Flight and Approach
A Boeing 707 completed an uneventful transatlantic flight from New York to Brussels-Zaventem Airport. The crew initiated an approach to runway 20. On short final, at an altitude of 900 feet, the crew raised the landing gear, increased engine power, and performed a go-around.
Go-Around and Loss of Control
During the go-around, the aircraft made three 360-degree turns to the left and climbed to 1,500 feet. In the course of these turns, the bank angle increased progressively until the aircraft reached a near-vertical bank. The wings then leveled, followed by an abrupt pitch-up. The 707 lost airspeed and began to spiral rapidly nose-down toward the ground.
Crash
The aircraft crashed and caught fire. All 72 occupants, including 17 members of the US National Hockey Team traveling to Prague for the World Championship, were killed. One farmer working in the field was also killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation concluded that the cause of the accident had to be sought in a material failure of the flight controls. The commission noted that while certain hypotheses could be advanced, none could be considered entirely satisfactory. Only a material failure of two systems could provide a complete explanation, but insufficient evidence precluded a definitive determination. The FAA commented that the most plausible hypothesis was a malfunction of the stabilizer adjusting mechanism that allowed the stabilizer to run to the 10.5° nose-up position.