EgyptAir Flight 864 facts for kids
A Boeing 707-320C of EgyptAir, similar to the accident aircraft
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 25 December 1976 |
| Summary | Pilot error |
| Place | Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand |
| Passengers | 43 |
| Crew | 9 |
| Fatalities | 71 (52 in the aircraft and 19 on the ground) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707-366C |
| Airline/user | EgyptAir |
| Registration | SU-AXA |
| Flew from | Rome Fiumicino Airport, Italy |
| 1st stopover | Cairo International Airport, Egypt |
| 2nd stopover | Santacruz Airport, India |
| Last stopover | Don Mueang International Airport, Thailand |
| Flying to | Tokyo International Airport, Japan |
EgyptAir Flight 864 was a regular flight that traveled from Rome, Italy, to Tokyo, Japan. On December 25, 1976, a Boeing 707 airplane flying this route crashed. It hit a building in Bangkok, Thailand. Sadly, all 52 people on the plane died. Also, 19 people on the ground were killed. Investigators later found that the crash was caused by mistakes made by the pilots. EgyptAir also stated that the control tower in Bangkok did not give the pilots enough information about the weather.
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What Happened to Flight 864?
EgyptAir Flight 864 was a Boeing 707 airplane. It was flying from Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy. Its final stop was Tokyo International Airport in Japan. The flight had already made stops in Cairo, Egypt, and Mumbai, India.
On December 25, 1976, the plane was getting ready to land. It was approaching Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. As it came in for landing, something went wrong.
The Crash in Bangkok
The airplane crashed into an industrial building. This building was located about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the airport. The crash happened at 20:30 local time.
All 52 people on board the plane died. This included 43 passengers and 9 crew members. The crash also caused deaths on the ground. Nineteen people in the building were killed. This brought the total number of deaths to 71.
Why Did Flight 864 Crash?
After the accident, investigators looked into what caused the crash. They found that the main reason was pilot error. This means mistakes made by the people flying the plane.
Pilot Error and Weather
The investigation showed that the pilots did not fly the plane correctly. They made errors during the landing approach. This led to the plane hitting the building.
EgyptAir, the airline, also made a statement. They said that the control tower in Bangkok did not give the pilots enough weather information. This information could have helped the pilots. However, the official cause was still pilot error.
