Narrative:
VIASA Flight 897 operated on the route Rome - Madrid (MAD) - Lisbon (LIS) - Santa Maria (SMA) - Caracas (CCS) when it landed at Lisbon at 00:06 UTC. Following a crew change and inspection by KLM maintenance personnel the flight was cleared for a runway 23 departure. The DC-8 took off at 01:15, heading to the Capiraca (LS) NDB. At 01:18:37 the flight advised that the cloud base was at 3700 ft and changed to the Lisbon area control frequency. It reported again at 01:19:25 to Lisbon Control that it was "over LS at 19 climbing through FL 60". This message ended with two quickly spoken sentences. This was the last radio contact with the flight. The DC-8 entered a spiral dive to the left during the last message, banking to the left to 90° within about 20 seconds and striking the water after another 15 seconds. During the last 15 seconds, the bank was overcorrected to the right. It struck the sea with a pitch angle of approximately 25° nose down, while it was probably banking 30° to the right.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Notwithstanding a very thorough, time-consuming investigation, in which many authorities and experts co-operated, it was not possible to establish a probable cause of the accident."
The Netherlands, as state of registry, commented: "Though there are no direct indications in this respect, the Board regards it as possible that the accident was due to the pilot or pilots being misled by instrument failure, in particular of the artificial horizon, or to the pilot having been distracted, so that a serious deviation from the normal flight path was not discovered in time."
Loss of control
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Tuesday 30 May 1961 |
| Time: | 01:20 UTC |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-8-53 |
| Operating for: | VIASA |
| Leased from: | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
| Registration: | PH-DCL |
| MSN: | 45615/131 |
| First flight: | 1961 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 209 |
| Cycles: | 82 |
| Engines: | 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-1 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 47 / Occupants: 47 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 61 / Occupants: 61 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 3 km (1.9 mls) WNW off Fonte da Telha ( Portugal)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Lisboa-Portela de Sacavém Airport (LIS/LPPT), Portugal |
| Santa Maria-Vila do Porto Airport, Azores (SMA/LPAZ), Portugal | |
| Flightnumber: | 897 |
VIASA Flight 897 operated on the route Rome - Madrid (MAD) - Lisbon (LIS) - Santa Maria (SMA) - Caracas (CCS) when it landed at Lisbon at 00:06 UTC. Following a crew change and inspection by KLM maintenance personnel the flight was cleared for a runway 23 departure. The DC-8 took off at 01:15, heading to the Capiraca (LS) NDB. At 01:18:37 the flight advised that the cloud base was at 3700 ft and changed to the Lisbon area control frequency. It reported again at 01:19:25 to Lisbon Control that it was "over LS at 19 climbing through FL 60". This message ended with two quickly spoken sentences. This was the last radio contact with the flight. The DC-8 entered a spiral dive to the left during the last message, banking to the left to 90° within about 20 seconds and striking the water after another 15 seconds. During the last 15 seconds, the bank was overcorrected to the right. It struck the sea with a pitch angle of approximately 25° nose down, while it was probably banking 30° to the right.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Notwithstanding a very thorough, time-consuming investigation, in which many authorities and experts co-operated, it was not possible to establish a probable cause of the accident."
The Netherlands, as state of registry, commented: "Though there are no direct indications in this respect, the Board regards it as possible that the accident was due to the pilot or pilots being misled by instrument failure, in particular of the artificial horizon, or to the pilot having been distracted, so that a serious deviation from the normal flight path was not discovered in time."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Cause undetermined Loss of control
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 69-AN/61Photos
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 Lisboa-Portela de Sacavém Airport to Santa Maria-Vila do Porto Airport, Azores as the crow flies is 1410 km (881 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Lisboa-Portela de Sacavém Airport to Santa Maria-Vila do Porto Airport, Azores as the crow flies is 1410 km (881 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
- 556 built
- 3rd loss
- 3rd fatal accident
- 2nd worst accident (at the time)
- 14th worst accident (currently)
Portugal- The worst accident (at the time)
- 4th worst accident (currently)
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