Friday, 14th of March, 1980
– Poland
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 7, an international scheduled passenger flight from New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK/KJFK), USA, to Warszawa-Okecie Airport (WAW/EPWA), Poland, operated with an Ilyushin Il-62, registration SP-LAA, suffered an engine explosion during an attempted go-around while attempting to land at Warszawa-Okecie Airport, which caused the aircraft to enter a nose dive and crash into an ice-covered moat of a 19th-century military fortress at a speed of approximately 380 km/h (238 mph) at a 20-degree down angle, 950 meters away from the runway threshold and 100 meters from a residential area.
The aircraft was completely destroyed. The ten crew members and 77 passengers perished. (87 fatalities)
The crash of Flight 7 is the second deadliest aviation accident on Polish soil. It is also the seventh deadliest accident involving the Ilyushin Il-62.
– Details:
The four engine airplane was completing flight LO007 from Montreal to Warsaw via New York-JFK. On final approach to Warsaw-Okecie Airport runway 15, the crew reported problems with the landing gears that seemed to be down but not locked. At a height of about 250 meters, the captain was cleared to initiate a go-around and increased engine power when the engine n°2 exploded, damaging the engine n°1. Debris damaged the rudder and elevator control cables, causing the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descent. In a 20° nose-down attitude, the aircraft speed increased to 380 km/h when it crashed in an embankment located by the Okecie Fort, about 900 meters short of runway 15 threshold. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 87 occupants were killed. On board were 14 members of the US boxing team and 10 coaches as well as Anna Jantar, a Polish singer.
– Cause:
” Explosion of the engine n°2 caused by the disintegration of a compressor stage due to fatigue cracks.”
