SA de Transport Aerien flight 730
| SA de Transport Aerien flight 730 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Accident summary | |
| Accident type | Controlled flight into water on final approach |
| place | Near Funchal , Madeira Portugal
|
| date | 18th December 1977 |
| Fatalities | 36 |
| Survivors | 21st |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type |
 Sud Aviation Caravelle 10R
|
| operator |
 SA de Transport Aérien
|
| Mark |
HB-ICK
|
| Departure airport |
Geneva Airport , Switzerland
|
| Destination airport |
Madeira Airport , Portugal
|
| Passengers | 52 |
| crew | 5 |
| Lists of aviation accidents | |
SA de Transport Aérien flight 730 (flight number: VS730 ) was a flight of the Swiss airline SA de Transport Aérien from Geneva to Funchal . On December 18, 1977, a Sud Aviation Caravelle was accidentally flown into the sea on this route shortly before landing. Of the 57 inmates, 21 were able to save themselves and 36 died. The wreck of the machine was thought to be lost for 34 years until it was discovered by chance in October 2011 by divers in shallower waters than suspected.
machine
The machine used on the flight was a Sud Aviation Caravelle 10R . The first flight of the machine took place on December 9, 1965, after which it was delivered to Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines , where it began operations on February 25, 1966 under the name Jerusalem . SATA later bought the machine and registered it with the aircraft registration HB-ICK .
crew
The flight was operated by two captains, although the captain who was piloting the machine at the time of the accident had never landed a machine at the notoriously difficult-to-approach airport of Funchal. On this flight he should be trained to land at the airport under the supervision of the other captain present. The other, much more experienced captain flew in the machine in the role of first officer for this purpose.
Flight history
Since the runway at Funchal Airport was only 1,600 meters long at that time and was located on a mountain, approaches were reserved for experienced crews according to the regulations. The landing was originally supposed to take place in daylight. Due to delays in take-off, the crew did not fly the aircraft until after dark.
The charter flight started at Zurich Airport , with a stopover at 2:30 p.m. ( UTC ) at Geneva Airport . The onward flight was delayed due to a defective hydraulic pump, so that the aircraft did not take off again until 16:26. The approach to Madeira Airport began at 7:38 p.m. when the crew contacted air traffic control. The pilots received clearance to descend to an altitude of 5000 feet (approx. 1500 meters). The pilots began the descent from 31,000 feet (approximately 10,000 meters). At 7:55 p.m., the pilots reported that they were flying over the island of Porto Santo at an altitude of 8500 feet (approx. 2600 meters). At 19:57, the air traffic controllers gave the crew of the Caravelle permission to sink to 3500 feet (approx. 1100 meters).
the accident
The air traffic controller informed the crew that the air pressure value QNH was 1014 hPa. Apparently the crew forgot to set the altimeter to this value while working through the landing checklist. On approach, the pilots flew in a 180-degree traffic pattern towards the airport, falling below the prescribed altitude and losing sight of the runway lights. While they only relied on their instruments, they fell below the prescribed minimum altitude of 720 feet (approx. 220 meters), which was required for the approach, and sank to 200 feet (approx. 61 meters) during the transverse approach, until the aircraft shortly afterwards hit the water. According to the pilots, the altimeter should have shown an altitude of 500 feet (approx. 150 meters) at the time of the impact. The landing gear was extended and the position of the landing flaps was set to 20 degrees.
Victim
Of the 57 people on board, 35 passengers and one flight attendant died. Many of the victims survived the impact, but drowned because they were shocked to be unable to loosen their seatbelts and were trapped in the rapidly sinking wreck. A total of 21 people, including the two pilots, were brought ashore in the boats by fishermen who had come to help.
It was the second fatal incident at Funchal Airport within a month after a Boeing 727 crashed on November 19, 1977 on TAP Flight 425, killing 131 people.
Cause of accident
The cause of the accident was attributed to a pilot error and poor coordination of the cockpit crew. In addition, the pilots succumbed to an optical illusion.
Find the wreck
In October 2011, Portuguese divers accidentally discovered the wreck at a depth of 110 meters and thus in much shallower waters than previously thought. According to the divers, the hull of the machine is said to have broken in two.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Caravelle accident report, HB-ICK Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 24, 2019.
- ↑ a b c Wreck discovered after 33 years by aerotelegraph, accessed on March 24, 2019.
Coordinates: 32 ° 41 ′ 52 " N , 16 ° 46 ′ 28" W.