2012-01-14

Lufthansa Flight 502




Lufthansa Flight 502

Lufthansa Flight 502

A similar Constellation
Accident summary
Date 11 January 1959
Type Controlled flight into terrain
Site Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, Brazil
Passengers 29
Crew 10
Injuries 3
Fatalities 36
Survivors 3
Aircraft type Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation
Operator Lufthansa
Tail number D-ALAK
Flight origin Dakar Airport, Senegal
Destination Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, Brazil

Lufthansa Flight 502 was a scheduled flight from Hamburg, Germany to Buenos Aires, Argentina; on 11 January 1959, the flight was being operated by a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation (registration D-ALAK). On the leg between Senegal and Brazil the Super Constellation was on approach to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport when it crashed near just short of the runway. All 29 passengers and seven of the ten crew were killed. It was the first fatal accident involving Lufthansa since it was formed in 1955.

Accident

The aircraft was cleared by air traffic control to descend to 900 metres (3,000 ft) over Guanabara Bay as part of the approach sequence to Runway 14 at Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport. During the descent the weather was rainy. Descending too low on approach, the Constellation struck the water with the aircraft's nosewheel; the crew attempted to continue the approach, but were unable to maintain control, and the aircraft crashed near Flecheiras Beach. All of the aircraft's passengers and seven of the crewmembers died; the co-pilot, a steward and a stewardess survived the impact.

Aircraft

The aircraft, a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation airliner powered by four Wright R-3350 radial piston engines, had been built in 1955, and was delivered to Lufthansa on 17 May 1955. The aircraft was sold to Seaboard World Airlines in May 1958, but had been returned to Lufthansa in November of that year.

Probable cause

References

Citations
Bibliography
Military Accidents/incidents Records

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