Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548 was a Boeing 707-329 flight operated by Sabena that crashed en route from New York City to Brussels, Belgium on February 15, 1961. The flight, which had originated at Idlewild International Airport, crashed on approach to Brussels Airport killing all 72 people on board and one person on the ground. The fatalities included the entire United States figure skating team, who were traveling to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The precise cause of the crash remains unknown; the most likely explanation was thought to be a failure of the mechanism that adjusts the tail stabilizer.
Sister Aircraft OO-SJA in 1960 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 15, 1961 |
| Summary | Loss of control for undetermined reasons (possible mechanical failure) |
| Site | Kampenhout, near Brussels Airport, Belgium 50.9209°N 4.5268°E |
| Total fatalities | 73 |
| Total injuries | 1 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707-329 |
| Operator | Sabena |
| Registration | OO-SJB |
| Flight origin | Idlewild Airport, New York |
| Destination | Brussels Airport, Zaventem |
| Occupants | 72 |
| Passengers | 61 |
| Crew | 11 |
| Fatalities | 72 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 1 |
| Ground injuries | 1 |
This was the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 707 in regular passenger service; it happened 28 months after the 707 airliner was placed into commercial use. It remains the deadliest plane crash to occur on Belgian soil.