| - | ACCIDENT DETAILS |
| Date: | March 03, 1974 |
| Time: | 1141 |
| Location: | Near Ermenonville, France |
| Operator: | Turkish Airlines (THY) |
| Flight #: | 981 |
| Route: | Paris - London |
| AC Type: | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 |
| Registration: | TC-JAV |
| cn / ln: | 46704/29 |
| Aboard: | 346 (passengers:335 crew:11) |
| Fatalities: | 346 (passengers:335 crew:11) |
| Ground: | 0 |
| Summary: | The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, France. Climbing through FL110 the aircraft lost the rear cargo door, resulting in explosive decompression and damage to the cabin floor and control cables. The aircraft lost control and crashed in a forest at a high rate of speed. The service subcontractor and the flight engineer neglected to check the locking mechanism through a recently installed viewport to verify the door was latched properly. In addition, although a service bulletin stipulated that the locking pin should be extended, it was mistakenly shortened causing the latch to release after the cabin was pressurized. On June 12, 1972, an American Airlines DC-10 lost its cargo door shortly after taking off from Detroit ,Michigan. Using mainly engine thrust the crew was able to land safely. The cause was a defect in the latching mechanism on the door. |
Sources
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