ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-6B F-BHMS Mt Alcazaba
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 2 October 1964
Time:04:45 UTC
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC6 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas DC-6B
Operator:Union de Transports Aériens - UTA
Registration: F-BHMS
MSN: 44062/384
First flight: 1953
Total airframe hrs:29620
Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2800
Crew:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Passengers:Fatalities: 73 / Occupants: 73
Total:Fatalities: 80 / Occupants: 80
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Mt Alcazaba (   Spain)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI/LEPA), Spain
Destination airport:Port-Étienne Airport (NDB/GQPP), Mauritania
Narrative:
A Douglas DC-6 passenger plane, F-BHMS, was destroyed when it crashed into a Mount Alcazaba in Spain. All 73 passengers and seven crew members were killed.
The UTA flight departed Paris on an international flight to Port-Étienne (now Nouadhibou, Mauritania) with en route stops at Marseilles, France and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The trip to Palma was uneventful.
The DC-6 took off at 03:14 UTC from Palma runway 27. While heading for Tanger the flight deviated from the planned route. The plane struck a mountain 90 minutes after takeoff.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The cause of the accident was not determined."

Classification:
Cause undetermined

Sources:
» ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.16 - Volume III, Circular 82-AN/69 (94-96)


Photos

photo of Douglas-DC-6B-F-BHMS
accident date: 02-10-1964
type: Douglas DC-6B
registration: F-BHMS
photo of Douglas-DC-6B-F-BHMS
accident date: 02-10-1964
type: Douglas DC-6B
registration: F-BHMS
 

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 Palma de Mallorca Airport to Port-Étienne Airport as the crow flies is 2777 km (1736 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few 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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Douglas DC-6

  • 704 built
  • 59th loss
  • 43rd fatal accident
  • 2nd worst accident (at the time)
  • 4th worst accident (currently)
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 Spain
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 11th worst accident (currently)
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