Deadliest aviation accident in Dominican Republic history, killing all 189 aboard after a pitot tube blocked by a wasp nest caused false airspeed readings.
Key Facts
- Date of crash
- 6 February 1996
- Total fatalities
- 189 people
- Aircraft type
- Boeing 757
- Days aircraft sat unused
- 20 days
- Days without pitot tube covers
- 2 days
- Planned route
- Puerto Plata → Gander → Berlin → Frankfurt
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Boeing 757 had sat unused for 20 days at Puerto Plata without pitot tube covers fitted for the final two days before the flight. A wasp nest built inside one pitot tube blocked it, feeding the crew false airspeed data during takeoff and climb. Pilots, confused by contradictory instrument readings, responded incorrectly to the erroneous information.
On 6 February 1996, Birgenair Flight 301 departed Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, bound for Frankfurt via Gander and Berlin. Shortly after takeoff, the crew lost control of the aircraft due to pilot error stemming from false airspeed indications. The Boeing 757 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 189 people on board.
All 189 occupants perished, making it the deadliest aviation accident ever recorded in the Dominican Republic and tying it with American Airlines Flight 77 as the deadliest crash involving a Boeing 757. The accident prompted heightened industry awareness of pitot tube maintenance, the importance of protective covers during extended ground periods, and crew training for instrument disagreement scenarios.