Overseas National Airways operating as Antilliaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij, Flight 980(ALM), was ditched near St. Croix. Forty persons, including 35 passengers and five crewmembers survived. Twenty-three persons, including two infants and the stewardess, did not survive. The aircraft sank in 5,000 feet of water and was not recovered. The flight departed Kennedy International Airport, N.Y., nonstop for St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. After three circling approaches in poor weather, during which a landing could not be made, the flight departed for St. Croix. Enroute to St. Croix in a low-fuel state, the aircraft was descended to the water in anticipation of a ditching. When fuel exhaustion was reached, the engines flamed out and the aircraft was ditched. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion which resulted from continued, unsuccessful attempts to land at St. Maarten until insufficient fuel remained to reach an alternate airport. A contributing factor was the reduced visibility in the approach zone because of rain showers, a condition not reported to the flight. The Board also finds that the probability of survival would have been increased substantially in this accident if there had been better crew coordination prior to and during the ditching. (Author)


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    Title :

    Aircraft Accident Report, Overseas National Airways, Inc. Douglas DC-9, N935F Operating as Antilliaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij Flight 980 Near St. Croix, Virgin Islands, May 2, 1970


    Publication date :

    1971


    Size :

    48 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English