Boeing 707 crash, Apr 20, 1968 (123 killed), Windhoek-JG...
Boeing 707 accident on April 20, 1968 near Windhoek-JG Strijdom Khomas Region, Namibia with 123 fatalities. Cause: Controlled flight into terrain....
- Date: April 20, 1968
- Aircraft: Boeing 707
- Location: Windhoek-JG Strijdom Khomas Region, Namibia
- Fatalities: 123
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Controlled flight into terrain. Secondary summaries of the inquiry cite pilot error and spatial disorientation, a night takeoff from an airfield unsuitable for night operations, and the absence of a copilot.
A South African Airways Boeing 707 bound for London via Windhoek took off from Windhoek at night in complete darkness with no moon and an indistinct horizon. It climbed to about 650 feet, levelled off and then descended, and about thirty seconds later it struck the ground about 5.3 km from the end of the runway. The aircraft broke up and two fires broke out, killing 123 people.