TAME Flight 173: Difference between revisions
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{{More citations needed|date=May 2012}} |
{{More citations needed|date=May 2012}} |
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{{Infobox aircraft occurrence |
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence |
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| name = |
| name = TAME Flight 173 |
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| image = TAME Boeing 737-200 HC-BIG.png |
| image = TAME Boeing 737-200 HC-BIG.png |
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| image_upright = |
| image_upright = |
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| occurrence_type = Accident |
| occurrence_type = Accident |
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| operator = [[TAME]] |
| operator = [[TAME]] |
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| tail_number = HC-BIG |
| tail_number = HC-BIG |
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| IATA = EQ173 |
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| origin = [[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport|Mariscal Sucre International Airport]], Quito, Ecuador |
| origin = [[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport|Mariscal Sucre International Airport]], Quito, Ecuador |
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| stopover = |
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| type = [[Controlled flight into terrain]] (CFIT) due to [[pilot error]] |
| type = [[Controlled flight into terrain]] (CFIT) due to [[pilot error]] |
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'''TAME Flight 173''',<ref name="ASN"></ref> a [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-2V2 Advanced]] operated by Ecuador's national airline [[TAME]], flying on a domestic route from the now-closed [[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport|Mariscal Sucre International Airport]] in Quito to [[Mariscal Lamar International Airport]] in [[Cuenca, Ecuador|Cuenca]], crashed into a hill during [[final approach]] just {{Convert|1|mi|km nmi|abbr=}} from its final destination, killing all 119 people on board.<ref name="FI">{{cite journal|title=none|journal=[[Flight International]]|date=28 January 1984|page=286}}</ref> |
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The crash was the |
The crash was the deadliest crash in the history of [[TAME]], and it remains as the deadliest aircraft accident in the history of [[Ecuador]]. An investigation later determined that the flight crashed due to the flight crew{{'}}s lack of experience on the aircraft type, which caused a [[controlled flight into terrain]].<ref name="ASN">{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2V2 HC-BIG Cuenca |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19830711-0 |access-date=2019-07-06 |website=Aviation Safety Network |publisher=[[Flight Safety Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2012-07-11 |title=Hace 29 años terminó un periodo trágico para la aviación en Cuenca |trans-title=29 years ago a tragic period for aviation in Cuenca ended |url=https://www.eltiempo.com.ec/noticias/cuenca/2/hace-29-anos-termino-un-periodo-trágico-para-la-aviación-en-cuenca |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331064940/https://www.eltiempo.com.ec/noticias/cuenca/2/hace-29-anos-termino-un-periodo-tr%C3%A1gico-para-la-aviaci%C3%B3n-en-cuenca |archive-date=31 March 2020 |access-date=2019-07-06 |website=EL TIEMPO |language=es-es}}</ref> |
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==Aircraft== |
==Aircraft== |
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The aircraft involved in the accident was a [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-2V2 Advanced]], with [[Pratt & Whitney]] type JT8D-17 engines. It was manufactured in 1981 and made its first flight on 11 June of that year. |
The aircraft involved in the accident was a [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-2V2 Advanced]], with [[Pratt & Whitney]] type JT8D-17 engines. It was manufactured in 1981 and made its first flight on 11 June of that year. It was given the test registration of N8283V, and was re-registered as HC-BIG when it arrived in the TAME fleet in October of the same year. The aircraft was named ''"Ciudad de Loja"'' upon its delivery to TAME.<ref name="ASN" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=HC-BIG TAME Boeing 737-200|url=https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/boeing-737-hc-big-tame/egww9r|access-date=2020-06-23|website=www.planespotters.net|language=en}}</ref> |
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HC-BIG was the only Boeing 737 ever operated by the airline.<ref>{{Cite web|title=TAME Fleet Details and History|url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/TAME?refresh=1|access-date=2020-06-23|website=www.planespotters.net}}</ref> |
HC-BIG was the only Boeing 737 ever operated by the airline.<ref>{{Cite web|title=TAME Fleet Details and History|url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/TAME?refresh=1|access-date=2020-06-23|website=www.planespotters.net}}</ref> As ''Vistazo''magazine evoked, its acquisition was the product of an agreement between the previous government of [[Jaime Roldós Aguilera]] with the US to help modernize Ecuador's national aviation. Ironically and tragically, Roldós himself died in a plane accident in May 1981.<ref>https://www.vistazo.com/amp/actualidad/nacional/asi-fue-el-peor-accidente-de-la-aviacion-ecuatoriana-murieron-119-personas-YC5554771</ref> |
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The plane was piloted by captain Jorge Leonardo Peña Terán, a retired general who had previously served as the Commander of the [[Ecuadorian Air Force]] during the Roldós government earlier in the decade.<ref>https://noticias.nat.gov.tw/news.php?unit=92,106,115&post=79333</ref> He notably led the service in combat during the brief 1981 [[Paquisha War]] with neighboring [[Peru]]. After his [[Military discharge|discharge]], he was entitled to a job at the military-run airline, which always had a job for retired generals. Terán thus joined the airline ten months before the accident, initially flying TAME's [[Lockheed Electra]] [[turboprops]] before transitioning to the Boeing 737.<ref>https://www.vistazo.com/amp/actualidad/nacional/asi-fue-el-peor-accidente-de-la-aviacion-ecuatoriana-murieron-119-personas-YC5554771</ref> |
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Of the passengers, 103 people (95 passengers and all eight crew) came from Ecuador, 11 came from Colombia, and five from the United States.<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news |date=1983-07-12 |title=119 Die in Ecuador Airline Crash |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/12/world/119-die-in-ecuador-airline-crash.html |access-date=2019-05-28 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name="elpais">{{Cite news|last=Gorriaran|first=Ramon|date=1983-07-12|title=Estalla en el aire un avión militar ecuatoriano con 119 personas a bordo|language=es|trans-title=An Ecuadorian military plane with 119 people on board explodes in the air|work=El País|publisher=Ediciones El País|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1983/07/12/internacional/426808801_850215.html|access-date=2019-05-28|issn=1134-6582}}</ref> It was later revealed that before the trip several passengers gave up their seats to others, including then-Governor of [[Azuay]] province (of which Cuenca is capital), Juan Cordero Íñiguez, who reportedly missed the flight after oversleeping in a Quito hotel.<ref>https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/se-cumplen-40-anos-de-accidente-aereo-en-cuenca-que-dejo-119-fallecidos-nota/</ref> |
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== Flight history == |
== Flight history == |
Revision as of 14:11, 21 July 2024
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2012) |
![]() The aircraft involved in the accident, photographed in May 1981 at Boeing Field, some months before delivery to TAME. | |
Accident | |
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Date | 11 July 1983[1] |
Summary | Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) due to pilot error |
Website | Bashún Hill, Ricaurte parish, near Mariscal Lamar International Airport, Cuenca, Ecuador 2°51′55.3″S 78°56′59.5″W / 2.865361°S 78.949861°W |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Boeing 737-2V2 Advanced |
Aircraft name | Ciudad de Loja |
Operator | TAME |
IATA flight No. | EQ173 |
Registration | HC-BIG |
Flight origin | Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito, Ecuador |
Destination | Mariscal Lamar International Airport, Cuenca, Ecuador |
Occupants | 119 |
Passengers | 111 |
Crew | 8 |
Fatalities | 119 |
Survivors | 0 |
TAME Flight 173,[2] a Boeing 737-2V2 Advanced operated by Ecuador's national airline TAME, flying on a domestic route from the now-closed Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito to Mariscal Lamar International Airport in Cuenca, crashed into a hill during final approach just 1 mile (1.6 km; 0.87 nmi) from its final destination, killing all 119 people on board.[1]
The crash was the deadliest crash in the history of TAME, and it remains as the deadliest aircraft accident in the history of Ecuador. An investigation later determined that the flight crashed due to the flight crew's lack of experience on the aircraft type, which caused a controlled flight into terrain.[2][3]
Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing 737-2V2 Advanced, with Pratt & Whitney type JT8D-17 engines. It was manufactured in 1981 and made its first flight on 11 June of that year. It was given the test registration of N8283V, and was re-registered as HC-BIG when it arrived in the TAME fleet in October of the same year. The aircraft was named "Ciudad de Loja" upon its delivery to TAME.[2][4]
HC-BIG was the only Boeing 737 ever operated by the airline.[5] As Vistazomagazine evoked, its acquisition was the product of an agreement between the previous government of Jaime Roldós Aguilera with the US to help modernize Ecuador's national aviation. Ironically and tragically, Roldós himself died in a plane accident in May 1981.[6]
The plane was piloted by captain Jorge Leonardo Peña Terán, a retired general who had previously served as the Commander of the Ecuadorian Air Force during the Roldós government earlier in the decade.[7] He notably led the service in combat during the brief 1981 Paquisha War with neighboring Peru. After his discharge, he was entitled to a job at the military-run airline, which always had a job for retired generals. Terán thus joined the airline ten months before the accident, initially flying TAME's Lockheed Electra turboprops before transitioning to the Boeing 737.[8]
Of the passengers, 103 people (95 passengers and all eight crew) came from Ecuador, 11 came from Colombia, and five from the United States.[9][10] It was later revealed that before the trip several passengers gave up their seats to others, including then-Governor of Azuay province (of which Cuenca is capital), Juan Cordero Íñiguez, who reportedly missed the flight after oversleeping in a Quito hotel.[11]
Flight history
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2019) |
On the morning of 11 July 1983, the aircraft took off from Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito for a domestic flight to Mariscal Lamar Airport in Cuenca with 111 passengers and eight crew members. The aircraft encountered foggy conditions during the final approach to Mariscal Lamar Airport, but the weather conditions of that day were reported as clear. The crew contacted the Cuenca control tower for permission to land the plane, which was granted.[9]
During the final few minutes of the flight, the pilots were distracted during a conversation (reportedly discussing labor problems in TAME) and didn't know that the plane was flying dangerously low towards a mountain. Also, at the same time, they were experimenting with some of the aircraft's controls and systems.[citation needed]
Seconds before the plane hit the mountain and 1 mile (1.6 km; 0.87 nmi) from the airport, the ground proximity warning system (GPWS) activated, announcing an imminent terrain collision and sounding an alarm. The captain and first officer attempted to climb clear of the mountain by applying full power on the engines and making a steep climb, but it was too late. The jetliner scraped the peak of Bashún Hill (which overlooks the runway of Marsical Lamar Airport), exploded, and slid down into a ravine; there were no survivors.[12]
Two minutes after the plane signal was lost from the radar screen, Cuenca air traffic control (ATC) declared an emergency. The following day, search aircraft and rescue teams arrived at the plane's last known position. Because of the remoteness and the difficulty of access to the crash site, it took rescue personnel several hours to reach the site itself.[citation needed]
Investigation
Initial fears of a possible sabotage were advanced by the civil aviation authorities[13][14] after a radio station reported witnesses to a mid-air explosion.[15][10] During the investigation, this was discarded due to lack of evidence. The civil authorities of aviation initiated an investigation, with cooperation of Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The investigation results were presented several months later and concluded that pilot error was a direct cause in the crash. Several factors were identified: training of the pilots was not properly delivered by TAME for the Boeing 737-2V2 Advanced, the crew was not fully familiar with the controls of the aircraft, and the crew was distracted while trying to locate the runway in heavy fog, as a consequence, the plane went below the minimum safe altitude in a mountainous region with the flight crew ignoring the voice commands of the proximity radar until seconds before impact.[citation needed]
See also
- SAM Colombia Flight 501
- American Airlines Flight 965
- Air China Flight 129
- Mount Erebus disaster
- Smolensk air disaster
- TWA Flight 3
- Bhoja Air Flight 213
- Prinair Flight 277
- Avianca Flight 410
- TAME Flight 120
- Faucett Perú Flight 251
References
- ^ a b Flight International: 286. 28 January 1984.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ a b c Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2V2 HC-BIG Cuenca". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
- ^ "Hace 29 años terminó un periodo trágico para la aviación en Cuenca" [29 years ago a tragic period for aviation in Cuenca ended]. EL TIEMPO (in European Spanish). 11 July 2012. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
- ^ "HC-BIG TAME Boeing 737-200". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "TAME Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ https://www.vistazo.com/amp/actualidad/nacional/asi-fue-el-peor-accidente-de-la-aviacion-ecuatoriana-murieron-119-personas-YC5554771
- ^ https://noticias.nat.gov.tw/news.php?unit=92,106,115&post=79333
- ^ https://www.vistazo.com/amp/actualidad/nacional/asi-fue-el-peor-accidente-de-la-aviacion-ecuatoriana-murieron-119-personas-YC5554771
- ^ a b "119 Die in Ecuador Airline Crash". The New York Times. Associated Press. 12 July 1983. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ a b Gorriaran, Ramon (12 July 1983). "Estalla en el aire un avión militar ecuatoriano con 119 personas a bordo" [An Ecuadorian military plane with 119 people on board explodes in the air]. El País (in Spanish). Ediciones El País. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/se-cumplen-40-anos-de-accidente-aereo-en-cuenca-que-dejo-119-fallecidos-nota/
- ^ "Una tragedia aérea hace treinta años" [An aerial tragedy thirty years ago]. web.revistavance.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
- ^ "'Saboteurs' may have downed jet". Montreal Journal. 13 July 1983.
- ^ "Five Americans among victims of Ecuadorean airline crash". The Deseret News. 12 July 1983.
- ^ "119 die in crash of Ecuadorean jet". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 12 July 1983.
- Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 Original
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1983
- Aviation accidents and incidents in Ecuador
- TAME accidents and incidents
- 1983 in Ecuador
- July 1983 events in South America
- Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain
- Airliner accidents and incidents caused by weather
- Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
- Airliner accidents and incidents involving fog
- 1983 disasters in Ecuador