Accident Lockheed L-749-79 Constellation YV-C-AMA,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 334585
 

Date:Tuesday 27 November 1956
Time:08:10
Type:Silhouette image of generic CONI model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Lockheed L-749-79 Constellation
Owner/operator:Linea Aeropostal Venezolana - LAV
Registration: YV-C-AMA
MSN: 2560
Year of manufacture:1947
Fatalities:Fatalities: 25 / Occupants: 25
Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off
Category:Accident
Location:18 km ESE of Caracas Airport (CCS) -   Venezuela
Phase: En route
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL/KIDL)
Destination airport:Caracas Airport (CCS/SVMI)
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
LAV Flight 253 departed New York-Idlewild Airport on a 9h48 min flight to Caracas-Maiquetia. Cruising altitude was FL170. Last two messages from the aircraft were a position report at FL175, 75 miles NW of Maiquetia (at 07:51) and a report 35 miles NW of Maiquetia at 7000 feet. It appeared that the Super Constellation, named "Jose Marti", had struck the western peak of Silla de Caracas at 6702 feet altitude. Weather at Maiquetia at the time of the accident was: covered sky, ceiling 2500 feet, visibility north 4 miles, south 0 miles; wind calm.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The instrument flight training manuals show that the Linea Aeropostal Venezolana has approved a procedure for entering Maiquetia in semi-IFR conditions. This procedure consists in maintaining a minimum flight level of 10000ft as far as the station (Miq 292.5), then turning north over this pount and continuing on a 360deg heading for 4 minutes followed by a standard let-down to 1200ft above sea level until contact is established, and a return to the aerodrome under VFR. It is obvious that the pilot-in-command did not fully comply with this procedure, and, after accumulating errors in estimating his speed, endeavoured to make a direct approach which proved fatal because his altitude at the time of his last report was insufficient to cross the Avila mountain range against which the impact occurred."

Sources:

ICAO Accident Digest No.9, Circular 56-AN/51 (15)

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org