Logan International Airport – December 17, 1973
On the afternoon of December 17, 1973, Iberia Airlines Flight 933, arrived at Boston’s Logan International Airport from Madrid with 168 people aboard. (14 crew, 154 passengers.) The aircraft was a DC-10 jetliner.
At the time of the flight’s arrival, the weather consisted of a 300 foot cloud ceiling with rain falling and thick low-lying fog which created a situation of very low visibility. The pilot was given clearance to make an instrument landing approach on Runway 33L. As the aircraft was about to land it struck the light bar on an instrument landing approach pier which was located in Boston Harbor a short distance from the end of the runway. When the plane touched down on the wet runway it struck a row of runway approach lights and went off the tarmac. The aircraft then skidded across the ground for another 200 yards before coming to rest in a marshy area. A section of landing gear was torn away, and the plane’s tail section broke apart just in front of the rear engine. The plane’s left engine caught fire and began to burn.
Fortunately there was no panic, and all passengers and crew were evacuated safely via the inflatable emergency escape chutes. Sixteen people were reportedly taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
This accident was the third major accident at Logan Airport within five months.
On November 3, 1973, a Pan American Boeing 707 cargo plane crashed killing three crewmen.
On July 31, 1973, a Delta Airlines DC-9 crashed killing 89 persons.
Sources:
Providence Journal, “168 Survive Jet Crash At Logan”, December 18, 1973, page 1 (Photo of plane)
Providence Evening Bulletin, “168 Survive Crash At Logan Airport”, December 18, 1973, page 6
Westerly Sun, (R.I.), “16 Injured In Third major Logan Crash In Five Months”, December 18, 1973, page 1.
Providence Evening Bulletin, “Runway Wreck In Hub Probed By Safety Bd.”, December 19, 1973, page 35
