Surinam Airways Flight 764

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Surinam Airways Flight 764 was a scheduled international flight from Amsterdam to Paramaribo that ended in tragedy on 7 June 1989. The four‑engine DC-8‑62, named Anthony Nesty, crashed during its approach to Paramaribo–Zanderij International Airport. Of the 187 people on board (178 passengers and 9 crew), 178 died and 9 survived—the deadliest aviation disaster in Suriname’s history.

The crash happened after the crew descended below the minimum safe altitude while attempting an approach that was not appropriate for the available navigation signals. They had been cleared for a VOR/DME approach but instead pressed ahead with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach, even though the ILS signal at the airport was unreliable. The first officer expressed doubt about the ILS, but the captain continued. The aircraft descended too low, struck trees with its number 2 engine, lost part of a wing, rolled over and crashed inverted.

Final weather reports showed very poor visibility: around 900 meters in dense fog, with a cloud base about 400 feet. Earlier reports had suggested better visibility, which contributed to the crew’s decision to use the ILS approach despite the signal problems.

Crew and aircraft details:
- Captain: Wilbert “Will” Rogers, 66, with about 19,450 flight hours (8,800 on the DC-8)
- First Officer: Glyn Tobias, 43
- Flight Engineer: Warren Rose, 65
- Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-8‑62, registered N1809E, later named Anthony Nesty; previously owned by Braniff International Airways and involved in a minor incident in 1979 (no fatalities)

Investigation findings:
- The primary cause was the captain’s careless and reckless decision to fly below published minimums during the approach, leading to a collision with a tree.
- Underlying factors included Surinam Airways’ management failures in crew qualification and certification practices.
- The captain was over the age limit for a DC-8 captain and not properly certified for the type; the co‑pilot had false identity papers.
- The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) participated and issued safety recommendations to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), though Suriname’s authorities led the investigation.

Notable victims:
- Among the passengers were members of the Colourful 11, a group of Surinamese footballers (several of whom were traveling to Suriname for a match).

In summary, human error, poor navigation choices, and inadequate crew oversight combined to cause the crash.