July 5, 1970
Toronto, Canada
Air Canada
Douglas DC-8
N142D


While attempting to land at Toronto, at approximately 60 feet above the runway, the
spoilers were inadvertently deployed causing the aircraft to fall to the runway and lose
the No. 4 engine. With the wing on fire, the captain decided to go-around but while
circling the plane lost the No. 3 engine and eventually went into a seep dive and
crashed. All 109 aboard killed.

CA Captain
FO First Officer

FO Nice day
CA Beautiful
FO That's where old (unintelligible) lives there I guess. What do they call it? High Park?
CA Oh
FO Those apartments there. See them? The high-rise there
FO Yes It looks over the (unintelligible). It's quite a good view out over the lake there.
SO The housing in Toronto is out of this world. Expensive, yeah.
FO Yeah, expensive all right.
FO Yeah, a lot of people have made a lot of money.
CA Yeah, Ill say.
CA Four for three
FO Four for three
  [click click click]
APP Air Canda 621 is cleared for the vectored ILS. Take course 32 and turn right to 230 final and four miles
RDO-FO Roger
APP 230
RDO-FO Roger. 230.
APP You are currently three and a half east of the marker
RDO-FO 621
CA Before landing
  [clunk. An increase in background noise]
FO 2975
APP 621 right turn now to heading 28. You are three to the marker
FO Check three green. Four pressures. Spoilers.
FO No (unintelligible) on the green
CA All right. Give them to me on the flare. I have given up.
FO (laughing)
CA I am tired of fighting it.
SO Fuel (panel) set
CA Thank you
CA Thirty-five flap
FO Thirty-five
FO 142
APP Air Canada 621 right around to 310 to intercept the back course. Turn into 187. Good day
RDO-FO Maintain 310 (roger). Goodday
RDO-FO Toronto tower. Air Canada 621. Approaching the whisky
TWR 621 stil depart to 727
  [apparent power increase]
FO Well it's pretty late
CA Yeah
FO Surprise (unintelligible)
CA Landing flap
FO 129
CA 134 5
  [apparent power decrease]
RDO-FO 621 is by the whisky
TWR 621 roger. Check (your) gear down
FO Gear down
SO Spoilers to go in the (unintelligible)
CA Okay, thanks
  [apparent power increase]
  [whistling]
CA Ho Ho Ho
CA Well that's right on the VASIS. We are little below the glide though
FO Yeah you are right
CA It's going to be rougher than a gut. Look at that stuff laying there on the runway
  [apparent power decrease]
FO Get that thing off the ground. He is leaving a smoke screen for you, just to make it a little challenging
TWR 621 cleared to land on runway 32
RDO-FO 621
CA My IFR approach here unknown. Heh, heh, heh
FO Here we have a green. The VASIS appear to be a little bit high but you are low on the glide path
FO Takes a whole airfield that way
CA Yeah
CA Okay
  [apparent power reduction]
CA No. No. No
FO Sorry, of sorry, Pete!
  [apparent power increase]
  [noise of impact]
FO Sorry Pete!
CA Okay
CA We have lost our power
  [exclamation]
TWR Air Canada 621. Check you on the overshoot and you can contact departure on 199 or do you wish to come in for a mile on 5 right
CA We'll go around. I think we are all right
RDO FO Roger. We are go all the way (around)
TWR Okay contact departure
FO Roger 199
CA Get the gear up please, Don
  [sound of horn]
FO What about the flap
CA Flap 25
FO Sorry. What was (unintelligible)
SO Number 4 generator is gone
CA Okay, get the cross-feed off first (though). Good (unintelligible)
CA Will you give the approach a call?
  [Sound of middle marker signal]
RDO-FO Toronto Approach Control. Air Canada 621 is overshooting on 32.
DEP Air Canada 621 confirm on the overhoot
RDO-FO Affirmative
DEP Okay, sir. Your intentions please.
RDO-FO Roger. We would like to circle back for anothr attempt on 32.
DEP Okay. Runway is closed. Debris on the runway. Twenty three left - it is probably about the best. The wind is northwest about 10 to 15. Turn right heading 070 3000 feet.
RDO-FO Right 070 roger 3000
DEP Roger 621
CA We've lost number 4 engine
FO Have we?
CA (unintelligible)
SO Fuel
SO Fuel
CA Aye?
SO Fuel
CA Is it?
FO Yes
CA Okay, cut number 4
?O Number 4 engine
CA Yes
FO Number 3 engine
CA Number 4
FO Number 4, right.
CA Number 3 is jammed, too
FO Is it?
CA There it is.
CA The whole thing is jammed.
  [crackling noise]
FO What was that?
FO What happened there, Peter?
CA That't number 4 (unintelligible) Something's happened (unintelligible)
FO Oh, look, we've got a (unintelligible).
  [loud sound of explosion]
FO Pete, sorry.
  [louder sound of explosion]
CA All right.
DEP 621. The status of your aircraft, please.
  [sound of metal tearing]
CA We've got an explosion
FO Oh look, we've got (unintelligible) flame
FO Oh, gosh
?? We've lost a wing
  [end of transcript]

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