Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 19 April 1983
Aircraft Type: Kawasaki C-1
Owner/operator: Japan Air Self-Defense Force – JASDF
Registration Number: 58-1009
Location: near Toba – ÿ Japan
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Component Affected: Aircraft (58-1009), (68-1015), and (3)Aircraft (58-1009), (68-1015), and (3)
Category: Accident
A Kawasaki C-1 transport aircraft formation, consisting of five aircraft, was flying in formation from Nagoya-Komaki Air Base to Iruma, Japan. Due to an unexpected deviation in the formation’s track, the aircraft drifted 13 km to the right, resulting in a collision with a significant hill on an offshore island. All eight crew members perished. Subsequently, the aircraft, including the second and third, executed evasive maneuvers but sustained damage, including a wingtip and fuselage damage.A Kawasaki C-1 transport aircraft formation, consisting of five aircraft, was flying in formation from Nagoya-Komaki Air Base to Iruma, Japan. Due to an unexpected deviation in the formation’s track, the aircraft drifted 13 km to the right, resulting in a collision with a significant hill on an offshore island. All eight crew members perished. Subsequently, the aircraft, including the second and third, executed evasive maneuvers but sustained damage, including a wingtip and fuselage damage.

Description

Five Kawasaki C-1 transport aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) were flying in formation from Nagoya-Komaki Air Base to Iruma, Japan. The formation leader planned to turn left over Ise Bay towards Iruma, but for unknown reasons allowed the formation’s track to drift right by 13 km. Flying at 600ft under a special VFR clearance, the aircraft (58-1009) hit a 3342 ft hill on a small offshore island, killing all eight on board. The number two (68-1015) also hit the hill, killing all six on board. The third aircraft in formation took evasive action but brushed trees, badly damaging a wingtip and the bottom of the fuselage. The pilots alerted the fourth and fifth aircraft, who pulled up safely. Meanwhile aircraft number three headed back to Komaki and landed safely despite suffering a birdstrike en route. Weather at the time of the accident was rain and fog with visibility less than 1,000 m.

Source of Information

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1983/1983%20-%201220.htmlhttp://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1983/1983%20-%201220.html

Primary Cause

Formation deviation and unexpected track drift.Formation deviation and unexpected track drift.

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