ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 755D Viscount CU-T603 Preston Airport (PST)
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Status:
Date:Saturday 1 November 1958
Type:Silhouette image of generic VISC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Vickers 755D Viscount
Operator:Cubana de Aviación
Registration: CU-T603
MSN: 91
First flight: 1956
Crew:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 16
Total:Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 20
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:3 km (1.9 mls) off Preston Airport (PST) (   Cuba)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Miami International Airport, FL (MIA/KMIA), United States of America
Destination airport:Varadero Airport (VRA/MUVR), Cuba
Flightnumber:CU495
Narrative:
Cubana flight CU495 departed Miami at 22:00, estimating an arrival at Varadero of 22:49. The Viscount didn't arrive at its destination and was later found out to have crashed into Bahia de Nipe.
Newspapers at the time reported that the flight was being commandeered to Preston Airport (PST), over 600 km southeast of Varadero (VRA). Preston was located in an area controlled by rebels. In November 1958, during the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, Varadero was still in hands of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot was trying to land at Preston Airport when the aircraft ran out of fuel on final approach and loss of control followed."

Classification:
Fuel exhaustion
Hijack
Loss of control

Sources:
» The Milwaukee Sentinel - Nov 3, 1958


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Miami International Airport, FL to Varadero Airport as the crow flies is 326 km (204 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Vickers Viscount

  • 445 built
  • 16th loss
  • 9th fatal accident
  • 5th worst accident (at the time)
  • 39th worst accident (currently)
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 Cuba
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 8th worst accident (currently)
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