ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 707-121B N708PA Chances Peak
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 17 September 1965
Time:07:24
Type:Silhouette image of generic B701 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Boeing 707-121B
Operator:Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)
Registration: N708PA
MSN: 17586/1
First flight: 1957-12-20 (7 years 9 months)
Total airframe hrs:19127
Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B
Crew:Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Passengers:Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21
Total:Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 30
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Chances Peak (   Montserrat)
Crash site elevation: 841 m (2759 feet) amsl
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Fort de France-Lamentin Airport (FDF/TFFF), Martinique
Destination airport:Antigua-Coolidge International Airport (ANU/TAPA), Antigua and Barbuda
Flightnumber:PA292
Narrative:
A Boeing 707-121B passenger plane, operated by Pan American World Airways, was destroyed when it flew into the side of Chances Peak, Montserrat. All 21 passengers and nine crew members were killed.
PanAm Flight PA-292 operated on a scheduled service from Fort de France, Martinique (FDF) to New York with en route stops at Antigua (ANU), St. Croix, Virgin Islands (STX), and San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU). An IFR flight plan had been filed for the 30-minute leg to Antigua. Cruising altitude would be FL165.
The Boeing 707, named "Clipper Constitution", took off from Fort de France's runway 27 at 11:04 UTC. Cruising altitude was reached at 11:09. The crew established radio contact with the Antigua controller at 11:15. The controller cleared the flight to the Coolidge NDB beacon at 2500 feet and told the crew to report at the beacon outbound leaving 2500 feet or field in sight. At approximately 11:25 the flight reported through FL40 with the field not yet in sight. At the same time the airplane was observed flying along the coast of the island of Montserrat in rain and below the clouds with landing gear down and flaps partially extended. Shortly afterwards the airplane struck a mountain at an elevation of 2760 feet asl and 242 feet below the summit.
Weather was poor with thunderstorms, towering cumulus, heavy rains.

Probable Cause:

CAUSE: "The accident was the result of the aircraft descending below a safe height when its position had not been accurately established. "

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» ICAO Circular 88/74 Volume II (7-35)
» International Journal of Aviation Safety June 1983 (p.13-14)


Photos

photo of Boeing-707-121-N708PA
accident date: 17-09-1965
type: Boeing 707-121
registration: N708PA
photo of Boeing-707-121-N708PA
accident date: 17-09-1965
type: Boeing 707-121
registration: N708PA
photo of Boeing-707-121-N708PA
accident date: 17-09-1965
type: Boeing 707-121
registration: N708PA
 

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 Fort de France-Lamentin Airport to Antigua-Coolidge International Airport as the crow flies is 294 km (184 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Boeing 707

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