 ALockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 11 January 1959 (1959-01-11) |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, Brazil |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation |
| Operator | Lufthansa |
| Call sign | LUFTHANSA 502 |
| Registration | D-ALAK |
| Flight origin | Dakar Airport, Senegal |
| Destination | Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, Brazil |
| Occupants | 39 |
| Passengers | 29 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Fatalities | 36 |
| Injuries | 3 |
| Survivors | 3 |
Lufthansa Flight 502 was a scheduled flight from Hamburg, Germany to Buenos Aires, Argentina on 11 January 1959. The flight was being operated by aLockheed L-1049G Super Constellation (registration D-ALAK).[1] On the leg between Senegal and Brazil the Super Constellation was on approach toRio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport when it crashed near Flecheiras Beach just short of the runway. All 29 passengers and seven of the ten crew were killed.[1] It was the first fatal accident involving the current Lufthansa since it was formed in 1955.[2]
The aircraft was cleared byair traffic control to descend to 900 metres (3,000 ft) overGuanabara Bay as part of the approach sequence to Runway 14 atRio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport. During the descent the weather was rainy.[1] Descending too low on approach, the Constellation struck the water with the aircraft's nosewheel; the crew attempted to continue the approach, but were unable to maintain control, and the aircraft crashed near Flecheiras Beach.[1] All of the aircraft's passengers (including both the literary impressariaSusana Soca and the Archduchess Maria Ileana of Austria-Tuscany, granddaughter of KingFerdinand of Romania, along with her husband) as well as seven crewmembers died; the co-pilot, a steward and a stewardess survived the impact.[2]
The aircraft, aLockheed L-1049G Super Constellation airliner powered by fourWright R-3350 radial piston engines, had been built in 1955, and was delivered to Lufthansa on 17 May 1955.[3] The aircraft was sold toSeaboard World Airlines in May 1958, but had been returned to Lufthansa in November of that year.[3]
An accident investigation was unable to determine the cause of the crash, but considered that the most likely cause of the accident was pilot error, resulting in Flight 502 descending below the minimum altitude required for the approach. The crew had exceeded the flight time limits set by Brazilian aeronautical regulations, but not under German rules; aircrew fatigue was determined to be a contributing factor.[1]
Other similar accidents:
Other aviation accidents involving members of royalty:
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