In memoriam, SK Ankara crash, 50 years ago

[Vermont Viking]

(Was going to post this last moth but did not get around to it)

It was 50 years ago last month since the crash of an SAS Caravelle at Ankara.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19600119-0
Accident description
languages:
Status:
Date: 19 JAN 1960
Time: 18:47
Type: Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle I
Operator: Scandinavian Airlines System - SAS
Registration: OY-KRB
C/n / msn: 14
First flight: 1959
Crew: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Passengers: Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 35
Total: Fatalities: 42 / Occupants: 42
Airplane damage: Written off
Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: ca 10 km SW of Ankara-Esenboga Airport (ESB) (Turkey)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Istanbul-Yesilköy Airport (IST/LTBA), Turkey
Destination airport: Ankara-Esenboga Airport (ESB/LTAC), Turkey
Flightnumber: 871
Narrative:
SAS Flight SK871 to Ankara (ESB) was uneventful until the approach. The flight was taken over by Ankara Control at reporting point Göynük, at 18:26 UTC. The aircraft arrived over Ankara range station at 18:41 at FL135 descending to FL120 in accordance with the clearance given. It changed over to the tower frequency and received further let-down and approach instructions. The crew acknowledged receipt of the instructions and the flight reported Ankara range station inbound at 18:45 at an altitude of 6500 feet descending.
At 18:47 the aircraft struck the ground at an elevation of 3500 feet, between Ankara range and the Airport. Apparently, after reporting it continued on a heading of 031 degrees, descending to the impact point.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident occurred because of an unintentional descent below the authorized minimum flight altitude during final approach to Esenboga Airport. The reason for this descent could not be ascertained due to lack of conclusive evidence."

It was a typical CFIT type of accident and first loss of a Caravalle. Interestingly, it seems that there is not a single photo or slide of the ill-fated aircraft available; it in service only for a few months.

My mother was a stewardess for SAS at the time and knew all the crew members who were lost that day.

[Falcon]

Thanks for reminding us. Terrible accident.

[FBU 4EVER]

I remember this accident vividly, as SAS called all SAS crew by phone and informed about the accident before it appeared in the news. My father flew for SAS. Co-pilot on DC-7.

[LCH]

I've never heard of this accident before? I'm guessing the IST-ESB flight was just one of several legs flown on a route. Does anyone know where the aircraft originated and what the final destination was to be?

[RolfL]

I've never heard of this accident before? I'm guessing the IST-ESB flight was just one of several legs flown on a route. Does anyone know where the aircraft originated and what the final destination was to be?

It was on flight SK871 CPH-DUS-VIE-IST-ANK-DAM-CAI , crew change was in IST.

[dc-8-63]

Ankara was almost a min hub for SAS in early days of the Caravelle:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk198/finnerik/map5.jpg
This is from the Maps in this booklet:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk198/finnerik/SASJetRouteMap1959.jpg

[Vermont Viking]

I remember this accident vividly, as SAS called all SAS crew by phone and informed about the accident before it appeared in the news. My father flew for SAS. Co-pilot on DC-7.
They somehow missed calling my mother. She found when her mother heard about the crash on "Radioavisen" and told her. She knew all of the crew members on the flight and had often flown that route.

[ronhof]

Jeg har forsøgt at få fat i ulykkes-reporten (Accident report) Men den danske kopi er blevet væk !!! Trafikministeriet oplyser at den er overført til det danske rigsarkiv, jeg har fået følgende mail fra Trafikministeriet :
"Hej Kim,

Jeg har nu hørt fra Rigsarkivet. De fandt kassen frem med sagen. Desværre har rapporten været udlånt siden 1986 og er aldrig blevet returneret.

Arkivarens gæt er, den er blevet journaliseret med en ny sag, uden der er blevet skrevet bemærkninger til det.

Jeg beklager, vi ikke kan hjælpe dig i din søgen."
Er der nogen der ved hvor man kan få/låne en kopi af den originale rapport. ??

Kaptajnen ombord på Sk 871 lærte mig at svømme, da min far var udstationeret i kort tid i Bayreuth i 1959 - jeg var 10 år gammel. Min far Kjeld Rønhof fløj også Caraveller på den tid.

[Tjab]

Har du kontaktet SAS direkte vedrørende dette?

[RolfL]

Och idag är det precis 60 år sedan olyckan i Ankara. Jag och många andra har försökt att hitta något foto på OY-KRB men det verkar svårt , den var ju också väldigt kort tid i tjänst hos SAS.

[ziadjaroudi]

My uncle, Adel Jaroudi, was among the passengers. He was just 22 years old at the time, two years older than my father, who was 20. Despite his young age, my father took on the difficult task of traveling to Ankara to bury his older brother.

Adel was a young pilot with a promising future. On that fateful flight, he was not flying the plane but was simply a passenger, heading back to Cairo to prepare for his wedding. Sadly, he never had the chance to begin that new chapter of his life.

Both my father and my uncle have since passed away. Though I never had the opportunity to know my uncle Adel, his story has always stayed with me. May they both rest in peace. This tragedy serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring bonds of family.

[LN-MOW]

Both my father and my uncle have since passed away. Though I never had the opportunity to know my uncle Adel, his story has always stayed with me. May they both rest in peace. This tragedy serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring bonds of family.

Thank you for sharing your story. You are so very right.