Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 24 December 1958
Aircraft Type: Lockheed L-749A Constellation
Owner/operator: Air France
Registration Number: F-BAZX
Location: 2,2 km SSE of Wien-Schwechat International Airport (VIE) –
ÿ Austria
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 34
Component Affected: Aircraft control systems (specifically, visual guidance and attitude control).Aircraft control systems (specifically, visual guidance and attitude control).
Category: Accident
A Lockheed Constellation aircraft experienced a crash during a visual circuit near Munich after an ILS let-down. The aircraft crashed 2200 meters short of the runway 30 threshold due to a loss of situational awareness during a base leg turn. The probable cause was a failure to maintain visual contact with the ground, resulting in an abnormal attitude that led to the crash.A Lockheed Constellation aircraft experienced a crash during a visual circuit near Munich after an ILS let-down. The aircraft crashed 2200 meters short of the runway 30 threshold due to a loss of situational awareness during a base leg turn. The probable cause was a failure to maintain visual contact with the ground, resulting in an abnormal attitude that led to the crash.
Description
The Lockheed Constellation was on a flight from Paris to Vienna via Munich and departed Munich at 19:58 GMT. After an ILS let-down the pilot started to make a visual circuit . In the base leg turn the aircraft crashed 2200 m short of the runway 30 threshold. PROBABLE CAUSE: “It is possible to establish that there was no question of a technical malfunction, and that the flight crew lost sight of the ground in the base leg turn, at which time the aircraft adopted an abnormal attitude for this manoeuvre which led to the crash. Presumably the accident could have been avoided through immediate discontinuation of the approach procedure (immediate changeover to climb – heading for radio beacon OEW) following loss of visibility.”
Primary Cause
Loss of situational awareness during a base leg turn.Loss of situational awareness during a base leg turn.Share on:
