KLM Flight 607-E
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 14, 1958 |
| Type | Undetermined |
| Site | the Atlantic Ocean 110 mi NNW of Ireland |
| Passengers | 91 |
| Crew | 8 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 99 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed L-1049H-01-06-162 Super Constellation |
| Aircraft name | Hugo de Groot |
| Operator | KLM |
| Tail number | PH-LKM |
| Flight origin | Amsterdam |
| 1st stopover | Shannon Airport, Ireland |
| Last stopover | Gander, Newfoundland |
| Destination | New York City |
KLM Flight 607-E, also known as Hugo de Groot, registration PH-LKM, was a Lockheed Super Constellation which crashed 180 kilometres west of Shannon, Ireland on August 14, 1958. All 99 on board died in the accident, including six members of the Egyptian fencing team.[1] The "E" in the flight number stood for the designation of being an extra economy class flight to match the increased seasonal tourist demand.[2]
Flight 607-E departed Shannon, Ireland at 3:05 GMT on the second leg of a transatlantic trip from Amsterdam to New York City with intermediate stops in Shannon and Gander, Newfoundland. Radio contact with the aircraft was lost at approximately 3:40 GMT; a rescue operation was launched which found light debris on the surface of the ocean approximately 180 km west of Shannon. The remains of 34 of those on board were also recovered. Due to the unknown depth of the crash location, no salvage effort was attempted.[citation needed]
The August 15, 1958 edition of The New York Times reported the incident thusly: "A New York-bound Dutch Super-Constellation carrying ninety-nine persons plunged into the Atlantic yesterday. Fifty-one of the passengers were Americans returning home. If' all were killed, as appeared likely, it is the worst disaster ever involving a single commercial plane. The KLM-Royal Dutch airliner fell into the squall-whipped sea On a flight from Amsterdam shortly after taking off from Shannon airport. It fell about 130 mile- west of Ireland. Searchers recovered eight bodies, all afloat, plus some partly inflated life rafts. A KLM spokesman said the plane evidently was in one piece when it hit.
No Sign of Life Seen
At Aldergrove, Northern Ireland, crewmen of the first Royal Air Force Shackleton plane to sight the wreckage said they saw six bodies, but no sign of life during an eight-hour patrol."
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. The cause of the accident is believed to be a malfunctioning overspeeding outboard propeller caused by metal particles obstructing oil feed line regulator valves. The particles may have been formed by a gear that was damaged when the supercharger of the corresponding engine was accelerated (shifted). The malfunctions of the propeller pitch might have provoked a flight disturbance and as a consequence the propeller may have sheared off. KLM made modifications to the oil feed lines serving the propeller mechanism making the possibility of such a propeller event much less likely.[citation needed]
[edit] Burial
Many victims of the disaster were buried in Bohermore Cemetery in Galway.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061012/news_1s12crshlist.html
- ^ "Tragedy for Homeward-Bound Vacationers." LIFE. Time Inc. August 25, 1958. Volume 45, No. 8. Page 28. ISSN 0024-3019. Accessed on Google Books. Retrieved on November 6, 2009.
[edit] External links
- Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
- Galway Ceremony marks KLM air disaster at RTE News
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