CVR & Subtitles | Aeroperú Flight 603 | 2. October 1996

CVR & Subtitles | Aeroperú Flight 603 | 2. October 1996 Date and Time: Date: Tuesday, October 2, 1996 Time: 00:42 PET (05:42 UTC) Aircraft Information: Type: Boeing 757-23A Owner/Operator: AeroPerú Registration: N52AW Flight Details: Flight Number: PL 603 Flight Nature: Scheduled International Passenger Flight Departure Airport: Jorge Chávez Int'l Airport, Lima, Peru (LIM/SPIM) Destination Airport: Arturo Merino Benítez Int'l Airport, Santiago, Chile (SCEL/SCEL) Location of Accident: Pacific Ocean (32 km west of Lima) Accident and Casualties: Fatalities: 70 (61 passengers, 9 crew) Occupants: 70 Aircraft Damage: Destroyed (impact with ocean) Phase of Flight: Initial climb Investigating Agency: Peruvian CIAA (with NTSB/FAA/Boeing support) Accident Narrative: Flight 603 crashed into the Pacific Ocean 32 minutes after takeoff when the crew became overwhelmed by conflicting instrument readings. The aircraft had been flying blind due to blocked static ports (covered by adhesive tape left after cleaning). Despite heroic efforts, the crew lost control during a nighttime emergency return to Lima. Probable Cause: The investigation determined: Blocked static ports from maintenance tape left on fuselage Contradictory instrument readings (altitude/airspeed) Crew's inability to diagnose the core problem Contributing Factors: Nighttime overwater operation (no visual references) Lack of backup instruments unaffected by static pressure Maintenance procedural failures (tape not removed) Safety Legacy: This accident led to: Mandatory static port inspection checklists Improved cockpit warning systems for instrument failures Enhanced maintenance documentation procedures Source of the picture (not my work): Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi... Attribution: Torsten Maiwald (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons