ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 707-321B N446PA Denpasar
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Monday 22 April 1974
Time:22:26
Type:Silhouette image of generic B703 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Boeing 707-321B
Operator:Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)
Registration: N446PA
MSN: 19268/544
First flight: 1966
Total airframe hrs:28000
Cycles:9150
Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B
Crew:Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
Passengers:Fatalities: 96 / Occupants: 96
Total:Fatalities: 107 / Occupants: 107
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:68 km (42.5 mls) NW of Denpasar (   Indonesia)
Crash site elevation: 762 m (2500 feet) amsl
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Hong Kong-Kai Tak International Airport (HKG/VHHH), Hong Kong
Destination airport:Denpasar-Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport (DPS/WADD), Indonesia
Flightnumber:PA812
Narrative:
A Boeing 707-321B passenger plane, N446PA, named "Clipper Climax", was destroyed when it crashed into the side of a mountain near Denpasar, Indonesia.
Flight PA-812 was a scheduled international flight from Hong Kong (HKG) to Sydney (SYD), Australia with an intermediate stop at Denpasar (DPS), Bali.
The crew prepared for an approach to runway 09 at Denpasar. The airplane descended to an altitude of 2500 feet when it flew into the side of a mountain.
It appeared that the crew had initiated the let-down procedure after one of the ADF needles swung. The other needle remained steady, but the crew assumed that they were over the beacon when the aircraft was still about 30 NM North of the beacon.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The premature execution of a right-hand turn to join the 263 degrees outbound track which was based on the indication given by only one of the ADFs while the other one was still in steady condition"

Classification:
Non-adherence to procedures
Navigational error
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» ICAO Circular 132-AN/93 (126-133)


Photos

photo of Boeing-707-321B-N446PA
accident date: 22-04-1974
type: Boeing 707-321B
registration: N446PA
 

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 Denpasar-Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport as the crow flies is 3437 km (2148 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of 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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Boeing 707

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 Indonesia
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