Narrative:
Alitalia flight 618 was a scheduled service from Rome, Italy, to New York, NY, USA, with a refueling stop at Shannon, Ireland.
The flight was being flown under the supervision of a check pilot.
The aircraft, a Douglas DC-7C, arrived at Shannon without incident and after refueling, it was cleared to take off from runway. The weather was clear but dark and partially overcast.
The take-off from runway 05 was normal except that the ground roll was probably slightly prolonged. The landing gear was retracted normally. A turn to the left was begun very shortly after gear retraction when the aircraft had climbed to about 165 ft. Power was reduced from take-off power to alternate climb power (2080 BHP) shortly after the turn had been initiated. The flaps, which had been at either 20° or 10° initially, were not fully retracted prior to power reduction. Following power reduction, the aircraft accelerated instead of climbing and lost height while still turning. The landing lights were on during the flight. The aircraft struck the ground while still in a left turn - the point of impact being 65 ft amsl. The left wing tip made the initial contact. The left propellers (Nos. 1 and 2) and left wing struck the stone wall and grave stones of Clonloghan Church. The tips of No. 3 propeller first struck the wall and then made cuts in the turf. The speed of the aircraft at impact was of the order of 170 - 180 kt.
The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact and subsequent explosion and fire. One steward and seventeen passengers survived the accident.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "No definite evidence leading to a particular reason for this accident was revealed by the investigation. It can only be concluded that the aeroplane lost height in a turn shortly after takeoff and struck the ground."
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
» L'Unità 27-2-1960
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 26 February 1960 |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-7C |
| Operator: | Alitalia |
| Registration: | I-DUVO |
| MSN: | 45231/945 |
| First flight: | 1958 |
| Engines: | 4 Wright R-3350 (988TC18) |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 12 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 40 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 34 / Occupants: 52 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Shannon Airport (SNN) ( Ireland)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 14 m (46 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Shannon Airport (SNN/EINN), Ireland |
| New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL/KIDL), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | AZ618 |
Alitalia flight 618 was a scheduled service from Rome, Italy, to New York, NY, USA, with a refueling stop at Shannon, Ireland.
The flight was being flown under the supervision of a check pilot.
The aircraft, a Douglas DC-7C, arrived at Shannon without incident and after refueling, it was cleared to take off from runway. The weather was clear but dark and partially overcast.
The take-off from runway 05 was normal except that the ground roll was probably slightly prolonged. The landing gear was retracted normally. A turn to the left was begun very shortly after gear retraction when the aircraft had climbed to about 165 ft. Power was reduced from take-off power to alternate climb power (2080 BHP) shortly after the turn had been initiated. The flaps, which had been at either 20° or 10° initially, were not fully retracted prior to power reduction. Following power reduction, the aircraft accelerated instead of climbing and lost height while still turning. The landing lights were on during the flight. The aircraft struck the ground while still in a left turn - the point of impact being 65 ft amsl. The left wing tip made the initial contact. The left propellers (Nos. 1 and 2) and left wing struck the stone wall and grave stones of Clonloghan Church. The tips of No. 3 propeller first struck the wall and then made cuts in the turf. The speed of the aircraft at impact was of the order of 170 - 180 kt.
The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact and subsequent explosion and fire. One steward and seventeen passengers survived the accident.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "No definite evidence leading to a particular reason for this accident was revealed by the investigation. It can only be concluded that the aeroplane lost height in a turn shortly after takeoff and struck the ground."
Classification:
Cause undetermined Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 64-AN/58 (133-134)» L'Unità 27-2-1960
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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 Shannon Airport to New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY as the crow flies is 4910 km (3069 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Shannon Airport to New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY as the crow flies is 4910 km (3069 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few 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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Douglas DC-7
- 339 built
- 11th loss
- 8th fatal accident
- 6th worst accident (at the time)
- 10th worst accident (currently)
Ireland- The worst accident (at the time)
- 3rd worst accident (currently)
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