1977 Dan-Air Boeing 707 crash
 A Dan-Air Boeing 707 similar to the crash aircraft | |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 14 May 1977 |
| Summary | Structural failure |
| Site | Near Lusaka, Zambia |
| Passengers | 1 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707-321C |
| Operator | Dan Air Services Ltd |
| Registration | G-BEBP |
| Flight origin | London Heathrow airport (LHR) |
| Stopover | Athens, Greece |
| 1st stopover | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Destination | Lusaka, Zambia |
The 1977 Dan-Air/IAS Cargo Boeing 707 crash was a fatal accident involving a Boeing 707-321C cargo aircraft operated by Dan Air Services Limited on behalf of International Aviation Services Limited (trading as IAS Cargo Airlines at the time of the accident), which had been sub-contracted by Zambia Airways Corporation to operate a weekly scheduled all-cargo service between London Heathrow and the Zambian capital Lusaka via Athens and Nairobi. The aircraft crashed during approach to Lusaka Airport, Zambia, on 14 May 1977. All six occupants of the aircraft were killed.
History of aircraft
The aircraft was a Boeing 707-321C that first entered service with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) in 1963. This aircraft was also the first convertible 707 built,[1] featuring a large freight door on the left-hand side of the forward fuselage, that permitted the carriage of main deck cargo when configured as a freighter. Dan-Air acquired the aircraft in 1976. It was the fourth 707 the UK independent[nb 1] operated, as well as the type's second turbofan-powered and second convertible example in service with the airline. At the time of the accident it had flown about 47,000 hours.[2]
History of flight
The flight was a three-legged originating from London Heathrow Airport to Athens (Hellinikon Airport), which was uneventful; from Athens it then proceeded to Nairobi (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport). Departure from Nairobi for Lusaka on the final leg occurred as planned at 07:17, 14 May.
The 707 cruised at flight level 310 for about two hours, after which it was cleared for descent to flight level 110. Flight level 110 was reached at approximately 09:23, and clearance was granted to begin descent towards a target of flight level 70. Just before 09:30, clearance to descend to 6,000 ft (1,800 m) was granted, and moments later the plane was cleared to make a visual approach to runway 10. A few minutes later, witnesses saw the entire right horizontal stabiliser and elevator assembly detach from the aircraft. The aircraft subsequently lost pitch control and entered a nose-dive from about 800 ft (240 m) to ground level, destroying the aircraft on impact.
There were no survivors among the five crew members and one jumpseat passenger on board the aircraft. There were no other fatalities on the ground. The wreckage was located approximately 12,010 ft (3,660 m) from the runway.
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