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| Date: | Thursday 17 April 1980 |
| Time: | 10:10 |
| Type: |  Lockheed P-3C Orion |
| Owner/operator: | United States Navy |
| Registration: | 158213 |
| MSN: | 185-5558 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1971 |
| Engine model: | Allison T56-A14 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Pago Pago -
 American Samoa
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
The US Navy P-3 Orion was taking part in Samoa's Flag Day celebration. The airplane was dropping skydivers near the reviewing area. During the second run the airplane clipped a mile-long tramway line running across Pago Pago Harbor to Mount Alava. The vertical stabilizer separated and the airplane crashed into an area in front of the two-storey Rainmaker Hotel.
Sources:
P-3 Orion Aircraft Location Report (P-3 Orion Research Group - The Netherlands)
U.S. Navy
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.com
The Calgary Herald - Apr 18, 1980
Location
Images:
photo (c) Peter Barr; Pago Pago; 17 April 1980
photo (c) Peter Barr; Pago Pago; 17 April 1980
photo (c) Peter Donaldson; San Diego-Miramar NAS, CA (NKX/KNKX); 05 October 1975
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|
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