Accident description
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| Status: | Final |
| Date: | 04 MAR 1966 |
| Time: | 20:15 |
| Type: | Douglas DC-8-43 |
| Operator: | Canadian Pacific Air Lines - CPAL |
| Registration: | CF-CPK |
| C/n / msn: | 45761/237 |
| First flight: | 1965 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1792 |
| Engines: | 4 Rolls Royce 508-12 Conway |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 54 / Occupants: 62 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 64 / Occupants: 72 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (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). 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." Events:
Sources:
» ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.18 - Volume I Circular 96-AN/79
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com
Statistics
10th loss of a DC-8
4th worst accident involving a DC-8 (at the time)
13th worst accident involving a DC-8 (currently)
3rd worst accident in Japan (at the time)
8th worst accident in Japan (currently) » figures explained
4th worst accident involving a DC-8 (at the time)
13th worst accident involving a DC-8 (currently)
3rd worst accident in Japan (at the time)
8th worst accident in Japan (currently) » figures explained
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 (HKG/VHHH) to Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT) as the crow flies is 2856 km (1785 miles).
Distance from Hong Kong-Kai Tak International Airport (HKG/VHHH) to Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT) as the crow flies is 2856 km (1785 miles).
