Estado: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Fecha: | viernes 26 junio 1959 |
Hora: | 17:35 |
Tipo: | Lockheed L-1649A Starliner |
Operador: | Trans World Airlines - TWA |
Registración: | N7313C |
Numéro de série: | 1015 |
Año de Construcción: | 1957 |
Horas Totales de la Célula: | 6671 |
Motores: | 4 Wright R-3350 (988TC18) |
Tripulación: | Fatalidades: 9 / Ocupantes: 9 |
Pasajeros: | Fatalidades: 59 / Ocupantes: 59 |
Total: | Fatalidades: 68 / Ocupantes: 68 |
Daños en la Aeronave: | Destruido |
Consecuencias: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
Ubicación: | 32 km (20 milles) NW of Milano ( Italia)
|
Fase: | En ruta (ENR) |
Naturaleza: | Vuelo Internacional Programado |
Aeropuerto de Salida: | Milano-Malpensa Airport (MXP/LIMC), Italia |
Aeropuerto de Llegada: | Paris-Orly Airport (ORY/LFPO), Francia |
Número de Vuelo: | TW891 |
Descripción:The TWA Lockheed Starliner, named "Star of Severn", departed Rome, Italy at 15:00 hours on a flight to Chicago, USA, via Milan, Italy and Paris, France. The flight reached Milan at 16:36 after a normal flight.
The aircraft departed Malpensa Airport at 17:20 in weather conditions with scattered thunderstorms. The flight crew received clearance to the Saronno NDB, where it has to fly a climbing circuit to at least 10000 feet. It then has to proceed to the Biella NDB, which has to be reached at least 18500 feet before crossing the Alpine mountains. At 17:26 the flight reported climbing through 6000 feet in the Saronno circuit. Six minutes later they report having reached 10000 feet and continuing to Biella, which they estimate to reach at 17:45.
About 17:35 the aircraft suffered a structural failure occurred, initiated by a wing separation. The aircraft broke up and crashed, with debris scattered over an area of about 3 square kilometers.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The breaking-up in flight was due to the explosion of the fuel vapours contained in tank No.7, followed immediately by either an explosion of pressure or a further explosion in tank no.6. In the absence of other significant concrete evidence, taking into account the stormy weather conditions, with frequent electric discharges, existing in the area at the time of the crash, it may be assumed that the explosion of the fuel vapours contained in tank No.7 was set off, through the outlet pipes, by igniting of the gasoline vapours issuing from these pipes as a consequence of static electricity discharges (streamer corona) which developed on the vent outlets."
Accident investigation:
|
Investigating agency: | CAB |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Accident number: | final report | Download report: | Final report
|
|
Fuentes:
» ICAO Accident Digest Circular 62-AN/57 (132-152)
»
Memorial Website
Subsiguiente / acciones de seguridad
issued 2 Safety Recommendations
Issued: -- | To: | N7313C(1) |
It is recommended that the manufacturers and organizations concerned undertake a program of research and tests intended to give deeper insight into the phenomena relating to the possibility of fuel-tank explosions caused by electrical discharges. |
Issued: -- | To: | N7313C(2) |
It is suggested that pilots be instructed to avoid, whenever possible, crossing meteorological weas where [flying] conditions are particularly dangerous. |
Show all...
Fotos
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 Milano-Malpensa Airport to Paris-Orly Airport as the crow flies is 587 km (367 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
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.