Pan Am Flight 292

Pan Am Flight 292 was operated by a Boeing 707-120B that flew into Chances Peak on the island of Montserrat on 17 September 1965 while on a flight from Martinique [Aimé Césaire International Airport|Fort-de-France - Le Lamentin Airport] in Martinique to Coolidge International Airport in Antigua and Barbuda. The aircraft was destroyed, and there were no survivors among the 30 passengers and crew on board.

Aircraft

The aircraft, bearing the registration N708PA and named Clipper Constitution by its owner Pan American World Airways, was the first Boeing 707 ever built, and made the first flight of the type on 20 December 1957. It had been used by Boeing on test flights prior to delivery to Pan Am in November the following year.

Crash

The aircraft departed Fort-de-France's Le Lamentin Airport on a scheduled flight to New York City via St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda and San Juan, Puerto Rico. There were 21 passengers and a crew of nine on board. While on approach to Coolidge International Airport in stormy weather, at an altitude of, the aircraft hit the -high Chances Peak in Montserrat and caught fire.

Cause

The cause was determined to be pilot error: the crew made a navigational error and descended below the safe minimum altitude while unsure of their position.