| Date: | Thursday 19 January 1961 |
| Time: | 20:17 |
| Type: | Douglas DC-8-21 |
| Owner/operator: | Aeronaves de México |
| Registration: | XA-XAX |
| MSN: | 45432/105 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1960 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 529 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W JT4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 106 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL/KIDL) |
| Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX/MMMX) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Aeronaves de México flight 401, a Douglas DC-8-20, crashed when the takeoff from New York-Idlewild was aborted and the aircraft went through a blast fence and caught fire, killing 4 occupants; 102 survived the accident.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The probable cause of the accident was the unnecessary discontinuing of the takeoff as a result of the action by the check-pilot, who was not in either pilot seat, in reaching forward without warning and pulling the throttles back This action caused power to be decreased on all four engines. Contributing factors were the marginally poor weather, snow on the runway, and the possibility of the pitot head heat not have been on."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
CAB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Jan-2025 19:46 | ASN | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation