1970 — May 2, Overseas National Airways 980 ditched, out of fuel ~St. Croix, Virgin Islands-23

–23 Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” AJFMP, 3/1, Mar 1982, p.55.
–23 NTSB. AAR. Overseas National Air…Near St. Croix, Virgin Islands May 2, 1970. 1971.
–23 Sturkey. Mayday. Accident Reports…Transcripts from Airline Crash Investigations. 2005, p.56.

Narrative Information

NTSB Synopsis: “An Overseas National Airways, Inc. (ONA), DG9, N935F, operating as Antilliaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij Flight 980 (ALM 980), was ditched approximately 30 miles east-northeast of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, at 1549 e.s.t., on May 2, 1970. Forty persons, including 35 passengers and five crewmembers, survived. The remaining 23 persons on board, including two infants and a stewardess, did not survive. The aircraft sank in water more than 5,000 feet deep, and was not recovered.

“The flight, from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, to Juliana Airport, St. Maarten, was being [operated] under terms of a lease agreement, utilizing an ONA aircraft and flightcrew, and an ALM cabin crew. ALM 980 established radio contact with Juliana Tower and received clearance for an Automatic Direction Finding (ADF) approach to Runway 09. The weather was reported as scattered clouds at 800 feet, estimated ceiling 1,000 feet broken, 5,000 feet overcast, and visibility 2 to 3 miles. The crew sighted the runway too late to land successfully on this approach, and attempted two left turn, visual circling approaches. The first circling approach was abandoned because of poor alignment with the runway again, and on the second one the captain was unable to maintain the proper descent profile without reducing power and increasing the sink rate beyond acceptable limits. The captain executed a missed approach, made a low altitude return to the St. Maarten Radio Beacon (Rbn), and was given clearance to St. Thomas at an assigned altitude of 4,000 feet. The fuel gauges were reported to have been acting erratically during the climb, but momentarily stabilized at 850 pounds of fuel remaining. A higher altitude was requested and a course adjustment was made for St. Croix, which was closer. Although the captain doubted the accuracy of the fuel gauge reading, he decided to descend in order to establish visual contact with the water. He also advised the purser that they were low on fuel, and to prepare the cabin for ditching. The purser made this announcement, and no other warning was given to the passengers prior to impact.

“The ditching site was confirmed on radar with the assistance of a Pan American World Airways
flight that diverted for that purpose. Other fixed-wing aircraft orbited the area until the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps helicopters began picking up survivors. Weather in the area during the rescue operation was estimated to be 400 to 500 feet overcast and visibility as low as three-eighths of a mile in rain.

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

“The Board has recommended that actions be taken to improve passenger safety through adequate warning, proper briefing, standardized seatbelts, and more accessible stowage of life-vests for emergencies. Additionally, the Board recommended priority action in the establishment of a VHF communications link between San Juan and St. Maarten.

“Finally, the Board recommends that the FAA reassess the standards pertaining to certification of flotation equipment used aboard aircraft.” (NTSB 1971, 1-2)

Sturkey: “ALF Flight 980
“Douglas DC-9, registration N935F
“2 May 1970, ditched in the Atlantic Ocean near St. Croix
“63 aboard, 23 killed.

“Overview: A Douglas DC-9 took off from New York and arced out over the Atlantic Ocean. After in-flight weather delays and two destination changes, the pilots made three unsuccessful attempts to land. The airliner ran out of fuel and ditched in the ocean near St. Croix. Of the 63 people aboard, 23 were killed either (1) by the impact during ditching. (2) by failure to get out of the sinking airliner, or (3) by drowning prior to rescue.” (p. 56.)

Sources

Eckert, William G. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 3, No. 1, March 1982, Table 1.

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report. Overseas National Airways, Inc., DC.9, N935F Operating as Antilliaanse Lucht Vaart Maatschappij Flight 980 Near St. Croix, Virgin Islands May 2, 1970 (NTSB-AAR-71-8). Wash., DC: NTSB, March 31, 1971, 37 p. At: http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR71-08.pdf

Sturkey, Marion F. Mayday. Accident Reports and Voice Transcripts from Airline Crash Investigations. Plum Branch, SC: Heritage Press International, 2005.