ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed L-749-79 Constellation YV-C-AMA Caracas Airport (CCS)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Tuesday 27 November 1956
Time:08:10
Type:Silhouette image of generic CONI model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Lockheed L-749-79 Constellation
Operator:Linea Aeropostal Venezolana - LAV
Registration: YV-C-AMA
MSN: 2560
First flight: 1947
Crew:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Passengers:Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18
Total:Fatalities: 25 / Occupants: 25
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:18 km (11.3 mls) ESE of Caracas Airport (CCS) (   Venezuela)
Crash site elevation: 2043 m (6703 feet) amsl
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL/KIDL), United States of America
Destination airport:Caracas Airport (CCS/SVMI), Venezuela
Flightnumber: 253
Narrative:
LAV Flight 253 departed New York-Idlewild Airport on a 9h48 min flight to Caracas-Maiquetia. Cruising altitude was FL170. Last two messages from the aircraft were a position report at FL175, 75 miles NW of Maiquetia (at 07:51) and a report 35 miles NW of Maiquetia at 7000 feet. It appeared that the Super Constellation, named "Jose Marti", had struck the western peak of Silla de Caracas at 6702 feet altitude. Weather at Maiquetia at the time of the accident was: covered sky, ceiling 2500 feet, visibility north 4 miles, south 0 miles; wind calm.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The instrument flight training manuals show that the Linea Aeropostal Venezolana has approved a procedure for entering Maiquetia in semi-IFR conditions. This procedure consists in maintaining a minimum flight level of 10000ft as far as the station (Miq 292.5), then turning north over this pount and continuing on a 360deg heading for 4 minutes followed by a standard let-down to 1200ft above sea level until contact is established, and a return to the aerodrome under VFR. It is obvious that the pilot-in-command did not fully comply with this procedure, and, after accumulating errors in estimating his speed, endeavoured to make a direct approach which proved fatal because his altitude at the time of his last report was insufficient to cross the Avila mountain range against which the impact occurred."

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest No.9, Circular 56-AN/51 (15)


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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 New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY to Caracas Airport as the crow flies is 3382 km (2114 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.
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Lockheed L-749

  • 145 built
  • 17th loss
  • 13th fatal accident
  • 9th worst accident (at the time)
  • 11th worst accident (currently)
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 Venezuela
  • 3rd worst accident (at the time)
  • 15th worst accident (currently)
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