FASCINATING!-- The Crash of Flt 901

[Panama Jack]

This is a website about the crash of Aviateca Flt 901 (a Boeing 737-200), which occured on August 9, 1995, and remains El Salvador's worst aviation accident. The aircraft was a victim of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) into Volcán Chichontepec while on descent into SAL and deviating around weather.

Fascinating pictures, as well as a 15 minute audio recreation of the flight. Unfortunately for non-Spanish speakers, most of the information is in Spanish.

http://www.laprensagrafica.com/especiales/2006/aviateca/default.asp

http://www1.airpics.com/avimg/thumb/3839.jpg

[TowerDog]

Sad accident for sure.

A friend of mine was in the jumpseat.

[Panama Jack]

Yes, a very sad accident, like most. My condolences to you for the loss of your friend.

[jumpdrive]

how can you say fascinating
is it?...............at least for you?
you enjoy that..........wow man! sorry for you

[Panama Jack]

Sorry it bothers you jumpdrive and I'm sorry if my post sounded overly enthusiastic. Yes, of course it is a very sad accident, however as someone with an interest in aviation safety and an educational background in Aviation Safety and accident investigation, I take some interest in it.

But yes, it is fascinating in as far as most reports I have seen from Latin American aviation accidents seem to be a paragraph long, and are then forgotten. To this date I have yet to get my hands on an official report on what happened to the COPA Airlines Boeing 737 that went down in the Darien Region of eastern Panama.

This website is produced in Central America, and I felt it is well produced in documenting this accident. It serves a purpose.

Of course, if you don't like what you are watching on TV jumpdrive, you are welcome to change the channel.

[alemaobaiano]

Jumpdrive, anyone concerned with flight safety would find it fascinating, as in extremely interesting. I don't see anyone here saying that they enjoy it, which is a very different emotion.

As Jack says accident reports from this part of the world are a sketchy at best and rarely give any insight into the causes of the accident. In this case we have more information and therefore we can learn more from what happened on that sad day.

[Entiesbi]

Dear sirs:

I have read what you have been writing about our investigation on the Aviateca 901 flight crash. Just as one of you said, I found fascinating getting information about that sad flight, understanding what happened and knowing some people that died in August 1995 in Chichontepec volcano. As a fact, a coworker and me spent months and months trying to get information that could explain the crash better than the official report did it. I work for La Prensa Grafica (www.laprensagrafica.com (http://www.laprensagrafica.com)), a newspaper in El Salvador, and I am very glad that some of you found interesting our article. I think we could get information that shows the responsabilities of the air traffic control, in spite of the version of the Fiscalía General, that said that that people were not guilty at all. We do not say they are guilty, of course, but we did say that they made some important mistakes in their work.

Sincerely,

Entiesbi.

[punkalouver]

Dear sirs:
I have read what you have been writing about our investigation on the Aviateca 901 flight crash. Just as one of you said, I found fascinating getting information about that sad flight, understanding what happened and knowing some people that died in August 1995 in Chichontepec volcano. As a fact, a coworker and me spent months and months trying to get information that could explain the crash better than the official report did it. I work for La Prensa Grafica (www.laprensagrafica.com (http://www.laprensagrafica.com)), a newspaper in El Salvador, and I am very glad that some of you found interesting our article. I think we could get information that shows the responsabilities of the air traffic control, in spite of the version of the Fiscalía General, that said that that people were not guilty at all. We do not say they are guilty, of course, but we did say that they made some important mistakes in their work.
Sincerely,
Entiesbi.


Your english is very good. Could you do a full translation into English. You would hit a very large audience. And perhaps save many lives.

[GlueBall]

Panama Jack... The probable cause of the COPA B732 crash in Panama was well researched and explained during a 1-hour "NOVA" [WGBH Boston] TV documentary. Camera crews went into the jungle with local and NTSB investigators. :ooh:

[Panama Jack]

I remember watching that episode-- it was very good. It still seems to leave things in the air though-- as far as I know, the Panamanians had not published an accident report for quite a while (I cannot say for certain if as of today an accident report is available)

It is definately an interesting accident in a type of aircraft that has had a history of rudder hard-overs.

[GlueBall]

Panama Jack . . . the COPA crash was not a case of rudder "Hard-Over," but a case of a tumbling gyro; and both pilots' ADIs were switched to a single gyro. The Capt and F/O received identical ADI indications.

The FDR analysis, done at the NTSB laboratory at Washington DC, showed that the selected, defective gyro had rolled faster than the airplane could physicall have rolled. The flight was at night in IMC during weather deviation.

What can be learned from that accident is to include the Standby Attitude Indicator in your scan when making turns.