Accident description
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| Status: | |
| Date: | 20 APR 1968 |
| Time: | 20:50 |
| Type: | Boeing 707-344C |
| Operator: | South African Airways - SAA |
| Registration: | ZS-EUW |
| C/n / msn: | 19705/675 |
| First flight: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 238 |
| Engines: | 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-7 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 111 / Occupants: 116 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 123 / Occupants: 128 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 5 km (3.1 mls) E of Windhoek-Strijdom International Airport (WDH) (Namibia)
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| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Windhoek-Strijdom International Airport (WDH/FYWE), Namibia |
| Luanda-4 de Fevereiro Airport (LAD/FNLU), Angola | |
| Flightnumber: | 228 |
The brand new Boeing 707 ZS-EUW was operating on a flight from Johannesburg to London via Windhoek, Luanda, Las Palmas and Frankfurt. At 18:49 the aircraft took off Windhoek runway 08 and climbed to a height of about 650 feet above ground level. The plane leveled off and started to descend, flying into the ground 30 seconds later. The airplane impacted the ground some 5 km from the runway at a 271 knots groundspeed and rate of descent of about 2000 feet/min.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Retraction of flaps and reduction of engine power from takeoff to climb power at 650ft altitude caused the plane to descend. The crewmembers failed to notice that the 707 was losing altitude. Contributory were probably: the takeoff conditions of total darkness with no external visual reference; inappropriate alteration of stabilizer trim; spatial disorientation; pre-occupation with after-takeoff checks. Events:
Sources:
» Aviation Disasters / D. Gero
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com
Statistics
22nd loss of a Boeing 707
3rd worst accident involving a Boeing 707 (at the time)
7th worst accident involving a Boeing 707 (currently)
The worst accident in Namibia (at the time)
The worst accident in Namibia (currently) » figures explained
3rd worst accident involving a Boeing 707 (at the time)
7th worst accident involving a Boeing 707 (currently)
The worst accident in Namibia (at the time)
The worst accident in Namibia (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 Windhoek-Strijdom International Airport (WDH/FYWE) to Luanda-4 de Fevereiro Airport (LAD/FNLU) as the crow flies is 1574 km (983 miles).
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.
Distance from Windhoek-Strijdom International Airport (WDH/FYWE) to Luanda-4 de Fevereiro Airport (LAD/FNLU) as the crow flies is 1574 km (983 miles).
