Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 22 July 1962
Aircraft Type: Bristol 175 Britannia 314
Owner/operator: Canadian Pacific Air Lines – CPAL
Registration Number: CF-CZB
Location: Honolulu International Airport, HI (HNL) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 27 / Occupants: 40
Component Affected: No. 1 propellerNo. 1 propeller
Investigating Agency: CABCAB
Category: Accident
On July 21, 2023, CPA Flight 323, an international flight from Vancouver, Canada to Auckland and Sydney, experienced a significant incident during takeoff from Honolulu. The aircraft was departing at 22:38 local time, and a fire warning was received shortly after takeoff. The aircraft subsequently landed at Honolulu after a brief period of turbulence and a go-around attempt. The aircraft disintegrated upon landing, striking heavy earth-moving equipment.On July 21, 2023, CPA Flight 323, an international flight from Vancouver, Canada to Auckland and Sydney, experienced a significant incident during takeoff from Honolulu. The aircraft was departing at 22:38 local time, and a fire warning was received shortly after takeoff. The aircraft subsequently landed at Honolulu after a brief period of turbulence and a go-around attempt. The aircraft disintegrated upon landing, striking heavy earth-moving equipment.

Description

The aircraft had arrived in Honolulu at 0507 hours Hawaiian standard time on 21 July as CPA Flight 323 from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was departing, the evening of 22 July, as Empress Flight 301 on a scheduled international flight for Nandi (Fiji Islands), Auckland (New Zealand) and Sydney (Australia). The night takeoff was commenced at 22:38 hours local time and approximately two minutes after becoming airborne and during the climbout a fire warning indication for No 1 engine was received in the cockpit. The No. 1 propeller was feathered and the tower controller was advised that the aircraft was returning to Honolulu. As an over-gross landing weight condition existed, fuel jettisoning in the amount of 35000 lb was carried out The jettisoning operation was completed at 23:06 hours following which the flight was vectored west of the outer marker to Intercept the ILS final approach course for runway 08. The three-engine landing approach appeared normal until the aircraft had proceeded beyond the runway threshold and had commenced its landing flare at an altitude of approximately 20 feet above the runway centreline. A go-around was attempted from this position, and the aircraft banked and veered sharply to the left. Initial ground contact was made by the left wing tip approximately 550 feet to the left of the runway centreline and approximately 700 feet beyond the threshold of the runway. The aircraft progressively disintegrated as it moved across the ground, then struck heavy earth-moving equipment parked approximately 970 feet from the runway centreline. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The attempted three-engine go-around, when the aircraft was in a full landing configuration, at insufficient airspeed and altitude to maintain control.”

Primary Cause

Insufficient airspeed and altitude during a full landing configuration, leading to a loss of control.Insufficient airspeed and altitude during a full landing configuration, leading to a loss of control.

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