LANSA Flight 502 was a Lockheed L-188A Electra operated by Líneas Aéreas Nacionales Sociedad Anónima (LANSA) which crashed shortly after takeoff from Quispiquilla Airport near

Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, on August 9, 1970, after losing all power from one of its four engines. The

turboprop A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...

airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

, registered OB-R-939, was bound from Cusco to

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

, carrying 8 crew and 92 passengers. All but one of the occupants died from injuries sustained from impact forces and post crash fire. Two people on the ground were also killed. There were 49 American high school exchange students on board, all of whom perished. A Peruvian government investigation concluded that the accident was caused by improper execution of engine-out procedures by the flight crew and lack of proper maintenance. LANSA was fined and its operations were suspended for 90 days. At the time, the crash was the deadliest ever in Peruvian history before being surpassed by

Faucett Perú Flight 251 Faucett Perú Flight 251 refers to a Boeing 737-200 that was operating a domestic scheduled Lima–Arequipa–Tacna passenger service and crashed on 29 February 1996, while completing the first leg, on approach to Rodríguez Ballón Internationa ...

in 1996.

Background

More than half of the passengers belonged to a single group, sponsored by the

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, based International Fellowship

student exchange program A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions. A student exchange program may involve international travel, but doe ...

, consisting of 49 American high school exchange students, along with their teachers, family members, and guides, who were returning from a visit to nearby

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...

to their host families in the

area. The daughter of the mayor of Lima was also accompanying the group. The Peruvian passengers included a couple on their honeymoon. August 9, 1970 was a Sunday, and Flight 502 was originally scheduled to depart Cuzco at 8:30 am,Note that LANSA 1968 flight timetable shows 10:15 am as 'daily' departure time of Flight 502 from Cuzco to Lima, although NYT article reports it was scheduled as 08:30 am for flight 502. but since many of the members of the American group wanted to visit the nearby Pisac native handicraft market prior to leaving for Lima, the airline postponed the departure time to 2:45 pm. Quispiquilla Airport, since renamed to

Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport is an international airport located in the city of Cusco, in southeastern Peru. Cusco, a principal tourist attraction in Latin America, receives various domestic flights as well as some internat ...

, is located about east-southeast of the city of

, in a small valley high on the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, at an elevation of above

mean sea level There are several kinds of mean in mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. ...

. Higher mountainous terrain surrounds the single east-west runway airport in all directions. Since it was August, it was winter time in

, as in the rest of the southern hemisphere.

Crash

At about 2:55 pm, the four-engine

Electra Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, '' Electra'' by Sophocles and '' Electra'' by Euripides. She is also the centra ...

began its takeoff run to the west. At some point during the takeoff run or initial climb, the number three engineNumber three engine is inboard, right side. failed and caught fire. The crew continued the takeoff and climb, per standard procedure, using power from the remaining three engines. The pilot radioed the

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...

declaring an emergency, and the control tower cleared the flight for an immediate landing. The number three engine was engulfed in flames as the crew retracted the flaps and maneuvered the plane into a left turn back to the runway. The plane entered a 30–45 degree bank, then rapidly lost altitude and crashed into hilly terrain about west-southwest of the runway, above the village of San Jerónimo. The fuel on board caught fire and all aboard perished except the copilot, 26-year-old Juan Loo, who was found in the wreckage of the cockpit badly burned but alive. Two farm workers were killed on the ground.

Investigation and aftermath

The crash was investigated by the Peruvian government, which published a Final Report on 3 September 1970. The report concluded that the accident was caused by failure of the number 3 engine immediately after takeoff, followed by failure of the flight crew to properly execute the appropriate engine-out procedures, which led to the crash. There was also evidence of failure by LANSA to perform proper maintenance on the aircraft, which could have prevented the engine failure.From Final Report (in Spanish): "...Acción operativa indebida al retractar el flap de ala después del decollaje, procedimiento en que había sido instruido el piloto, lo que impidió que el avión en la configuración en que se encontraba: tres motores operativos, peso bruto cerca al máximo autorizado y temperatura ambiente alta, adoptara un régimen de ascenso suficiente en relación con la gradiente del suelo, para alcanzar una altura sobre el terreno que permitiera la maniobra con seguridad para regresar de inmediato al Aeropuerto... [English: ...Improper operational action by retracting the wing flap after taking off, a procedure in which the pilot had been instructed, which prevented the aircraft in the configuration it was in: three operational engines, gross weight close to the maximum authorized and high ambient temperature, adopt a rate of climb sufficient in relation to the gradient of the ground, to reach a height above the ground that would allow the maneuver safely to return immediately to the airport...]" Key points: improper retraction of flaps and failure to maintain terrain clearance. The Peruvian government subsequently fined LANSA and some of its employees, and suspended the airline's operating license for 90 days as a consequence. Approximately a year after the suspension ended, the airline lost its last working aircraft with the crash of

LANSA Flight 508 LANSA Flight 508 was a Lockheed L-188A Electra turboprop, registered OB-R-941, operated as a scheduled domestic passenger flight by Lineas Aéreas Nacionales Sociedad Anonima (LANSA), which crashed in a thunderstorm en route from Lima to Pucall ...

, and ceased operations. Since LANSA began operations in 1963 until its demise in 1972, three of its flights ended in a fatal crash: LANSA 501, 502 and

508 __NOTOC__ Year 508 ( DVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Venantius and Celer (or, less frequently, year ...

, with a total of 241 fatalities.Fatality count (flight): 49 (501), 101 (502) and 91 (508) About a year after the accident, a monument—a large white cross with an attached nameplate—was erected on the spot of the crash site to commemorate the victims of LANSA flight 502. In 2006, because of encroaching development, the Peruvian owner of the land where the memorial was originally located, under pressure from the U.S. Senator from New York,

Charles E. Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...

, the U.S.

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

and the U.S.

Consulate General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

in Peru, agreed to relocate the memorial away to protect the site.

Notes

References

External links

Air Disaster Accident RecordArchive

Accident websiteArchive

The crash monument as it appeared in January 2017
{{good article Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error Aviation accidents and incidents in Peru Aviation accidents and incidents in 1970 Accidents and incidents involving the Lockheed L-188 Electra

502 __NOTOC__ Year 502 ( DII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Avienus and Probus (or, less frequently, year 1255 ' ...