Alicante Triple Collision

## Description

The Alicante Triple Collision happened on Wednesday, December 13, 1997, above the Spanish city of Alicante. The three aircrafts that collided with each other were

## Flight

### Airline

TAP Air Portugal, Swissair, Iberian Airlines

### Survivors

0

TAP Air Portugal Flight 178, Swissair Flight 654, and Iberia Airlines Flight 277. Flight 178 and 654 both departed from Alicante Airport at around 7 a.m. while the Iberian Airline departed from Lisbon International Airport at 6 a.m. The 3 flgihts were all heading to Copenhagen International Airport, Denmark. The expected time for the flights to arrive were around 4 p.m. that afternoon. There were a total of 672 fatalities with another 12 on the ground. The reason behind the crash is believed to be a suicide by the 35-year-old pilot of Flight 178. The reason behind the suicide is unknown. There were no survivors.

## Flight 178

Flight 178 departed from Alicante airport at 7:17 a.m. and was carrying 254 people. Around 9 minutes after takeoff, during cruising altitude, the control tower warned the captain about an incoming plane but the pilot ignored the warning and was believed to have turned off all signals. It is also believed that the pilot locked out co-pilot Declan Matveyev out of the cockpit and threatened the passengers. Around half an hour later when the pilot saw an incoming plane (Flight 654), he deliberatly banked into it and sliced it mid-air in half, killing most of the people in it and damaging his aircraft's left wing. It gradually started losing altitude and crashed into a suburban area of the city. The pilot, Lewis Alvarez, had recently been going through depression. The reason behind the crash that took more than 600 lives was determind to be because of his suicide.

## Flight 654

Flight 654 departed from the airport at around 7:15 a.m. and was carrying 203 people. Around 11 minutes after takeoff, when it was at cruising altitude, the control tower warned of an incoming plane. It was already too late and Flight 178 sliced the aircraft in half. For about half a second the emrgency generator turned on the light but soon turned back off. The people who were sitting in the middle were brutally kileld instantly. The first half of the aircraft started plunging into a 90 degree drop onto the city. The second half also started plunging down but unluckily hit another plane (Flight 277), and sliced of its cokcpit. The first half fell directly through a neighbourhood, killing 12 people. The other half exploded mid-air on impact with Flight 277, and the debris raind down on the nearby forest. People in the city reported a black plume of smoke in the sky.

## Flight 277

Flight 277 departed from Lisbon International Airport at around 6:00 a.m. It was on its daily route, slightly below the two other flights. The control tower did not say anything to the captain before it collided since the unexpected happened. They were heading for Copenhagen with 215 people on board. The pilot instantly died following the impact from the back half of Flight 654, and the rest of the aircraft started climbing upwards, but then quickly plunged into a 90 Degree dropo. The aircraft hit the ground then exploded, leaving no survivors.

## The Crash

Flight 178 banked left into Flight 654 and sliced the aircraft in half with its left wing. The main body of Flight 654 plunged down but quickly hit the nearby Flight 277 ,causing the cockpit to fly off and the rest of the airplane to go into a 90-degree drop. Most of the wreckage crashed onto a forest and suburban area of Alicante but still killed 12 people. The crash remains the deadliest aviation incident and the only triple collision in aviation history.

## The Cause

The cause of the crash was deemed to be suicide by the pilot of Flight 178 since the captain turned off the signal and ignored the control tower's warning.

## The Aircrafts

The aircrafts involved in this incident were a Boeing 777 for Flight 178, an A330-200 for Flight 654, and the A350 for Flight 277.

## CVR Flight Recording

### Flight 178:

Control Tower: Beware of incoming Flight 178 at 6 o'clock

Control Tower: Do you hear me

Captain Alvarez: ...

(noise of turning off controls)

Captain Alvarez: Declan, I think something's happening at the back. Can you go check \*\* for \*\*

Co-pilot Declan: Ok

(noises of what is suspected of him locking the doors to the cockpit)

(muffled cursing)

Co-pilot Declan: Let me in, you \*\*\*\*

CC: What's happening?

(noise of passengers freaking out)

(sound of impact)

(muffled screaming and cursing)

(crew and passengers screaming in fear)

SV: Pull up, Pull up

(impact with the house)

(END)

### Flight 654:

Pilot Casiano: We are expected to arrive at Copenhagen in 30 minutes.

Co-pilot Soren: What the \*\*\*\* is that?

Pilot Casiano: What?

Co-pilot Soren: Is that another plane?

Pilot Casiano: \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* WHAT THE \*\*\*\*

(muffled cursing by Soren)

(impact with Flight 654)

Pilot Casiano: WE'RE GONNA DIE WHAT THE \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

Co-pilot Soren: \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

(screaming)

(impact with Flight 277)

(END)

### Flight 277:

Pilot Andreson: It's a nice and sunny day and we are expected to arrive at Copenhagen around 40 minutes later.

Control Tower: LOOK OUT

Co-pilot Lubomir: What?

(sound of impact)

(END)