What happened
On the evening of July 22, 1973, Pan Am Flight 816 departed Faa'a International Airport in Papeete, Tahiti, bound for San Francisco via Auckland and Los Angeles. The aircraft, a Boeing 707-321B with registration N417PA, carried 79 individuals including passengers and crew members.
Approximately thirty seconds after liftoff at 10:06 PM local time, the airliner failed to gain altitude and plunged into the ocean. The crash resulted in catastrophic loss of life, with only a single survivor among the 79 people on board.
Investigation
Authorities investigated the circumstances surrounding the departure from Tahiti. The inquiry focused on the aircraft's performance during the initial climb phase and the environmental conditions at the airport. While specific mechanical failures or pilot errors were not detailed in the provided source material, the event is recorded as a fatal accident occurring immediately after takeoff.
Findings
The primary outcome of the incident was the death of 78 individuals. The Boeing 707-321B was lost, and the flight ended in disaster shortly after leaving the runway. The sole survivor's account or status is not elaborated upon in the source text.