Serial #36 Type CL-44D4-8

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Registration Date Event Operator Remarks
TF-LLG 25.03.1964 First flight Canadair Ltd.
TF-LLG 25.09.1964 Delivery Loftleidir Icelandic Airlines Full pax configuration, named "Vilhjálmur Stefánsson".
TF-LLG 1965 Modification Loftleidir Icelandic Airlines Returned to Canadair Montreal for conversion to J standard
TF-LLG 01.05.1966 Returned Loftleidir Icelandic Airlines Put into service after conversion to J standard
TF-LLG 11.08.1970 New Owner Cargolux Airlines S.A. Sold to Cargolux and converted to full freighter.
TF-LLG 02.12.1970 Crashed Cargolux Airlines S.A. Crashed on approach when gust lock system engaged during flight.
TF-LLG left Luxembourg on 1st December 1970 at 14:00 GMT for Hamburg where 27,5 tons of child food where loaded to be flown for the Swiss Red Cross to help in the flood areas in East-Pakistan, now called Bangladesh. After a four hours stop LLG left for Dacca with an unplanned fuel stop in Teheran. After an hours in Teheran LLG left at 01:30 GMT and was expected to arrive at Dacca at 10:00. Whilst on approach 10 Km north-west of Dacca the crew lost control of the plane due to a technical failure and the plane flew into the ground killing the crew and three locals, thereof two children. The crew consisted of Captain Ómar Tómasson, First Officer Birgir Örn Jónsson, Flight Engineer Stefán Ólafsson and Loadmaster and ground mechanic Jean-Paul Tompers.
The CL-44 was equipped with a hydraulic gust lock system to lock the flight controls while the plane was on the ground. This system was activated in flight causing the crew to loose control over the aircraft. It was speculated that hydraulic back pressure had built up caused by a malfunctioning switch valve when hydraulics where armed on descend. The accident report is very incomplete. This can be seen on the simple fact that the aircraft had suffered a major hydraulic contamination in the previous trip which is not mentioned with a single word. (On the previous trip LLG had made a fuel stop on the Azure Islands. On take-off both hydraulic pumps failed resulting in total hydraulic loss. The plane was flown with gear down to Madrid and then to Prestwick where it was repaired at Scottish Aviation.)
Later Cargolux modified the system by installing a bypass which could be activated by the pilot. Most CL-44 were equipped with a similar system modification and some just blinded the system.