Date:	Sunday 11 December 1977
Time:	11:20
Type:	Lockheed P-3B Orion
Owner/operator:	United States Navy
Registration:	153428
MSN:	185-5225
Year of manufacture:	1967
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	El Hierro, Canary Islands -   Spain
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Terceira-Lajes AFB, Azores (TER/LPLA)
Destination airport:	Terceira-Lajes AFB, Azores (TER/LPLA)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The P-3 Orion aircraft departed at 08:36 on a ship surveillance mission. Approximately two hours after takeoff the aircraft reported all systems essential to the mission were operating normally. No further radio contact was made. At 11:20 the aircraft struck a mountain on a small island named El Hierro, at an altitude of 2300 ft msl. The top of the mountain was at 5200 ft msl. Visibility at the crash site was 50 meters in rain. The aircraft impacted in level flight at 220 knots. All engines were operating, except for #1, which was shutdown for loiter.
The PPC, navigator, radar operator and flight engineer were at the NCO club until 02:00 local, consuming alcoholic beverages. The post mortem showed that the navigator had experienced a myocardial infarction.
The island was located inside the northwest corner of the assigned patrol area. It is very possible that the crew was unaware of the island.

PROBABLE CAUSE FACTORS:
Flight crew - violation of natops regarding alcohol consumption/crew rest prior to flight.
Supervisory/squadron - failure to implement an effective aircrew surveillance program.

CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR:
Flight crew complacency - nonadherence to sound navigation procedures.

POSSIBLE CAUSE FACTOR:
TSC briefing display omission of the three Canary Islands.
Weather conditions - fog and rain.

Brunswick Times Record December 12, 1977
P-3 Orion Aircraft Location Report (P-3 Orion Research Group - The Netherlands)
US Crashes 1950-2002 / Jan van Waarde
US Navy and US Marine Corps Aircraft Serial Numbers and Bureau Numbers--1911 to Present / Joe Baugher
VPNavy.org

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