity (See Attachment A). A similar departure pattern had been previously flown by another flight Subsequently, while maintaining 5,000 feet and a heading of 300 degrees, Flight 705 requested clearance to climb to a higher altitude. Following a discussion between the flight and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) radar departure controller about the storm activity, and while clearance to climb was being coordinated with the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), the flight advised "Ah-h we're in the clear now. We can see it out ahead . . . looks pretty bad." At 1343, Flight 705 was cleared to climb to flight level 2/ 250 (FL250). They responded, "OK ahhh, we'll make a left turn about thirty degrees here and climb. . "The controller asked of 270 degree was their selected climbout heading, and they replied that this would take them". . . out in the open again". . Accordingly, clearance was granted. Following some discussion about the severity of the turbulence, which was described as moderate to heavy, the flight advised, "OK, you better run the rest of them off the other way then." At 1345 radar service was terminated and control of Flight 705 was transferred to Miami ARTCC. When the flight did not establish radio communication with ARTCC on the initial frequency, Departure Control provided a secondary frequency, and instructed the flight to turn to a heading of 360 degrees which was acknowledged. When Miami ARTCC requested position and altitude, the flight replied, "We're just out of seventeen five (17,500 feet) and standby on the DME one." This transmission ended at 1348, and was the last known communication with Flight 705 The voice transmissions emanating from the flight were made by the first officer. Witnesses in the area reported that a loud explosion had occurred in the air, and several felt a subsequent ground tremor. They also reported that heavy rain had been failing in the area. One witness, in company with five other persons, was seven miles south of the main wreckage site She heard the sound of an explosion which had no echo. When she looked in that direction she saw an orange ball of flame in the edge of a cloud. As she directed the attention of her companions toward this flame, it dropped straight down, becoming a streak, and disappeared behind trees. Shortly after the disappearance a second sound was heard. Statements were received from the crews of four other flights operating in the Miami area at the approximate time of the accident. The first, in a large jet which approached Miami from the west at 7,000 feet, reported the weather as ". . . in and out of broken clouds and light rain showers with light turbulence. Darker heavy shower activity was observed to the (south) of course. We observed no small cells on our radar scope. . only a broad rain area. . . "Another crew, in a four-engine aircraft, departed Miami at 1318, via a departure pattern similar to that which Flight 705 later followed. They described the worst turbulence as". medium to moderate . . . "from west of the airport to north of the Miami VORTAC .3/ They were maintaining 5,000 feet at the time. A third crew in a 720B was folding southeast of Miami at 13,000 feet. They observed numerous rain cells on radar in the Miami area and encountered light ice at this altitude. The fourth crew, also flying a large jet, taxied out shortly after Flight 705 but delayed takeoff for nearly an hour because of the weather. The weather in the Miami area at the time of the accident was characterized by a pre-frontal squall line approximately 250 miles in length, oriented on a northeast-southwest line immediately northwest of Miami (See Attachment A). The U. S. Weather Bureau (USWB) radar observation at Miami at 1344 indicated a broken area of thunderstorms associated with this line, with cells two to twenty miles in diameter, and tops of detectable moisture at 30,000 feet. The line was moving southeast at eight knots, and moderate rain showers were occurring at the station. The 0600 and 1800 Miami radiosonde ascents showed the freezing level to have been at 11,100 and 12,400 feet m.s.1., respectively. SIGMET 4/ No. 3 prepared by the USWB at Miami, valid from 0900-1300, forecast moderate to severe turbulence 5/ in thunderstorms, with a chance of extreme turbulence in heavier thunderstorms. This advisory was called to the attention of the crew of Flight 705 by the operations agent at Miami, and was attached to their dispatch papers. SIGMET No. 4, valid from 1300-1700, was not received until approximately 1315, after the crew of Flight 705 had left the operations office. It forecast moderate to severe turbulence, but deleted the reference to extreme turbulence indicated in SIGMET No 3. Since the dispatcher for this flight is stationed in Minneapolis, the physical Limitations involved made it difficult to apprise the crew of this latest advisory prior to their taxi time of 1325. The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact forces and all 43 occupants have been killed.

Lufthansa

The four engine airplane left runway 25L at Frankfurt-Main Airport at 1222LT on a training flight to Cologne-Bonn Airport with a crew of three on board. Three minutes after liftoff, while passing over Nierstein beacon at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the crew was instructed to turn right heading to Ruedesheim beacon with a minimum altitude of 9,000 feet. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in a huge explosion in a field located in Ebersheim, about 23 km west of the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed upon impact and all three crew members were killed.