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Lufthansa Flight 502 was a scheduled flight from Hamburg, Germany to Buenos Aires, Argentina on 11 January 1959. The flight was being operated by a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation (registration D-ALAK).[1] On the leg between Senegal and Brazil the Super Constellation was on approach to Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport when it crashed near Flecheiras Beach just short of the runway. All 29 passengers and seven of the ten crew were killed.[1] It was the first fatal accident involving the current Lufthansa since it was formed in 1955.[2]

Lufthansa Flight 502

A Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date	11 January 1959 (1959-01-11)
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain
Site	Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, Brazil
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation
Operator	Lufthansa
Registration	D-ALAK
Flight origin	Dakar Airport, Senegal
Destination	Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, Brazil
Occupants	39
Passengers	29
Crew	10
Fatalities	36
Injuries	3
Survivors	3

Accident

The aircraft was cleared by air traffic control to descend to 900 metres (3,000 ft) over Guanabara Bay as part of the approach sequence to Runway 14 at Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport. During the descent the weather was rainy.[1] Descending too low on approach, the Constellation struck the water with the aircraft's nosewheel; the crew attempted to continue the approach, but were unable to maintain control, and the aircraft crashed near Flecheiras Beach.[1] All of the aircraft's passengers (including both the literary impressaria Susana Soca and the Archduchess Maria Ileana of Austria-Tuscany, granddaughter of King Ferdinand of Romania, along with her husband) as well as seven crewmembers died; the co-pilot, a steward and a stewardess survived the impact.[2]

Aircraft

The aircraft, a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation airliner powered by four Wright R-3350 radial piston engines, had been built in 1955, and was delivered to Lufthansa on 17 May 1955.[3] The aircraft was sold to Seaboard World Airlines in May 1958, but had been returned to Lufthansa in November of that year.[3]

Probable cause

An accident investigation was unable to determine the cause of the crash, but considered that the most likely cause of the accident was pilot error, resulting in Flight 502 descending below the minimum altitude required for the approach. The crew had exceeded the flight time limits set by Brazilian aeronautical regulations, but not under German rules; aircrew fatigue was determined to be a contributing factor.[1]

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network

На других языках

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[de] Lufthansa-Flug 502

Lufthansa-Flug 502 war ein Linienflug der Lufthansa von Hamburg (Deutschland) nach Buenos Aires (Argentinien) mit Zwischenlandungen in Frankfurt, Paris, Lissabon, Dakar (Senegal) und Rio de Janeiro (Brasilien).[1] Die Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation mit dem Luftfahrzeugkennzeichen D-ALAK[2] stürzte am 11. Januar 1959 beim Landeanflug auf den Aeroporto Internacional do Rio de Janeiro/Galeão kurz vor dem Erreichen der Landebahn in der Nähe des Strandes ab. Alle 29 Passagiere und sieben der zehn Besatzungsmitglieder kamen ums Leben.[2] Es handelte sich dabei um den ersten Flugunfall der 1954 neu gegründeten Lufthansa.[3]

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- [en] Lufthansa Flight 502

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[it] Volo Lufthansa 502

Il volo Lufthansa 502 era un volo di linea da Amburgo a Buenos Aires, Argentina, l'11 gennaio 1959. Il volo era operato da un Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation (codice di registrazione D-ALAK).[1] Sulla tratta tra il Senegal e il Brasile, il Super Constellation si stava avvicinando all'aeroporto internazionale di Rio de Janeiro-Galeão quando si schiantò vicino a Flecheiras Beach, poco prima della pista. Tutti i 29 passeggeri e sette dei dieci membri dell'equipaggio persero la vita.[1] È stato il primo incidente mortale che coinvolse Lufthansa dalla sua fondazione nel 1955.[2]

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