Martinair In 2nd Worst Accident

By Patrick Mondout

On December 4, 1974, a Martinair DC-8 on route from Surabaya to Jeddah (via Katunayake) crashed into Laxapana Hill killing all 191 on board. At the time it was the second worst airliner accident of all time behind only the THY disaster near Paris nine months earlier.

The aircraft crew made navigational errors and hit the hill 14 miles short of the airport.

Source: Gero, David. Aviation Disasters: The World's Major Civil Airliner Crashes Since 1950. Sutton, 2003.

Martinair at a Glance
Airline	Martinair
Date	December 4, 1974
Registration Number	PH-MBH
Crew Fatalities	9 of 9
Passenger Fatalities	182 of 182
Total Fatalities	191 of 191

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