Today it is our sad duty to remember all those who lost their lives in what has been so far the only fatal aircraft accident in Cargolux’s 50-year history.
In the afternoon of 01 December 1970 Captain Ómar Tómasson, First Officer Birgir Örn Jónsson, Flight Engineer Stefán Ólafsson andFlight Mechanic and Loadmaster Jean-Paul Tompers departed Luxemburg Airport for Hamburg in Germany piloting one of Cargolux’s first Canadair CL-44J aircraft registered TF-LLG.
In Hamburg 27,5 tons of food supplies were loaded on behalf of the International Red Cross. These supplies were to be flown to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to help victims of flooding caused by cyclone Bhola. A refuelling stop was made in Tehran, Iran, from where the aircraft departed at 01.30 UTC on 02 December to its final destination Dhaka. At approximately 10.00 UTC, the crew lost control of the airplane while on approach to Dhaka-Tejgaon Airport. The CL-44 crashed into farmhouses, killing three persons on the ground and the entire crew on board.
The accident investigation identified as probable cause that the hydraulic gust lock system was activated in flight, causing the flight controls to lock. It was speculated that hydraulic back pressure had built up caused by a malfunctioning switch valve when hydraulics where armed on descend.
In the last 50 years the airline industry and Cargolux have come a long way. Improved aircraft systems and pilot training together with safety management systems played an important role in increasing flight safety, consequently reducing the number of fatal accidents in the industry, with the result that the tragic accident of 1970 remained so far, the only fatal one in Cargolux’s history.
While we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cargolux amid the biggest crisis of the global airline industry and its impact, we shall not forget the importance to continuously strive for the highest level of professionalism to do what is necessary to mitigate risks in our operation.
