Turkish Airlines Flight 452
Encyclopedia
Turkish Airlines Flight 452 (registration TC-JBH, named Antalya) was a Boeing 727
operated by Turkish Airlines
. On September 19, 1976, during a scheduled flight between Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport
and Antalya Airport
, it flew into the slope of a hill at Karatepe in Isparta
, 60 mi (96.6 km) north by northwest of the destination airport because of a pilot error made on approach to landing resulting in the death of 154 people in total.
The accident was the second worst one involving a Boeing 727 at the time and is now the fourth worst. It is the all-time worst aviation accident on Turkish soil.
at 22:45 local time (20:45 UTC) and continued to Antalya
via the Yalova
and Afyon
VOR
. At 23:11, the first officer, who was in command of the aircraft while the captain had left the cockpit, called Antalya Airport control tower
and reported seeing the runway lights of Antalya Airport even though flying actually still above Isparta
. He requested a direct Runway 36 approach and started immediately descent
for final approach
under VFR
instead of IFR
without waiting for the clearance. Antalya tower asked the aircraft where it was going to land and warned that it was not in his region yet and it could be seen neither on the radar
screen nor by naked eye
. Seeing the lights of a 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) long straight highway north of Isparta city, the first officer responded that he believed his own eyes.
As the aircraft was at 150 m (492.1 ft), the captain returned to the cockpit and became aware of the fact that the aircraft was descending onto a highway with truck traffic on it. He initiated a sudden climb
with full power. However, the heavily loaded aircraft struck the slope of a hill at Karatepe with its right wing and crashed.
with three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 turbofan
jet engine
s, was built by Boeing
with manufacturer serial number 20982 and line number 1087, and made its first flight on November 11, 1974.
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
operated by Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul...
. On September 19, 1976, during a scheduled flight between Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport
Atatürk International Airport
Atatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
and Antalya Airport
Antalya Airport
Antalya Airport is northeast of the city center of Antalya, Turkey. The airport is operated in Turkey's primary holiday destination located on the country's Mediterranean coast. The airport is big and modern, built to accommodate the millions of passengers who come to Turkey's Mediterranean...
, it flew into the slope of a hill at Karatepe in Isparta
Isparta
Isparta is a city in western Turkey and the provincial capital of the Isparta Province. The city's population is 222,556 and elevation from sea level is 1035 m. Another name of the city is "City of Roses"....
, 60 mi (96.6 km) north by northwest of the destination airport because of a pilot error made on approach to landing resulting in the death of 154 people in total.
The accident was the second worst one involving a Boeing 727 at the time and is now the fourth worst. It is the all-time worst aviation accident on Turkish soil.
Accident
Flight 452 departed IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
at 22:45 local time (20:45 UTC) and continued to Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
via the Yalova
Yalova
Yalova is a city located in northwestern Turkey, on the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara, and is the capital of the Yalova Province. Yalova has a city population of 92,166, while the population of the Yalova Province is 202,531. as of 2009...
and Afyon
Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar is a city in western Turkey, the capital of Afyon Province. Afyon is in mountainous countryside inland from the Aegean coast, south-west of Ankara along the Akarçay River. Elevation...
VOR
VHF omnidirectional range
VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...
. At 23:11, the first officer, who was in command of the aircraft while the captain had left the cockpit, called Antalya Airport control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
and reported seeing the runway lights of Antalya Airport even though flying actually still above Isparta
Isparta
Isparta is a city in western Turkey and the provincial capital of the Isparta Province. The city's population is 222,556 and elevation from sea level is 1035 m. Another name of the city is "City of Roses"....
. He requested a direct Runway 36 approach and started immediately descent
Descent (aircraft)
A descent during air travel is any portion where an aircraft decreases altitude, and is the opposite of an ascent or climb. Descents are an essential component of an approach to landing...
for final approach
Final approach (aviation)
A final approach is the last leg in an aircraft's approach to landing. In aviation radio terminology, it is often shortened to "final".In a standard airport landing pattern, which is usually used under visual meteorological conditions , aircraft turn from base leg to final within one to two miles...
under VFR
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
instead of IFR
Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
without waiting for the clearance. Antalya tower asked the aircraft where it was going to land and warned that it was not in his region yet and it could be seen neither on the radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
screen nor by naked eye
Naked eye
The naked eye is a figure of speech referring to human visual perception unaided by a magnifying or light-collecting optical device, such as a telescope or microscope. Vision corrected to normal acuity using corrective lenses is considered "naked"...
. Seeing the lights of a 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) long straight highway north of Isparta city, the first officer responded that he believed his own eyes.
As the aircraft was at 150 m (492.1 ft), the captain returned to the cockpit and became aware of the fact that the aircraft was descending onto a highway with truck traffic on it. He initiated a sudden climb
Climb
thumb|right|An [[Embraer ERJ 145]] climbingIn aviation, the term climb refers both to the actual operation of increasing the altitude of an aircraft and to the logical phase of a typical flight following take-off and preceding the cruise, during which an increase in altitude to a predetermined...
with full power. However, the heavily loaded aircraft struck the slope of a hill at Karatepe with its right wing and crashed.
Crew and passengers
The crew: Captain Celal Topcuoglu, First officer Sacit Sogangoz, Engineer Ahmet Bursalı, Air Hostess Neriman Duzelli, Dilek Cer, Feyzan Gungor, Canan Dinc and 146 passengers on board. All of the crew and the passengers, among them four reserve crew members, were killed in the accident. Reserve crew: Captain Yilmaz Gursoy, First officer Huseyin Eren, Engineer Muhittin Guclu, Air Hostess Kamuran Kucukkusum.Aircraft
The aircraft, a Boeing 727-2F2Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
with three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 turbofan
Turbofan
The turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
jet engine
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
s, was built by Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
with manufacturer serial number 20982 and line number 1087, and made its first flight on November 11, 1974.