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Status Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date Saturday 29 August 1998
Time 13:03
Type Silhouette image of generic T154 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Tupolev Tu-154M
Operator Cubana de Aviación
Registration CU-T1264
MSN 85A720
Year of manufature 1985
Engines Soloviev D-30KU-154-II
Crew Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14
Passengers Fatalities: 56 / Occupants: 77
Total occupants Fatalities: 70 / Occupants: 91
Aircraft damage Destroyed, written off
Aircraft fate w/o
Location Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO)   Ecuador
Phase Take off
Nature Passenger - Scheduled
Departure Airport Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO/SEQU)
Destination Airport Guayaquil-Simon Bolivar Airport (GYE/SEGU)
Narrative Cubana Flight 389, a Tupolev Tu-154M, was preparing for departure back to Havana with a planned en route stop at Guayaquil. During the first engine start a pneumatic valve was blocked. The problem was rectified and two engines were started with ground power. The third one was started as the aircraft taxied to the runway. After obtaining takeoff clearance, the throttles were advanced and the airplane accelerated down runway 35. When the aircraft reached the Vr speed, it would not rotate. It took the crew 10 seconds to decide to abort the takeoff. With 800 m of runway length remaining, brakes were applied. The Tu-154 overshot the runway and plowed into a soccer field. The plane barely missed a residential area.
It is presumed that because of the problems during start-up and the time, almost 38 minutes, that passed to the beginning of takeoff, the final point of the checklist for taxiing was not complied with and the crew forgot to select the switches for the hydraulic valves of the control system.

sources

ICAO Adrep Summary 5/98 (#158)
ICAO Adrep Summary 5/01 (#17)