Independent Air Flight 1851

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**Independent Air Flight 1851**
Summary
Date	8 February 1989
Type	Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Site	Santa Maria, Azores
Passengers	137
Crew	7
Injuries	0
Fatalities	144
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Boeing 707
Operator	Independent Air
Tail number	N7231T

Independent Air Flight 1851, a Boeing 707-300 on a charter flight from Bergamo, was on approach to Santa Maria, Azores when it struck the Pico Alto mountain. The aircraft was destroyed with the loss of all passengers and crew.

The aircraft was on approach to Santa Maria and was instructed by the controller to descend to 3000 feet on QNH 1027. The co-pilot read back Recleared 2000 feet, 1027. The aircraft struck the Pico Alto mountain at 1730 feet above sea level. There was no evidence of an in-flight emergency and the altimeter was found correctly set to 1027 mb.

The Board of Inquiry determined the accident was due to non-observance by the crew of established operating procedures which led to the deliberate descent of the aircraft to 2000 feet when the published minimum sector altitude was 3000 feet. Other factors were the bad communications technique of both the co-pilot and the controller, as the controller had failed to check the correct readback of the descent clearance.

Other mitigating factors were the limited experience of the crew, particularly on international flights, use of an unauthorised route, and bad cockpit procedural discipline.