Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 18 May 1958
Aircraft Type: Douglas DC-7C
Owner/operator: Sabena
Registration Number: OO-SFA
Location: near Casablanca-Cazes Airport (CAS) – ÿ Morocco
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 61 / Occupants: 65
Component Affected: The DC-7 aircraft’s engine and control systems.The DC-7 aircraft’s engine and control systems.
Category: Accident
A Sabena DC-7 aircraft, en route from Brussels to Kinshasa, Belgium, experienced a catastrophic accident due to a critical error in power application during an approach. The engine vibration triggered a shutdown, leading to a rapid and uncontrolled descent, stalling, and subsequent crash into buildings.A Sabena DC-7 aircraft, en route from Brussels to Kinshasa, Belgium, experienced a catastrophic accident due to a critical error in power application during an approach. The engine vibration triggered a shutdown, leading to a rapid and uncontrolled descent, stalling, and subsequent crash into buildings.

Description

The Sabena flight, originating at Brussels, Belgium had departed Lisbon following an intermediate stop on a flight to L‚opoldville (now Kinshasa), Belgian Congo. While en route, vibration in the no. 1 engine forced the crew to shut it down. Casablanca ACC was advised that the flight wanted to divert there. At 04:19 hours a runway 21 approach was attempted, but the aircraft did not touch down. Some 600 m past the runway threshold at a height of 5 m and with landing gear down and full flaps, full power was applied. The DC-7 then climbed in a sharp left turn. Reaching a height of 25 m, the plane stalled, crashed into buildings and caught fire. The correct procedure for going around would have been to apply full throttle only gradually attaining V2 speed; retracting the landing gear; and, at 115 kt, retracting the flaps from 50 to 20ø. PROBABLE CAUSE: “An error of judgement in re-application of power when the aircraft was neither in the appropriate configuration nor at a sufficient speed to carry out the attempted safety manoeuvre.”

Primary Cause

An error of judgement in re-application of power when the aircraft was neither in the appropriate configuration nor at a sufficient speed to carry out the attempted safety manoeuvre.An error of judgement in re-application of power when the aircraft was neither in the appropriate configuration nor at a sufficient speed to carry out the attempted safety manoeuvre.

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