KLM Flight 607-E was an international scheduled flight that crashed on 14 August 1958, on takeoff from Shannon Airport, Ireland. The aircraft was a Lockheed Super Constellation. All 99 on board died, making the crash the deadliest civil aviation disaster involving a single aircraft at the time, and the deadliest crash involving the Lockheed Constellation series, until 1962.
![]() The Hugo de Groot, the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
Accident | |
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Date | 14 August 1958 |
Summary | Undetermined |
Site | Atlantic Ocean (110 mi due west of Galway, Ireland).[1] |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Lockheed L-1049H-01-06-162 Super Constellation |
Aircraft name | Hugo de Groot |
Operator | KLM |
Registration | PH-LKM |
Flight origin | Amsterdam |
1st stopover | Shannon Airport, Ireland |
Last stopover | Gander, Newfoundland |
Destination | New York City |
Occupants | 99 |
Passengers | 91 |
Crew | 8 |
Fatalities | 99 |
Survivors | 0 |
The airplane was named Hugo de Groot and registered as PH-LKM,[2]. The "E" in the flight number stood for the designation of being an extra economy class flight to match the increased seasonal tourist demand.[3]
All ninety-one passengers and eight crew died in the accident, including six members of the Egyptian fencing team (Osman Abdel Hafeez, Mohamed Ali Riad, Ahmed Sabry, et al.).[4]
Flight 607-E departed Shannon at 03:05 UTC on the second leg of a transatlantic trip from Amsterdam, Netherlands to New York City, USA with intermediate stops in Shannon and Gander, Newfoundland. Radio contact with the aircraft was lost at approximately 03:40 UTC; a rescue operation was launched which found light debris on the surface of the ocean approximately 180 kilometres (110 mi) northwest of Shannon. The remains of thirty-four of those on board were also recovered.[1]
Due to the lack of evidence, Irish and Dutch investigators could not pinpoint a probable cause for the accident. They examined the possibility of a bomb, electrical failure, or pilot error, but believed that the most likely possibility was a catastrophic mechanical failure.[5] The investigating Board believed the most likely cause of the accident to be a malfunctioning over-speeding outboard propeller caused by metal particles obstructing oil feed line regulator valves.[5] The particles may have been formed by a gear that was damaged when the supercharger of the corresponding engine was accelerated (gear ratio shifted).[5] The malfunctions of the propeller pitch might have provoked a flight disturbance and as a consequence the propeller may have sheared off.[5]
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Aviation accidents and incidents in 1958 (1958) | |
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1957 ◀ ▶ 1959 |