Lockheed L-749 Constellation

Aerochago Airlines

Was damaged beyond repair following a hard landing at Santo Domingo-Las Américas Airport. There were no casualties. The accident occurred in 1988, exact date unknown.

Aerolineas Argo

The four engine airplane was completing a cargo flight from Christiansted to Charlotte Amalie, carrying two passengers and three crew members. While on a night visual approach to runway 09 at Charlotte Amalie-Harry S. Truman Airport, the made a 360° turn to avoid traffic when the airplane lost altitude and crashed into the sea about two miles short of runway threshold. Both passengers were injured while all three crew members were killed.

Beaver Air Spray

While completing a crop spraying mission, the crew encountered technical problems and decided to divert to Rivière-du-Loup Airport for an emergency landing. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest few dozen meters further. All four crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Biafran Government

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Faro to Uli with an intermediate stop in São Tomé with ammunition on board. While overflying Morocco by night, the crew encountered engine problems and informed ATC they want to divert to the nearest airport. The aircraft lost altitude then struck the slope of Mt Tibhirine located near the Mt Toubkal, south of Oukaïmeden, in the Atlas range. All SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. In July 1970, the debris were located on the top of the mountain, at an altitude of 3,900 meters. All eight occupants were killed and the aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces.

Trans Southern Corporation - TSC

At liftoff, control was lost. The airplane contacted ground, causing the nose gear to collapse. The airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest on its nose. All four crew members were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was later reported that the flight was illegal, that the takeoff was initiated from an inappropriate terrain and that the aircraft was carrying 15 tons of smuggled cigarettes.

Federal Aviation Administration - FAA

The crew was performing a calibration flight at tachikawa AFB, Tokyo. On touchdown, the undercarriage collapsed and the airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest on the runway. While all five crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Pacific Northern Airlines - PNA

Crashed on landing at Kenai Airport for unknown reason. All four crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

LANSA Peru - Lineas Aéreas Nacionales del Peru

Flight 501 was a scheduled domestic flight from Lima to Cuzco. It was instructed to take-off from runway 15 and to climb in accordance with No. 2 standard climb procedure, described as follows in the airline's route guide: climb on a heading of 190° until 9 NM southwest of the airport, then on a heading of 120°. The flight took off from Lima-Callao-Jorge Chavez International Airport at 0740LT, 10 minutes after the take-off time indicated on the flight plan. At 0757 hours it contacted Lima radio on the route frequency, 126.9 MCIS, and reported: "Departed Lima- Callao at 1240Z, climbing, estimating Ayacucho at 1337Z. It This was the last message from the aircraft, although Lima and Cuzco repeatedly called the aircraft around 0840 hours. One witness from "Tres Cruces" and two witnesses from the village of San Pedro de Pilas testified that their attention was attracted between 0800 and 0805 hours by an aircraft flying unusually low over San Pedro de Pilas or Tamard; one of the witnesses stated that he had been able to read the "LANSA" inscription on the aircraft. They had heard on several occasions aircraft flying over the area, but these were always seen at much higher altitudes. They all concurred that the aircraft was following the gap between San Pedro de Pilas and Tamard and was flying toward the mountain range below the level of the peaks. The two witnesses from San Pedro de Pilas pointed out positions on the Huamantanga peak where they observed the aircraft evading the mountain by a slight turn to .the left and entering the gap towards the east. They did not see any smoke or signs of fire and one indicated that he was positive that all four engines were operating at the time. The wreckage of the aircraft was located on 28 April on the southeast slopes of Mount Talaula at an elevation of 12 600 ft, 61 NM from Lima-Callao Airport and 29 NM north of the normal route. All 49 occupants have been killed.

Interocean Airways

After touchdown at Addis-Ababa-Bole, following an uneventful cargo flight from Dublin, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. The captain was killed in the accident while six other crew members were injured. It is believed that control was lost while the pilot was attempting a go around manoeuvre for unknown reason. While increasing power on all four engines, they stopped simultaneously, causing the aircraft to crash.

Escadrille Aérienne de Recherche et de Sauvetage - EARS

The crew departed Toulouse-Francazal Airbase for a routine flight on behalf of the Escadrille Aérienne de Recherche et de Sauvetage (EARS 99). En route, the four engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Lapalme located near Périllos, some 26 km north of Perpignan. All 12 occupants were killed.

Federal Aviation Administration - FAA

A Lockheed Constellation, Model L-749A, N 116A, owned by the United States Government and operated by the Federal Aviation Agency, crashed following a local training flight at Topham Field, Canton Island, April 26, 1962, at 1213 local time. All four FAA crew members were fatally injured. One of the two passengers, not an FAA employee, was also fatally injured. The other, an FAA physician, was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The purpose of the flight was to train the copilot in various maneuvers and flight configurations prior to being tested for an Airline Transport Pilot Rating, and to train a flight maintenance technician as a flight engineer.

Air Haïti International

En route from San Juan to Managua on a cargo flight, the airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed in unknown circumstances into the Caribbean Sea. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.

International Aircraft Services

The four engine aircraft was towed by ground personal when it collided with a parked Douglas DC-7C registered N312A and operated by Overseas National Airways. The circumstances of the occurrence remains unclear. There were no injuries but both airplanes were damaged beyond repair.

Pacific Northern Airlines - PNA

Pacific Northern Flight 201 failed to maintain its intended track after taking off from Cordova, Alaska, bound for Anchorage, Alaska. Mt. Gilbert is approximately 28 nautical miles to the right of the flight's first intended checkpoint and is 9,646 feet in elevation. At an altitude of 9,000 feet, crashed into the sheer face of Mt. Gilbert, killing all nine passengers and five crew members.

Eastern Airlines

On landing, one of the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest on the runway. There were no injuries among the 45 occupants but the aircraft was later declared as damaged beyond economical repair.

Air France

Following an uneventful flight from Munich, the crew started an ILS approach to Vienna-Schwechat runway 30. On final, the captain made a visual circuit when ground contact was apparently lost, causing the airplane to lose height. On short final, the Constellation crash landed in a field 2,2 km short of runway 30 threshold and came to rest. All 34 occupants were rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Aeronaves de Mexico

The aircraft took off from Guadalajara Airport on a scheduled flight to Mexico City, carrying 38 passengers and a crew of 7. It did not follow the established climb-out procedure and crashed at approximately 2206 hours local time against La Latilla mountain, approximately 13 km from the radio beacon west of Guadalajara Airport, killing all persons aboard.

Ethiopian Airlines

The aircraft left Khartoum International Aerodrome at 0555 hours GMT on 10 July carrying a crew of 6 and 14 passengers and was cleared to cruise at 17 500 feet. At 0610 hours, at about 10 500 feet altitude, the number two engine fire warning light for zones 2 and 3 came on and the warning bell rang. The engine was feathered. The CO2 bottle was released and concurrently an explosion followed by a violent fire, made it necessary (at approximately 0620) to land the aircraft with gear up on a large flat cultivated area. There were no injuries to passengers or crew, but the aircraft was almost totally destroyed by fire which continued burning on the ground.

Linea Aeropostal Venezolana - LAV

YV-C-AMA, on scheduled flight 253, took off from Idlewild Airport, NY, for Maiquetía, Venezuela, on 26 November with 7 crew and 18 passengers aboard. The flight plan gave an altitude of 17 000 ft, and the duration of the flight was estimated at 9 hours 48 minutes, with Barcelona and Curaçao as alternate airports. The pilot transmitted two position reports, the first, 75 miles northwest of Maiquetía, at 17 500 ft at 0751 hours, and the second, 14 minutes later, 35 miles northwest of Maiquetía at 7 000 ft. No further communication was received from YV-C-AMA after it had been cleared to change to tower frequency. Following the failure to report to the control tower, the aircraft was repeatedly called on all Maiquetía Control Centre frequencies at 0815 hours, with negative results. A state of emergency was declared at 0835 hours, and it was later established that the aircraft struck the western slope of peak El Avila located in the El Avila National Park at an altitude of 6 702 ft, killing all 25 occupants.

Eastern Airlines

Flight 642 originated at Miami, Florida, with its destination Boston, Massachusetts; Jacksonville, Florida, was included as an intermediate stop. The captain was briefed by the company forecaster on the en route weather and terminal forecasts, and following the briefing the flight was dispatched to Jacksonville on an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan. This plan specified a flight to be made via Victor Airway 3 at a Cruising altitude of 11,000 feet. The crew consisted of Captain Thomas Francis McBrien, Pilot John Jay Rinyu, Flight Engineer Charles Calvin Devine and Flight Attendants Emma Elizabeth Williams and Clara Dorothea Rioseco. There were 12 passengers on board. Flight 642 was scheduled to depart Miami International Airport at 2340, December 20, but because of the late arrival of an inbound flight using the aircraft involved departure was not made until 0212, December 21. According to company records the gross weight of the aircraft at the time of departure was 85,944 pounds, which was under the allowable takeoff gross weight of 107,000 pounds; the load was properly distributed. Routine en route radio reports were made and at 0315 the flight reported over Daytona Beach at 11,000 feet, estimating Jacksonville at 0336. This report was made to the company's Jacksonville station and at this time the flight was given the Jacksonville 0248 U. S. Weather Bureau special report: "Thin obscuration, 2 miles visibility; ground fog; wind north-northwest 6 miles per hour; 30 percent of sky obscured." After this message was acknowledged, the flight was given the following clearance: "Jacksonville air route traffic control clears Eastern Air Lines Flight 62 to Jacksonville middle marker ILS, cross middle marker IlS at 2.500 feet, maintain 2,500 feet until further advised. Contact Jacksonville approach control when over Sunbeam Intersection." The clearance was acknowledged. Flight 642 contacted Jacksonville approach control when over Sunbeam Intersection (16 miles SSE of Imeson Airport) at 0331 and was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 5. At the same time the Jacksonville weather was given as: "Partial obscurement; visibility one-half rule; altimeter 30.18." Immediately following this transmittal another message was given the flight, "Coming out with indefinite 300 obscurement now one-half with fog." (Eastern Air Lines' Constellation minimums for ILS approaches at Jacksonville, day or might are ceiling 200 feet, visibility one-half mile). After acknowledging this weather information, Flight 642 reported leaving. Sunbeam at 2,500 feet. Following a later query from the flight, approach control advised that there was no other known traffic in the area, and requested the flight to report when over the outer marker inbound. Flight 642 reported over the outer marker inbound and was cleared to land. Shortly thereafter the tower controller observed a large flash in the vicinity of the ILS middle marker. Calls to Flight 642 were not acknowledged and an emergency was declared by the controller. It was subsequently learned that N112A had crashed approximately six-tenths of a mile southwest of the threshold of runway 5. Investigation disclosed the main portion of the wreckage to be 212 feet northwest of the ILS middle marker and 3,486 feet southwest of the threshold of runway 5. The time of the accident was established as 0343LT. First impact of the aircraft was with the top of a small pine tree approximately 200 feet below the ILS glide path, 260 feet to the left of the extended centerline of the runway, 4,000 feet from the threshold of runway 5, and 420 feet southwest of the middle marker. This was followed by striking a 50-foot oak tree, the upper 20 feet of which was sheared off. The aircraft settled toward the ground, striking other large trees which disintegrated both wings and a portion of the empennage. Ground contact was on a heading approximately 55 degrees magnetic. The distance from the first tree struck to the farthest piece of wreckage was 801 feet. Explosion and fire occurred immediately upon impact.

Air Algérie

During the takeoff roll at Algiers-Maison Blanche Airport, the aircraft caught fire for unknown reason. The captain immediately abandoned the takeoff procedure and completed an emergency braking maneuver. The aircraft came to rest in flames on the runway, and while all occupants were evacuated safely, the aircraft was destroyed.

Air India

The aircraft took off from Hong Kong-Kai Tak Airport bound for Jakarta at 0425 hours Greenwich Mean Time carrying 8 crew members and 11 passengers. The flight was uneventful until approximately five hours after take-off when a muffled explosion was heard in the aircraft while cruising at an altitude of 18,000 feet over the sea. Smoke started entering the cabin through the cold air ducts almost immediately and a localized fire was detected soon after on the starboard wing behind the number three engine nacelle. A rapid descent was commenced for ditching the aircraft and distress signals broadcast. In spite of fire fighting action, during which No. 3 engine was feathered, the fire spread very rapidly and caused hydraulic failure followed by electrical failure. During the final stages of the descent, executed under extremely difficult circumstances, dense smoke entered the cockpit reducing the visibility to almost nil. The aircraft impacted the water with the starboard wing tip, and the nose submerged almost instantaneously. Only three crew members survived the accident. The aircraft was destroyed. All passengers were Chinese and European journalists flying to Jakarta to take part to the Asia-Afro Bandung Conference.

Air France

The crew started the approach to Gander Airport by night and in good weather conditions. Following a stabilized approach, the four engine aircraft landed normally on runway 32. After touchdown, the reverse thrust system were activated when the aircraft veered to the left. Despite several corrections on part of the flying crew such as braking action, movement on the nose wheel steering and power added on both left engines number one and two, the aircraft continued down the runway, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest into a ravine. While all 67 occupants were evacuated safely, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Avianca

The crew was performing a transatlantic flight from Hamburg to Bogotá with intermediates stops at Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Ponta Delgada and Hamilton. While approaching Ponta Delgada by night, the crew was informed about fog at destination and as the visibility was below minima, the captain decided to divert to Lajes. After a uneventful refueling stop, the crew took off from Lajes Airport, bound for Hamilton, Bermuda, at 0237LT. Three minutes after its departure from runway 34, while climbing, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and burst into flames about 9 km southwest of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 30 occupants were killed.

British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC

Following an uneventful flight from Jakarta, the crew started the descent to Singapore-Kallang in good weather conditions. On final approach to runway 06, the four engine aircraft christened 'Belfast' was too low and hit a sea wall, bounced and landed 80 yards past the runway threshold. On touchdown, the right main gear collapsed, the airplane veered off runway to the right, lost its right wing and came to rest in flames upside down. Seven crew members were injured while 33 other occupants, including all 31 passengers, were killed.

Air France

The airplane left Paris-Orly in good weather conditions. However, few minutes later, the crew was informed about few turbulences over the Alps. While cruising by night at an altitude of 9,500 feet, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Cemet or Mt Cimet (3,020 meters high) located about 8 km northeast of Allos, in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The wreckage was found at the altitude of 2,870 meters, about 150 meters below the summit. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 42 occupants were killed, among them the French violinist Jacques Thibaud and the French composer René Herbin. Crew: Jacques Tranoy, pilot, Jacques Calmette, copilot, Robert Mathis, radio navigator, M. Fontaine, mechanic, Jean-Marie Christophe, mechanic, Monique Perret, stewardess, Jean Menard, steward, Rémy Lebars, steward, Charles Delhomme, steward.

Air France

While cruising at an altitude of 17,500 feet between Rhodes Island and Cyprus, the crew noted slight vibrations but was unable to localize them. Four minutes later, a loud bang was noted, an explosion occurred, a brutal depressurization occurred and the aircraft lost 1,000 feet. The captain, who was sleeping, joined immediately his seat, disengaged the automatic pilot system and started an emergency descent with a rate of 300-500 feet per minute. In the mean time, the copilot informed ATC he elected to divert to Nicosia Airport. The crew realized that the engine number three fell off and decided to shut down the engine number four and feathered its propeller. Eventually, the captain decided to ditch the aircraft on a calm sea about two NM off the Fethiye lighthouse. Ten minutes after landing, the empennage broke off and sank. Some passengers swum to the shore and the aircraft eventually sank two hours later. Three crew members were injured, 35 occupants were unhurt and four passengers were killed.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij

En route to Bangkok, about 450 km from the intended destination, the crew informed ATC about vibrations coming from the engine number three. The flight was continued uneventfully until the descent was started. On final approach to runway 21, a propeller blade detached from the engine number three that caught fire and suffered severe vibrations. On touchdown, the right main gear collapsed and the airplane skidded for several yards before coming to rest in flames. All 44 occupants were evacuated safely before the aircraft christened 'Venlo' was destroyed by fire.

Air India

The four engine aircraft christened 'Malabar Princess' left Cairo-Almaza Airport at 0209LT on a direct flight to Geneva, completing an international service from Bombay to London, carrying 40 passengers and a crew of 8. All passengers were Indian and Pakistani marines who were joining their boat based in the harbor of Newcastle upon Tyne. About 20 minutes before its estimated time of arrival in Geneva-Cointrin Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 15,500 feet, the crew informed ATC that he was flying over Grenoble. The radio officer at Geneva Airport misbelieved this position and asked the crew to switch on 333 kHz for a direction finding check. The crew never contacted this frequency and the aircraft disappeared shortly later. As the airplane failed to arrive at Geneva Airport, SAR operations were conducted by the French, Swiss and Italian Authorities. The wreckage was found two days later, Sunday November 5, at an altitude of 4,671 meters, on the Rocher de la Tournette, about 300 meters from the Vallot Refuge. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 48 occupants were killed.

Trans World Airlines - TWA

The four engine aircraft christened 'Star of Maryland' left Cairo-Faruk Airport at 0135LT and was cleared to climb to 14,000 feet. While flying to the northwest at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the engine number three caught fire. The propeller was feathered but the crew was unable to extinguish the fire. the Cairo control tower received a routine position report at 23:55Z "off Cairo 2335 25 miles out of Cairo at 2343 estimated time of arrival Rome 0530" which was acknowledged but the flight did not reply with the customary "Roger". No other message was received from the flight despite frequent attempts to contact it by several stations. At or about the time of the receipt of the above message a number of persons on the desert to the northwest of Cairo saw the aircraft afire in flight. The aircraft turned back as if intending to land at Cairo, but the fire rapidly increased, causing the burning engine to fall free. The crew attempted a night emergency landing in a desert area located about 100 km northwest of Cairo. The aircraft crashed and disintegrated on impact. All 55 occupants were killed, among them tourists, engineers and US diplomats.

Air France

About 150 nm from his destination, the crew informed ground about the ETA in Santa Maria-Vila do Porto Airport at 0245LT. Few minutes later, the captain changed this ETA to 0255LT. During the final approach completed by night but in good weather conditions, while at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the captain confirmed to ATC that he had the runway in sight and was approaching in VFR mode. Shortly later, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Redondo (about 900 meters high) located few km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 48 occupants were killed. Among them were the French boxer Marcel Cerdan, the French violinist Ginette Neveu and her brother Jean Neveu, pianist, and Kay Kamen, artistic director by Walt Disney Studios. Crew: Jean de la Noue, pilot, Charles Wolfer, copilot, Camille Fidency, copilot, André Villet, mechanic, Marcel Sarrazin, mechanic, Roger Pierre, radio operator, Paul Giraud, radio operator, Jean Salvatori, navigator, Raymond Redon, steward, Albert Brucker, steward, Suzanne Ruig, stewardess.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij

The crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility while on approach to Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport. On final, the four engine aircraft christened 'Franeker' was too low and hit the slope of the Ghatkopar hill (240 meters high) located about 5 km from the runway 23 threshold. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 45 occupants were killed, among them 13 American journalists. Crew: Arnoldus Marcelis (Chris) van de Vaart, captain, Cornelis L. van Kooy, pilot, Pieter Zeeman, pilot, Johannes Hoogland, radio operator, Pieter den Daas, radio operator, Heinrich Fronczek, flight engineer, Jacob Willem Dalman, flight engineer, Jacobus Verhaagen, steward, Carola Graf, stewardess, Janny Bruce, steward.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij

The four engine aircraft christened 'Roermond' left Cairo Airport at 0508LT bound for Amsterdam with an ETA at 1445LT. While cruising along the east Italian coast at an altitude of 5,000 meters, the airplane went out of control and entered into a dive. During the near vertical descent, the tail broke off, the aircraft came upside down and eventually crashed into the Adriatic Sea, some 1,5 to 2 km off shore, near Bari. The wreckage sank by 35 meters deep and only few debris were found. All 33 occupants were killed. Crew: Johan Cornelis (Hans) Plesman, pilot (son of Albert Plesman, Director of KLM), Jacobus Tuyt, pilot, Jan van Kuyk, pilot, Albert George Modard, pilot, Leendert Post, radio operator, Jacques Marinus Willem Hout, radio operator, Dirk Martinus Grandia, flight engineer, Johan Albert van der Meer, flight engineer, Pieter Jelles Overbeek, steward, Cornelia Antoinette Timmermans, stewardess, Jan Hendrik Ross, cooker.