Incident Overview
Date: Thursday 15 January 1981
Aircraft Type: Breguet SP-13A Atlantic
Owner/operator: Marine Luchtvaart Dienst – MLD
Registration Number: 255
Location: 185 km W off Inner Hebrides –
ÿ Atlantic Ocean
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 12
Component Affected: Horizontal stabilizerHorizontal stabilizer
Category: Accident
A Dutch Marine Atlantic reconnaissance plane was shadowing the Soviet Navy carrier Kiev in severe weather conditions, including 30ft waves and a blizzard. The plane transmitted a Mayday call at 09:58, but was unable to maintain altitude. It subsequently crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 113 miles west of the Inner Hebrides, about half an hour later. The plane experienced control problems following a failure of a control rod in the horizontal stabilizer.A Dutch Marine Atlantic reconnaissance plane was shadowing the Soviet Navy carrier Kiev in severe weather conditions, including 30ft waves and a blizzard. The plane transmitted a Mayday call at 09:58, but was unable to maintain altitude. It subsequently crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 113 miles west of the Inner Hebrides, about half an hour later. The plane experienced control problems following a failure of a control rod in the horizontal stabilizer.
Description
The Dutch Marine Atlantic reconnaissance plane was shadowing the Soviet Navy carrier Kiev in foul weather, with 30ft waves and blizzard conditions. The Atlantic’s crew transmitted a Mayday at 09:58. They were not able to maintain height. It was forced to ditch in the Atlantic Ocean, 113 miles west of the Inner Hebrides about half an hour later. The airplane had suffered control problems after the failure of a control rod in the horizontal stabilizer. Nine survivors were rescued by a Royal Navy Sea King from 819 NAS at Prestwick helicopter about two hours after the crash.
Primary Cause
Control problems following a failure of a control rod in the horizontal stabilizer.Control problems following a failure of a control rod in the horizontal stabilizer.Share on:
