Dominicana DC-9 air disaster

Dominicana DC-9 air disaster

A DC-9-32 similar to the accident aircraft
Accident summary
Date February 15, 1970
Summary Engine failure followed by loss of control
Site Caribbean Sea near Las Américas Int'l Airport
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Passengers 97
Crew 5
Fatalities 102
Survivors 0
Aircraft type McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Operator Dominicana de Aviación
Registration HI-177
Flight origin Santo Domingo-Las Américas International Airport (SDQ/MDSD)
Destination San Juan-Isla Verde International Airport (SJU/TJSJ)

The Dominicana de Aviación Santo Domingo DC-9 air disaster occurred on February 15, 1970 when a Dominicana de Aviación (Dominican Airlines) McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 twin-engine jet airliner crashed shortly after taking off from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The crash killed all 102 passengers and crew on board.[1]

Aircraft

The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 registered HI-177, had been built by McDonnell Douglas the previous year. It had been in service with Dominicana for less than a month when it crashed.[1][2]

Accident

The jetliner was on an international flight from Las Américas International Airport near Santo Domingo, to San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. It took off at about 6:30pm. Two minutes after departure one of its engines lost power. The aircraft then descended until it hit the sea.[1] There were no survivors among the 97 passengers and five crew members on board.[1]

Notable victims

Among the dead were former world boxing champion Carlos Cruz, his wife and their two children; and twelve members of Puerto Rico's women's national volleyball team.[3]

Aftermath

Dominicana suspended its operations immediately after the crash; reportedly four of its mechanics were arrested as well.[2] In addition, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned Dominicana aircraft from operating to the United States. The ban was lifted later in the year after Dominicana leased a replacement DC-9 aircraft, to be flown by crews from Spanish airline Iberia.[2][4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 D. Gero (2005-05-21). "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 HI-177 Santo Domingo". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "FAA Suspends Dominicana", Flight International, 19 March 1970, p.421 (online archive version) retrieved 16 November 2012
  3. ↑ Crash stills title hopes
  4. ↑ "Dominicana to Resume", Flight International, 16 April 1970, p.615 (online archive version) retrieved 16 November 2012

External links