Narrative:
The Constellation operated on a flight Paris-Rome-Beirut-Tehran. The flight departed Rome at 22:32 GMT bound for Beirut. At 02:10 the no. 3 engine broke away from the wing following violent vibration. Vibrations continued and altitude was lost. A forced ditching was carried out 6 miles from Fetiye point, 1,5 miles offshore.
The aircraft sank and was not salvaged. It was rediscovered by a Turkish Navy ship in 2018.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Failure in flight of a propeller blade resulting in the separation of no.3 engine from the aircraft and loss of control of no.4 engine. The cause of the blade fracture cannot be determined."
Ditching
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 3 August 1953 |
| Time: | 02:28 |
| Type: |  Lockheed L-749A Constellation |
| Operator: | Air France |
| Registration: | F-BAZS |
| MSN: | 2628 |
| First flight: | 1950 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10058 |
| Engines: | 4 Wright R-3350 (749C18BD1) Cyclone |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 34 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 42 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 10 km (6.3 mls) off Fethiye ( Turkey)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Roma-Ciampino Airport (CIA/LIRA), Italy |
| Beirut International Airport (BEY/OLBA), Lebanon | |
| Flightnumber: | AF152 |
The Constellation operated on a flight Paris-Rome-Beirut-Tehran. The flight departed Rome at 22:32 GMT bound for Beirut. At 02:10 the no. 3 engine broke away from the wing following violent vibration. Vibrations continued and altitude was lost. A forced ditching was carried out 6 miles from Fetiye point, 1,5 miles offshore.
The aircraft sank and was not salvaged. It was rediscovered by a Turkish Navy ship in 2018.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Failure in flight of a propeller blade resulting in the separation of no.3 engine from the aircraft and loss of control of no.4 engine. The cause of the blade fracture cannot be determined."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Engine separationDitching
Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest Circular 39-AN/34 (97-99)Photos
Video, social media
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Roma-Ciampino Airport to Beirut International Airport as the crow flies is 2174 km (1359 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Roma-Ciampino Airport to Beirut International Airport as the crow flies is 2174 km (1359 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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