Olympic Airways Flight 954
Olympic Airways Flight 954 was a Douglas DC-6B aircraft that crashed into a mountain near Keratea (approx. coordinates 37°48' N, 23°57' E), Greece on December 8th, 1969. All 85 passengers and 5 crew on board died in the crash.
 An Olympic Airways Douglas DC-6 similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 8 December 1969 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) |
| Site | Near Keratea, Greece |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-6B |
| Operator | Olympic Airways |
| Registration | SX-DAE |
| Flight origin | Chania International Airport |
| Destination | Athens-Ellinikon International Airport |
| Passengers | 85 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 90 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The crash
The flight was a domestic scheduled passenger service from Chania on the island of Crete to Athens. While on approach to Athens and with its undercarriage retracted, the aircraft struck Mount Paneio at an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet. The weather at the time of the crash was characterized by rain and high winds.
The crash of Flight 954 was the deadliest aviation accident in Greek history at the time it took place, a record it maintained until the crash of Helios Airways Flight 522 nearly thirty-six years later. It is still the deadliest aviation accident involving a Douglas DC-6.,[1] and deadliest crash in the history of Olympic Airways.
Cause
It was ruled that the flight crew had deviated from the proper track and descended below the minimum safe altitude while making an ILS approach.[2]
References
- Aircraft accident Douglas DC-6B SX-DAE Athens
- Gero, David (1996). Aviation Disasters Second Edition. Patrick Stephens Limited. p. 91.