Lufthansa Flight 502 was a scheduled flight from Hamburg, Germany to Buenos Aires, Argentina; on 11 January 1959, the flight was being operated by a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an aircraft in the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. The aircraft was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner and first flew in 1950...

 (registration

Aircraft registration

An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...

 D-ALAK). On the leg between Senegal and Brazil the Super Constellation was on approach to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport when it crashed near Flecheiras Beach just short of the runway. All 29 passengers and seven of the ten crew were killed. It was the first fatal accident involving Lufthansa since it was formed in 1955.

Accident

The aircraft was cleared by air traffic control

Air traffic control

Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...

 to descend to 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) over Guanabara Bay

Guanabara Bay

Guanabara Bay is an oceanic bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. On its western shore lies the city of Rio de Janeiro, and on its eastern shore the cities of Niterói and São Gonçalo. Four other municipalities surround the bay's shores...

 as part of the approach sequence to Runway 14 at Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport. During the descent the weather was rainy. Descending too low on approach, the Constellation struck the water with the aircraft's nosewheel; the crew attempted to continue the approach, but were unable to maintain control, and the aircraft crashed near Flecheiras Beach. All of the aircraft's passengers and seven of the crewmembers died; the co-pilot, a steward and a stewardess survived the impact.

Aircraft

The aircraft, a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an aircraft in the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. The aircraft was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner and first flew in 1950...

 airliner powered by four Wright R-3350

Wright R-3350

The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone was one of the most powerful radial aircraft engines produced in the United States. It was a twin row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial engine with 18 cylinders. Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp , depending on the model...

 radial piston engines, had been built in 1955, and was delivered to Lufthansa on 17 May 1955. The aircraft was sold to Seaboard World Airlines

Seaboard World Airlines

Seaboard World Airlines was an international all-cargo airline based in the United States. Its headquarters were on the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.- History :...

 in May 1958, but had been returned to Lufthansa in November of that year.

Probable cause

An accident investigation was unable to determine the cause of the crash, but considered that the most likely cause of the accident was pilot error, resulting in Flight 502 descending below the minimum altitude required for the approach. The crew had exceeded the flight time limits set by Brazilian aeronautical regulations, but not under German rules; aircrew fatigue was determined to be a contributing factor.