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Varig Flight 837

Coordinates: 6°12′25″N 10°22′44″W / 6.207°N 10.37897°W / 6.207; -10.37897
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Varig Flight 837
A Varig Douglas DC-8-33, similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date5 March 1967 (1967-03-05)
SummaryControlled flight into terrain caused by pilot error
SiteRoberts International Airport, Harbel, Liberia
6°12′25″N 10°22′44″W / 6.207°N 10.37897°W / 6.207; -10.37897
Total fatalities56 (5 ground fatalities)
Aircraft
Aircraft typeDouglas DC-8-33
OperatorVarig
RegistrationPP-PEA
Flight originBeirut International Airport, Beirut, Lebanon
1st stopoverFiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy
2nd stopoverRoberts International Airport, Monrovia, Liberia
DestinationGaleão International Airport, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Passengers71
Crew19
Fatalities51
Survivors39
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities5

Varig Flight 837 was a flight from Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy to Galeão International Airport, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, originating in Beirut, Lebanon, and with a stop in Monrovia, Liberia. On 5 March 1967, due to pilot error, the flight crashed during approach to Runway 04 of Roberts International Airport.[1] Of the 71 passengers and 19 crew on board, 50 passengers and the flight engineer perished. In addition, 5 people on the ground were also killed. The aircraft caught fire and was written off. This is the worst aviation accident in Liberia to this day.[2][3]

Investigators determined the probable cause of the crash to be "The failure of the pilot-in-command to arrest in time the fast descent at a low altitude upon which he had erroneously decided, instead of executing a missed approach when he found himself too high over the locator beacon."[4]

References

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  1. ^ "GI survives plane crash fatal to 56". Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. Associated Press. 5 March 1967. p. 15.
  2. ^ "Liberia accident history at Aviation Safety Network". Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  3. ^ da Silva, Germano; Ari César, Carlos (2008). "Armadilha na aproximação" [Trap on approach]. O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 [The witch's trail: history of Brazilian commercial aviation in the 20th century through its accidents 1928–1996] (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 249–255. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
  4. ^ "Accident description at Aviation Safety Network". Retrieved 14 January 2010.
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