Varig Flight 797
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 January 1987 |
| Summary | engine failure |
| Site | near Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707-379C |
| Operator | Varig |
| Registration | PP-VJKdisaster[1] |
| Flight origin | Port Bouet Airport |
| Destination | Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport |
| Passengers | 39 |
| Crew | 12 |
| Fatalities | 50 |
| Survivors | 1 |
Varig Flight 797 was a flight from Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire's to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On 3 January 1987 the Boeing 707-379C used for the route crashed on the terrain, killing all 12 crew members and 38 of 39 passengers.[2]
When departing Abidjan the aircraft developed problems with its left (No. 1) engine.[2] While returning the aircraft crashed into the jungle 18 km from the airport.[3]
Four days after the disaster, Ahmad Wansa, a British citizen who was injured in the crash, died on board a Swiss aircraft while arriving in Paris; he was going to be transferred to a burn unit in a Paris suburb. The sole remaining survivor, identified as Ivory Coast University Prof. Neuba Yessoh,[4] had burns on less than 20 percent of his body.[3]
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 Brazil |
10 | 12 | 22 |
 Ivory Coast |
13 | 0 | 13 |
 Lebanon |
5 | 0 | 5 |
 France |
2 | 0 | 2 |
 West Germany |
2 | 0 | 2 |
 Senegal |
2 | 0 | 2 |
 United States |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 United Kingdom |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Peru |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Chile |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Cameroon |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 39 | 12 | 51 |
References
- ^ "Registro Aeronáutico Brasileiro (PP-VJK)". Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil.
- ^ a b http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19870103-0
- ^ a b "Death of Briton Brings Toll To 50 in Abidjan Plane Crash." Associated Press. 7 January 1987. Retrieved on 31 January 2009.
- ^ "Varig 707 in Ivory Coast Crash Said to Have Had Earlier Troubles." Washington Post. 6 January 1987. Retrieved on 13 February 2009.
External links
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Photos of PP-VJK at Airliners.net |