Narrative:
Cubana flight 9046 was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV), Cuba. The aircraft, an Ilyuhsin 62M, operated on a charter flight from Havana to Milan, Italy, with a planned technical stop at Köln/Bonn, Germany.
The aircraft was cleared for a departure from runway 05. Weather was poor with a rain storm over the field with a 7/8 cloud cover at 540-600 meters altitude and cumulonimbus clouds in the area. The final wind check before takeoff was reported to be 90 degrees at 20-26 knots. Takeoff was commenced at 18:56 hours. The gear was raised after takeoff and the flaps were selected up to 15° from 30° while the aircraft climbed through an altitude of 40 meters (130 ft), reaching a highest altitude of 56 meters (184 ft). The aircraft was caught in downdrafts and descended until impacting ILS aerials 67 seconds after commencing takeoff and 220 meters past the runway end. The aircraft broke up and burst into flames as it proceeded up a hill before crashing into a residential area. All 126 on board died in the accident, along with 24 persons on the ground. One passenger, a 22 year old male initially survived the crash but died on September 11, eight days after the accident.
Probable cause (translated from Spanish):
1) The existence of an adverse atmospheric phenomenon of windshear at low altitude, of which existence the captain did not know.
2) An unwise decision of the pilot in command to not postpone the takeoff given the existing weather conditions near the airfield.
Loss of control
accident date: 03-09-1989
type: Ilyushin Il-62M
registration: CU-T1281
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Sunday 3 September 1989 |
| Time: | 18:57 |
| Type: |  Ilyushin Il-62M |
| Operator: | Cubana de Aviación |
| Registration: | CU-T1281 |
| MSN: | 3850453 |
| First flight: | 1988 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1326 |
| Cycles: | 254 |
| Engines: | 4 Soloviev D-30KU |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 115 / Occupants: 115 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 126 / Occupants: 126 |
| Ground casualties: | Fatalities: 24 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 0,7 km (0.4 mls) NE of Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV) ( Cuba)
|
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Int'l Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV/MUHA), Cuba |
| Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN/EDDK), Germany | |
| Flightnumber: | CU9046 |
Cubana flight 9046 was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV), Cuba. The aircraft, an Ilyuhsin 62M, operated on a charter flight from Havana to Milan, Italy, with a planned technical stop at Köln/Bonn, Germany.
The aircraft was cleared for a departure from runway 05. Weather was poor with a rain storm over the field with a 7/8 cloud cover at 540-600 meters altitude and cumulonimbus clouds in the area. The final wind check before takeoff was reported to be 90 degrees at 20-26 knots. Takeoff was commenced at 18:56 hours. The gear was raised after takeoff and the flaps were selected up to 15° from 30° while the aircraft climbed through an altitude of 40 meters (130 ft), reaching a highest altitude of 56 meters (184 ft). The aircraft was caught in downdrafts and descended until impacting ILS aerials 67 seconds after commencing takeoff and 220 meters past the runway end. The aircraft broke up and burst into flames as it proceeded up a hill before crashing into a residential area. All 126 on board died in the accident, along with 24 persons on the ground. One passenger, a 22 year old male initially survived the crash but died on September 11, eight days after the accident.
Probable Cause:
Probable cause (translated from Spanish):
1) The existence of an adverse atmospheric phenomenon of windshear at low altitude, of which existence the captain did not know.
2) An unwise decision of the pilot in command to not postpone the takeoff given the existing weather conditions near the airfield.
Classification:
Windshear/downdraftLoss of control
Sources:
» INAC Final ReportPhotos
accident date: 03-09-1989
type: Ilyushin Il-62M
registration: CU-T1281
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 Havana-José Martí International Airport to Köln/Bonn Airport as the crow flies is 7968 km (4980 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Havana-José Martí International Airport to Köln/Bonn Airport as the crow flies is 7968 km (4980 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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