Accident description
Last updated: 25 May 2013
| Status: | Final |
| Date: | 04 SEP 1963 |
| Time: | 06:22 |
| Type: | Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III |
| Operator: | Swissair |
| Registration: | HB-ICV |
| C/n / msn: | 147 |
| First flight: | 1962 |
| Engines: | 2 Rolls Royce 527 Avon |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 74 / Occupants: 74 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 80 / Occupants: 80 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Dürrenäsch (Switzerland)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Zürich-Kloten Airport (ZRH/LSZH), Switzerland |
| Genève-Cointrin Airport (GVA/LSGG), Switzerland | |
| Flightnumber: | 306 |
Flight SR-306 was a scheduled international flight from Zürich to Rome, with an intermediate stop at Geneva. Dense fog was existing at the time of departure and at 0600 hours the flight was informed that the RVR was 180 m for runway 34 and 60 m for runway 16, and that there was a light northerly wind (1 to 2 kt). At 0604 hours the flight was authorized to taxi to runway 34 behind an accompanying vehicle. At 0605 the crew reported that they will taxi half way down runway 34 to inspect the fog condition and then return to take-off position. This was done, using at times considerable engine power probably in an attempt to disperse the fog: Around 0612 hours the aircraft was back to the threshold of runway 34 and permission to take-off was granted. The flight took off at 0613 hours and started to climb to flight level 150, its cruising altitude. Four minutes later witnesses on the ground noticed a whitish trail of smoke on the left side of the aircraft and suddenly a long flame from the left wing-root. Around 0620 hours the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 2700 m, it then began to lose height, entered a gentle left turn loosing height more rapidly and finally went into a steep dive.
Parts of the aircraft became detached and at 0621 hours a "MAYDAY" message was received., At 0622 hours the aircraft crashed into the ground on the outskirts of Dürrenäsch, at an elevation of 559 m, approximately 35 km from Zürich/Kloten Airport.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The crash was due to the destruction of essential structural parts of the aircraft by a fire caused by overheating of the brakes during the taxiing phase." Events:
Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest No.15 - Volume II, Circular 78-AN/66 (186-195)
» Schlussbericht der Eidgenössischen Flugunfall-Untersuchungskommission über den Unfall des Swissair-Flugzeuges SE-210 Caravelle III HB-ICV, Nr. 1963/37 - 229
Photos
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 Zürich-Kloten Airport to Genève-Cointrin Airport as the crow flies is 229 km (143 miles).
Distance from Zürich-Kloten Airport to Genève-Cointrin Airport as the crow flies is 229 km (143 miles).
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