Narrative:
Canadian Pacific Flight 402 took off from Hong Kong (HKG) at 16:14 Japan Time for Tokyo (HND). Tokyo was a planned stop on the route to Vancouver, Canada.
At 19:08 the aircraft started its descent from FL250. Because of bad weather at Tokyo, a holding pattern was entered at FL140. At 19:42 the flight crew decided to wait for improvement for 15 minutes. Alternate destination was Taipei. Tokyo ATC reported the runway Visual Range (RVR) to be 2400 feet and cleared the aircraft for an approach. The aircraft descended to 3000 feet, but the weather had worsened again, forcing the crew to divert to Taipei. At 20:05 the flight had reached 11500 feet when Tokyo reported the RVR to be improved to 3000 feet. Tokyo cleared Flight 402 for another GCA approach to runway 33R. At one mile from touchdown the aircraft was 20 feet below the GCA glide path and was instructed to level off momentarily. The aircraft continued to descend however and struck the no.14 approach light, 2800 feet from the runway threshold. The plane then struck a number of other approach lights, crashed against a sea wall and caught fire.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Pilot misjudged landing approach under unusually difficult weather conditions."
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Water
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 4 March 1966 |
| Time: | 20:15 |
| Type: | Douglas DC-8-43 |
| Operator: | Canadian Pacific Air Lines - CPAL |
| Registration: | CF-CPK |
| MSN: | 45761/237 |
| First flight: | 1965 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1792 |
| Engines: | 4 Rolls-Royce Conway 508-12 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 54 / Occupants: 62 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 64 / Occupants: 72 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND) ( Japan)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Hong Kong-Kai Tak International Airport (HKG/VHHH), Hong Kong |
| Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT), Japan | |
| Flightnumber: | 402 |
Canadian Pacific Flight 402 took off from Hong Kong (HKG) at 16:14 Japan Time for Tokyo (HND). Tokyo was a planned stop on the route to Vancouver, Canada.
At 19:08 the aircraft started its descent from FL250. Because of bad weather at Tokyo, a holding pattern was entered at FL140. At 19:42 the flight crew decided to wait for improvement for 15 minutes. Alternate destination was Taipei. Tokyo ATC reported the runway Visual Range (RVR) to be 2400 feet and cleared the aircraft for an approach. The aircraft descended to 3000 feet, but the weather had worsened again, forcing the crew to divert to Taipei. At 20:05 the flight had reached 11500 feet when Tokyo reported the RVR to be improved to 3000 feet. Tokyo cleared Flight 402 for another GCA approach to runway 33R. At one mile from touchdown the aircraft was 20 feet below the GCA glide path and was instructed to level off momentarily. The aircraft continued to descend however and struck the no.14 approach light, 2800 feet from the runway threshold. The plane then struck a number of other approach lights, crashed against a sea wall and caught fire.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Pilot misjudged landing approach under unusually difficult weather conditions."
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Water
Sources:
» ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.18 - Volume I Circular 96-AN/79Photos
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 Hong Kong-Kai Tak International Airport to Tokyo-Haneda Airport as the crow flies is 2861 km (1788 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Hong Kong-Kai Tak International Airport to Tokyo-Haneda Airport as the crow flies is 2861 km (1788 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.
languages: 
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DC-8
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