Viasa Flight 742

Viasa Flight 742
A Viasa DC-9 similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date16 March 1969 (1969-03-16)
SummaryCrashed after takeoff, overloading
SiteGrano de Oro Airport, Maracaibo, Venezuela
10°41′38″N 71°38′13″W / 10.694°N 71.637°W / 10.694; -71.637
Total fatalities155
Aircraft
Aircraft typeMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
OperatorViasa
IATA flight No.VA742
ICAO flight No.VIA742
Call signVIASA 742
RegistrationYV-C-AVD
Flight originSimón Bolívar International Airport, Caracas, Venezuela
StopoverGrano de Oro Airport, Maracaibo, Venezuela
DestinationMiami International Airport, Miami, Florida, United States
Occupants84
Passengers74
Crew10
Fatalities84
Survivors0
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities71

Viasa Flight 742 was an international, scheduled passenger flight from Caracas, Venezuela to Miami International Airport, United States with an intermediate stopover in Maracaibo, Venezuela that crashed on 16 March 1969. After taking off on the Maracaibo to Miami leg, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 hit a series of power lines before crashing into the La Trinidad section of Maracaibo. All 84 people on board died, as well as 71 on the ground. The crash was the world's deadliest civil air disaster at the time.