Pan Am Flight 806
Encyclopedia
Pan Am Flight 806, a Boeing 707-321B
, was a scheduled flight from Auckland
, New Zealand
to Los Angeles
, California
with intermediate stops at Pago Pago, American Samoa
and Honolulu, Hawaii
. On January 30, 1974 it crashed on approach to Pago Pago International Airport
. Eighty seven passengers and 10 crew members were killed.
The National Transportation Safety Board
determined that the probable cause of the crash was the flight crew's late recognition, and failure to correct in a timely manner, an excessive descent rate which developed as a result of the aircraft's penetration through destabilizing wind changes. The winds consisted of horizontal and vertical components produced by a heavy rainstorm and influenced by uneven terrain close to the aircraft's approach path. The captain's recognition was hampered by restricted visibility, the illusory effects of a "black hole" approach, inadequate monitoring of flight instruments, and the failure of the crew to call out descent rate during the last 15 seconds of flight.
The flight crew consisted of 52-year old Captain Leroy A. Petersen, 37-year old First Officer Richard V. Gaines, 43-year old Third Officer James S. Phillips, and 37-year old Flight Engineer Gerry W. Green.
All 10 crew members died, while 86 passengers ultimately died. 9 passengers and 1 crew member survived the initial crash and fire. One passenger died the day after the accident. Three days after the accident, the remaining crew member and three passengers died. One passenger counted as a survivor died 9 days after the accident.
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...
, was a scheduled flight from Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with intermediate stops at Pago Pago, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
and Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. On January 30, 1974 it crashed on approach to Pago Pago International Airport
Pago Pago International Airport
Pago Pago International Airport , also referred to as Tafuna Airport , Tafuna Airfield, Tafuna Airbase or Pago Pago International with airport designation PPG is a public airport located seven miles southwest of the central business district of Pago Pago, in the village and plains of Tafuna on...
. Eighty seven passengers and 10 crew members were killed.
The National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
determined that the probable cause of the crash was the flight crew's late recognition, and failure to correct in a timely manner, an excessive descent rate which developed as a result of the aircraft's penetration through destabilizing wind changes. The winds consisted of horizontal and vertical components produced by a heavy rainstorm and influenced by uneven terrain close to the aircraft's approach path. The captain's recognition was hampered by restricted visibility, the illusory effects of a "black hole" approach, inadequate monitoring of flight instruments, and the failure of the crew to call out descent rate during the last 15 seconds of flight.
The flight crew consisted of 52-year old Captain Leroy A. Petersen, 37-year old First Officer Richard V. Gaines, 43-year old Third Officer James S. Phillips, and 37-year old Flight Engineer Gerry W. Green.
All 10 crew members died, while 86 passengers ultimately died. 9 passengers and 1 crew member survived the initial crash and fire. One passenger died the day after the accident. Three days after the accident, the remaining crew member and three passengers died. One passenger counted as a survivor died 9 days after the accident.
External links
- NTSB Accident Report (PDF file)