Linjeflyg Flight 618
A view of the wreckage, in which the inverted tailplane is clearly visible as the only recognisable part | |
Accident summary | |
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Date | 15 January 1977 |
Summary | Atmospheric icing; pilot error |
Site | Kälvesta (Stockholm), Sweden |
Passengers | 19 |
Crew | 3 |
Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
Fatalities | 22 (all) |
Survivors | 0 |
Aircraft type | Vickers 838 Viscount |
Operator | Skyline Sweden for Linjeflyg |
Registration | SE-FOZ |
Flight origin | Malmö Airport |
1st stopover | Kristianstad Airport |
2nd stopover | Växjö-Smaland Airport |
3rd stopover | Jönköping Airport |
Destination | Stockholm-Bromma Airport |
Linjeflyg Flight 618 was a scheduled Linjeflyg passenger flight, operated by Skyline Sweden, that crashed into a residential area on 15 January 1977, killing all 22 people on board. The plane had left Malmö earlier that morning.
Final moments
The airplane, a Vickers 838 Viscount, was at an altitude of 1,150 feet and was descending to land at the Stockholm-Bromma Airport (BMA/ESSB), serving Stockholm. Suddenly, the aircraft experienced a loss of pitch control. The aircraft went into a steep dive and crashed into the residential area of Kälvesta, five km short of the runway. The aircraft impacted a car park, and no one on the ground was killed. All 19 passengers and 3 crew members on board the airplane were killed. One of them was the well-known table tennis player Hans Alsér.
Investigation
A full investigation into the cause of the accident was conducted by the Government of Sweden. The investigation came to the following conclusions:
The aircraft had been cruising for a long period with the number two and number three engines at a low power setting. This meant that the anti-icing systems run from the engines were not at a temperature sufficient for them to operate correctly. As a result, ice built up on the tailplane, which disrupted the airflow, causing the loss of pitch control when the flaps were being fully extended on final approach.
References
- Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network, including pictures of the wreckage
External links
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