52 Years ago today: On 9 August 1970 a LANSA Lockheed L-188A Electra crashed near Cuzco, killing 99 out of 100 occupants.
| Date: | Sunday 9 August 1970 |
| Time: | 14:55 |
| Type: | Lockheed L-188A Electra |
| Operator: | Lineas Aéreas Nacionales S.A. – LANSA |
| Registration: | OB-R-939 |
| MSN: | 1106 |
| First flight: | 1959-11-12 (10 years 9 months) |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 92 / Occupants: 92 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 99 / Occupants: 100 |
| Ground casualties: | Fatalities: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | ca 4 km E of Cuzco Airport (CUZ) ( |
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Cuzco-Velazco Astete Airport (CUZ/SPZO), Peru |
| Destination airport: | Lima-Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM/SPIM), Peru |
| Flightnumber: | 502 |
Narrative:
LANSA Flight 502 from Cuzco to Lima, was originally scheduled to depart Cuzco at 08:30. Departure time was postponed to 14:45.
During the takeoff run, which was 700 m longer than normal, the no. 3 engine failed. The aircraft continued to climb at a speed of V2+15 knots. After retracting the flaps at 300 feet, the Electra turned left at a speed of 140 knots with a bank angle of 30-45 degrees. The aircraft contacted the ground during this turn and crashed. Two farmers were killed on the ground.
Probable Cause:
The Peruvian government investigated the accident, and in its final report concluded that the probable cause of the accident was the improper execution of engine-out procedures by the flight crew, with contributing factors of improper loading of the aircraft and improper maintenance procedures by company personnel.
