Narrative:Pan Am Flight 1 was a round-the world flight from Los Angeles to New York. The Boeing 707, "Clipper Caribbean", was on a visual approach to Calcutta, India, when it struck a tree and crashed 1128 m short of the runway.
Weather at Calcutta was poor with a 400 ft ceiling and less than two miles visibility in rain.
The crew of "Clipper Caribbean" misunderstood the pressure reported to them by air traffic control. They didn't set the QNH at 993 mb, but instead set the QFE at 29,93. This resulted in a difference of the indicated altitude of 360 feet. The airplane consequently descended below decision height with flaps extended to 50 degrees.
Classification:
Wrong altimeter setting
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
Sources:
» NTSB
» Flight International 12 December 1968 (p.968)
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 Bangkok-Don Muang International Airport to Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport as the crow flies is 1600 km (1000 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
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.