Accident Overview
Turkish Airlines Flight 301, a Fokker F28-1000 Fellowship registered as TC-JAO, crashed during takeoff from İzmir Cumaovası Airport on 26 January 1974. The flight was en route to Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport. Of the 73 passengers and crew on board, 67 died. The aircraft, named Van, had accumulated 2,269 flight hours.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft had spent the previous night outside in freezing temperatures, leading to frost accumulation on the wings that went unnoticed during the pre-flight walk-around. The crew completed preparations and the aircraft began its takeoff roll on runway 35 at 07:07 local time. After using 3,200 feet (980 m) of runway, the aircraft lifted off but climbed to only 8–10 metres (26–33 ft). It then started banking left and pitching down. The left wing struck the ground, followed by the left fuselage belly hitting the bank of a drainage ditch 28 metres (92 ft) left of the runway. The impact ruptured the left wing fuel tank, causing a fire. The aircraft broke apart, with the tail section separating and striking the front fuselage, leading to disintegration.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Fokker F28-1000, first flown on 5 September 1972 and delivered to Turkish Airlines on 9 January 1973. Its airworthiness certificate was valid until 13 December 1974. The cockpit crew consisted of Captain İlhan Günaydın (37), Co-pilot Kaya Günelgin (36), and Flight Engineer Erdal Parlakbilek. Two cabin crew members, Aynur Sürücü and Serap Özgenç, were also on board. Captain Günaydın had 2,600 hours in military aircraft and 577 hours on the Fokker F28. Co-pilot Günelgin had 2,794 military hours and 395 hours on type. The same crew had operated the aircraft on an Izmir–Athens–Izmir flight the previous day without reported issues. The captain's wife later claimed he had called her the night before, saying the plane was defective. The aircraft had previously experienced a door opening in flight, and Dutch technicians had performed maintenance on it.
Wreckage and Recovery
Witnesses rushed to the accident site to assist. Airport emergency services were already on standby when the aircraft's engines were started. The nose section traveled 150 metres (490 ft) from the runway before hitting empty drums. The wreckage caught fire and broke into multiple sections. In 1990, a claim emerged that the accident was caused by two of the pilots being drunk. Autopsy results confirmed alcohol in the blood of the captain and flight engineer, but stated it was not the cause of the accident.