ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 328488
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| Date: | Sunday 7 October 1979 |
| Time: | 22:15 |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 |
| Owner/operator: | Swissair |
| Registration: | HB-IDE |
| MSN: | 45919/312 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JT3D- |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 154 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Athens-Ellinikon International Airport (ATH) -
 Greece
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Genève-Cointrin Airport (GVA/LSGG) |
| Athens-Ellinikon International Airport (ATH/LGAT) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 passenger plane was destroyed in a landing accident Athens-Ellinikon International Airport (ATH), Greece. All twelve crew members survived but fourteen of the 142 passengers were killed.
Swissair flight SR316 originated at Genève-Cointrin Airport (GVA), Switzerland and was bound for Bombay, India Beijing, China. Athens was the first intermediate stop.
During an ILS approach to runway 33R at Athens Airport, the crew got visual contact with the airport and was cleared to land on runway 15L. The approach was made at a speed of 146 knots and the aircraft touched down about 740 m beyond the displaced threshold and about 2240 m before the runway end.
The DC-8 decelerated but overran the end of the runway. The left wing and tail separated before the aircraft came to rest on a public road some 80 m beyond the end of the runway and 4 m below airport elevation. A fire broke out on the right side and spread quickly. All 14 victims died due to smoke or fire and were all seated at rows 21-26.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "(1) The crew touched down the aircraft too late, at a speed higher than normal after a non-stabilized final approach. (2) The crew did not fully apply the braking systems (wheel brakes and reverse thrust) particularly the wheel brakes after a touchdown under known adverse conditions, so that it was not possible to stop the aircraft at least before the end of the overrun area."
Note: the member of the Operations team of the Accident Investigation Committee had a different opinion from the rest of the Committee regarding the cause of the accident. That is:
"After a non-stabilized approach a too-late touchdown at an increased speed was not realized by the crew. Contributing was the fact that (1) the company's recommended technique concerning 'landing when braking action is less then good' was not followed by the crew. (2) Wheel brake application was not fully utilized by the crew at the proper stage of rolling after touchdown. (3) Reverse thrust application was not fully utilized by the crew at the proper stage of rolling after touchdown. "
Sources:
Location
Images:
photo (c) ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Swissair; Athens-Ellinikon International Airport (ATH); 07 October 1979; (CC:by-sa)
photo (c) ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Swissair; Athens-Ellinikon International Airport (ATH); 08 October 1979; (CC:by-sa)
photo (c) Werner Fischdick; Frankfurt International Airport (FRA); 29 April 1978
photo (c) ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv; Zürich-Kloten Airport (ZRH/LSZH); 1972; (CC:by-nc-nd)
Revision history:
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