Pan Am Flight 217
Encyclopedia
Pan Am Flight 217 was a Boeing 707
, registration N494PA, 'Clipper Malay' which took off from New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport
on a flight to Caracas-Simon Bolivar International Airport
on December 12, 1968. After a 3 hour flight the aircraft was flying at night and nearing Caracas
then the flight disappeared from radar at air traffic control at Caracas
and a call was made to the Bolivarian Armada of Venezuela to search for the aircraft. The wreck of the Boeing 707 was found 18.4 km from Caracas
. All 51 passengers and crew died in the crash.
The cause of the crash was believed to be pilot error and due to an optical illusion created by the lights of the city on an upslope until Pan Am Flight 217 crashed and exploded in the sea.
One of those who perished on Flight 217 crash was Olga Antonetti
, a former Miss Venezuela
.
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
, registration N494PA, 'Clipper Malay' which took off from New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
on a flight to Caracas-Simon Bolivar International Airport
Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)
Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia is an international airport located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from downtown Caracas....
on December 12, 1968. After a 3 hour flight the aircraft was flying at night and nearing Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
then the flight disappeared from radar at air traffic control at Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
and a call was made to the Bolivarian Armada of Venezuela to search for the aircraft. The wreck of the Boeing 707 was found 18.4 km from Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. All 51 passengers and crew died in the crash.
The cause of the crash was believed to be pilot error and due to an optical illusion created by the lights of the city on an upslope until Pan Am Flight 217 crashed and exploded in the sea.
One of those who perished on Flight 217 crash was Olga Antonetti
Olga Antonetti
Olga "Olguita" Antonetti Núñez was the Miss Venezuela titleholder for 1962, and the official representative of Venezuela to the Miss International 1962 pageant held in Long Beach, California, USA, on August 18, 1962, when she classified in the Top 15 semifinalists...
, a former Miss Venezuela
Miss Venezuela
The Miss Venezuela contest is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela and has been held since 1952. It is responsible for selecting the country's representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss International pageants .Under the direction of Osmel Sousa, Venezuela has...
.