De Havilland BC DHBC-7 Trident

The De Havilland BC DHBC-7 Trident is a jet airliner built by the De Havilland British Columbia division of De Havilland North America as a BC-made derivative of the British-made Hawker Siddeley Trident.

A medium-range trijet like the Boeing 727 and Tupolev Tu-154, the basic DHBC version, the Trident 7A could accommodate 114 to 147 passengers, with a range of 2,300 nm; the final version, the Trident 8, could seat 139 to 189 passengers with a range of 2,380 nm. Although the original design for the HS Trident called for the use of the Rolls-Royce Medway engine, it eventually was modified to use the RR Spey; the DHBC variants, however, all used the Medway engine, built under licence by Hoffar Aero Engines in BC. The Trident, in all its forms, was one of the fastest subsonic airliners ever built.

A total of 883 were built of all variants between 1966 and 1983; many were converted to freighters in their later life. A total of 39 of all variants remain in service in 2021, the majority of these being Trident 7D and Trident 8; the Ecuador Air Force, Aerosucre Colombia and Aero Santa of Peru being the largest operators, each with four. Only three Trident 8s remain operational in BC - Utari Air, based in Utari Mosir, operate scheduled services with them, whilst the BC Aviation Museum maintains the first prototype in airworthy condition.

Design & development
Airlines in British Columbia, particularly Air BC and Inter-Dominion, closely followed the developments in the United Kingdom surrounding the British European Airways requirement for a new jet airliner. Shortly after De Havilland UK proposed the DH.121 in 1957, it was proposed that DHBC might produce the type for the North American market. Letters of intent were signed by BEA for 24 Tridents and by Inter-Dominion for 25 in 1958, which got the project underway. However, when BEA modified its requirements and persuaded DHUK to make a smaller aircraft, IDAL withdrew its interest.

After some negotiation, however, it was agreed that DHBC would take over development of the larger design; since the smaller DH.121 Trident - this name was announced at the Farnborough Airshow of 1960 - was to use the smaller Spey engine, Hoffar Aero Engines acquired a licence to build the Rolls-Royce RB.141 Medway engine that had been intended for the larger design. Restructuring of the British aviation industry - which led to the complete independence of De Havilland BC in 1961 - caused some delays, but in the same year the DHBC project was formally designated DHBC-7 Trident. Despite the division of effort, however, much work was undertaken jointly by DHUK and DHBC, with the result that the British Trident 1 and the British Columbian Trident 7 shared a great deal in common, to the extent that there was a high degree of parts commonality between the two types.

Although the Trident 1 undertook its first flight in January 1962, it was another four years until the Trident 7A first took to the sky.

The Trident was groundbreaking in many ways, being the first aircraft in the world capable of landing in below-minimum (Category II) conditions. This autoland system was operated by three independent autopilots capable of guiding the aircraft automatically during airfield approach, flare, touchdown and even roll-out from the landing runway, which made it possible to operate the Trident when other aircraft were forced to divert. The three-person cockpit crew was also assisted by an innovative moving-map system displaying the aircraft's momentary position, and was the first aircraft to be fitted with a quick-access flight data recorder. The standard equipment fit included two VOR-ILS systems, dual ADF, HF and VHF radios (the HF radio equipped with SELCAL), three radio altimeters, a transponder, and weather radar.

The three engines were located in the aft section of the fuselage, two in nacelles mounted on either side, with the third in the centre on the same plane as the outboard engines; air was supplied to the centre engine via an intake mounted atop the fuselage at the base of the vertical stabiliser via an S-duct. Only the nacelle-mounted engines were fitted with thrust reversers. Each Rolls-Royce/Hoffar RB.141 Medway engines of the Trident 7A operated an independent hydraulic system via an engine-driven pump powering nose wheel steering, brakes, undercarriage, and all flight surfaces; two electrically driven pumps were supplied as a backup for the hydraulic system.

A Garrett AiResearch GTCP-85 APU was fitted in a fairing at the base of the vertical stabiliser above the centre engine to run the air conditioning system, start the engines, and drive generators to supply electric power on the ground; the APU could be operated in flight to drive the hydraulic backup pumps. Initially a distinctive feature of the BC Trident, the fairing-mounted APU was later added to the British Trident 2E.

Aside from the latter being ten feet longer, the greatest difference between the Trident 1 and the 7A was in the wings. Whilst the 1 had a span of 89' 10", the wing of the 7A was based on that of the Trident 1E of 1965, which had a 95 foot wingspan and surface area of 1,446 square feet; the DHBC designers took this a step further, increasing the span to 98 feet and an area of 1,462 square feet by adding Küchemann wingtips to the 1E design - this design was used by Hawker Siddeley on the Trident 2E and 3B. They were made of aluminium alloy stringers and skins of continuous wingtip-to-wingtip construction with a six-cell centre section box across the fuselage, a two-cell box from the wing root to a point at 40% of the span, and a single-cell box from there to the wingtip. The wings featured full-length leading edge slats and three-section double-slotted trailing edge flaps and ailerons of metal construction; the forward outboard flap acted as an airbrake, whilst the forward inner flap served as a spoiler or lift dumper. The leading and trailing edge devices were operated by off three independent hydraulic systems, of which only one was needed for full activation; there was no provision for manual reversion. Fuel was stored in five wing-internal tanks - two in each wing and one in the wing centre section; pressure fuelling was completed via a single point on each wing.

The tailplane of the Trident 7A was fifteen inches taller than that of the Trident 1; this was another DHBC feature adopted by Hawker Siddeley, in this case on the Trident 3B. It had an all-metal vertical surface with a rudder and an all-moving horizontal stabiliser with geared and slotted trailing edge flaps without trim tabs.

The undercarriage was arranged in a tricycle configuration. The twin-wheel nose gear, fitted with a Lockheed oleo-pneumatic shock absorber, was offset two feet from the centreline to retract sideways into its well; this arrangement freed up the extra space needed by the bulky autoland equipment positioned beneath the cockpit. The main gear had quad-wheel bogies with wheels arranged side-by-side and were fitted with Hawker Siddeley shock absorbers. They rotated 90 degrees and increased six inches in length during retraction into the under-fuselage centre section wells. Wheels were supplied by Hoffar's Automobile Division built to a Dunlop design with tyres from Dunlop, fitted with multiple disc brakes with the Dunlop Maxaret anti-skid system. An optional gravel kit was available to allow the Trident 7A to land on unprepared strips; this was made available for all subsequent DHBC Tridents.

Cabin pressurisation and air conditioning was achieved by means of two Hawker Siddeley Dynamics aircon systems, of which only one was needed for complete cabin pressurisation. The aft section, the undercarriage wells, and the wing centre section were unpressurised. A pneumatic system was installed for lavatory water and toilet flushing.

Baggage, cargo, and mail were carried in two below-decks holds fore and aft of the wing, accessed via a single hatch for each located starboard; like the main doors, they were of plug type. An optional aircon system was available to allow for the transport of live animals in the forward hold.

Operational history


''See also:
 * DHBC Trident 7A operators
 * DHBC Trident 7B operators
 * DHBC Trident 7C operators
 * DHBC Trident 7D operators
 * DHBC Trident 7E operators
 * DHBC Trident 8 operators''

Operators
Operators who took delivery of aircraft new from the factory are marked with a star (★).

Current

 * Angola
 * Air Gemini: 1 (Trident 7A(F))
 * Transafrik International: 1 (Trident 7A(F), +2 retired)


 * Colombia
 * Aerosucre: 3 (Trident 7A(F), +2 retired)

Former

 * Brazil
 * ★ Cruzeiro do Sul: 6 (Trident 7A)
 * Itapemirim: 2 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ VARIG: 7 (Trident 7A)
 * VarigLog: 4 (Trident 7A(F))


 * BC
 * ★ Air BC: 9 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ Awyr Cymru Newydd: 4 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ Inter-Dominion Air Lines: 25 (Trident 7A)
 * Kelowna Flightcraft: 3 (Trident 7A(C))
 * Kootenay Airways: 4 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ Pacific Western Airlines: 12 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ Royal BC Air Force: 5 (Trident 7A(C), Trident 7AC)


 * Burundi
 * Air Burundi: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Canada
 * Astoria Airlines: 2 (Trident 7A)
 * Canadian Airlines International: 5 (Trident 7A)
 * First Air: 1 (Trident 7A(C))
 * Jetall: 1 (Trident 7A(C))
 * Northwest Territorial Airways: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * Royal Aviation: 2 (Trident 7A, Trident 7A(C))


 * Colombia
 * AVESCA Colombia: 2 (Trident 7A)
 * Avianca Colombia: 3 (Trident 7A)
 * Intercontinental de Aviación: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * SAM Colombia: 3 (Trident 7A)
 * SATENA: 3 (Trident 7A)


 * Czechoslovakia
 * Air Terrex: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * DR Congo
 * Air Charter Service: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * Blue Air Lines: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * Congo Airlines: 2 (Trident 7A)
 * Hewa Bora Airways: 2 (Trident 7A)


 * Ecuador
 * SAETA: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Eswatini
 * Royal Swazi National Airways: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * France
 * Euralair: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Honduras
 * SAHSA: 3 (Trident 7A)


 * Indonesia
 * Bouraq Indonesia: 1 (Trident 7A(C))
 * Tri-MG Intra-Asia Airlines: 1 (Trident 7A(C))


 * Japan
 * All Nippon Airways: 8 (Trident 7A)


 * Kenya
 * Kenya Airways: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Libya
 * Libyan Arab Airlines: 4 (Trident 7A)


 * Mauritius
 * Air Mauritius: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Mexico
 * Estafeta Carga Aérea: 1 (Trident 7A(F))
 * Interamericana de Aviación: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * TAESA: 1 (Trident 7A(F))


 * Namibia
 * Air Namibia: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Nigeria
 * Harka Air: 3 (Trident 7A)
 * Kabo Air: 2 (Trident 7A)


 * Panama
 * COPA Panamá: 2 (Trident 7A)


 * Peru
 * AeroPerú: 2 (Trident 7A)
 * Americana de Aviación: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Slovakia
 * Air Slovakia: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * South Africa
 * Rossair Executive Air Charter: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Sri Lanka
 * Air Lanka: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * United States
 * Air Taxi International: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * Capitol Air Express: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * Kalitta Air: 5 (Trident 7A(F))
 * Kitty Hawk Aircargo: 5 (Trident 7A(F))
 * Northwest Airlines: 13 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ Pacific Southwest Airlines: 5 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ Panagra Airways: 8 (Trident 7A)
 * Republic Airlines: 13 (Trident 7A)
 * ★ Southern Airways: 14 (Trident 7A)
 * USAir: 4 (Trident 7A)


 * Venezuela
 * LASER Airlines: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * Zuliana de Aviación: 2 (Trident 7A)


 * West Indies
 * ★ Air Jamaica: 5 (Trident 7A)
 * Bahamasair: 1 (Trident 7A)


 * Zaire
 * Air Zaïre: 1 (Trident 7A)
 * Shabair: 1 (Trident 7A)

Preserved

 * c/n C826/1966, as BC2601 in second RBCAF livery at RBCAF Kelowna; first Trident 7A prototype
 * c/n C1157/1971, as OB-R-1256 in original AeroPerú livery at Lima, Peru

DHBC-7 Trident 7A
The first prototype Trident 7A (c/n C826/1966), registered VB-TRI, was completed in March 1966 and made its maiden flight on 11 April; two more were completed in May (VB-TRJ, c/n C835/1966) and June (VB-TRK, c/n C843/1966). TRK was written off after a landing accident following a test flight, but the other two prototypes were converted to a Combi configuration and transferred to the Royal BC Air Force in 1970, which operated them until 1992; the first prototype is preserved at RBCAF Kelowna in RBCAF markings.

Production of the Trident 7A had begun on the basis of a firm order for 25 from Inter-Dominion placed in 1965, followed a month later by an order for nine from Air BC; but a major coup came shortly afterwards, when Southern Airways of the United States placed an order for fourteen. Two other American airlines placed orders for the Trident 7A, Pacific Southwest Airlines for five and Panagra Airways for eight, whilst a total of twelve were sold to Brazil - six each to VARIG and Cruzeiro do Sul, and five went to Air Jamaica of the West Indies, but only eight were sold outside of the Americas, to All Nippon Airways of Japan. Pacific Western Airlines (twelve), Awyr Cymru Newydd (two), and the RBCAF (three) were the other three customers (all BC-based). Including the prototypes a total of 105 Trident 7A were built between 1966 and 1973; the last one (c/n C1322/1973) was delivered to Panagra.

Two prototypes were converted to Combi configuration featuring a large cargo door forward of the wing on the port side in 1970 and sold to the Royal BC Air Force; the RBCAF then ordered three more built to these specifications. Although numerous Tridents were converted in this fashion over the years, these three remained the only ones ever built as Combis.

A total of eleven Trident 7As were lost in accidents. The first to be lost in commercial service belonged to All Nippon Airways of Japan (JA8302, c/n C929/1968), which dropped from the sky on long approach to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, killing all 138 aboard. Although the cause of this crash was never determined, none of the other ten losses were due to technical problems on the aircraft: all were found to have been caused by weather or human error.

Five remain in service as of 2022, of which three are with Aerosucre Colombia; these had been converted to freighters in 2000. The other two - both having been converted to Combi configuration, are in Angola, one with Air Gemini and the other owned by Transafrik International and operated on behalf of TAAG Angola Airlines.

Accidents and incidents
Only hull-loss incidents are listed here.


 * 19 October 1966: The third prototype Trident 7A VB-TRK (c/n C843/1966), returning to Abbotsford International Airport following a test flight, ran off the runway after a tire burst due to a too-heavy landing. Nine continuous days of heavy rain had softened the grass field, and the runway excursion caused the starboard main gear to collapse after getting mired in the mud, damaging the wing beyond economical repair; there were no fatalities, but the aircraft was written off, and was subsequently used for ground crew training at Abbotsford.


 * 4 February 1969: All Nippon Airways Trident 7A JA8302 (c/n C929/1968), operating as Flight NH 60 from Sapporo, Japan to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, crashed into the Pacific Ocean 7.5 miles from Haneda Airport. The last radio exchange with the aircraft was with Haneda ATC at 19:00 on long approach, before the aircraft fell from the sky, disintegrating on impact with the water, and sank. All 131 passengers and 7 crew aboard died. The cause of the crash was never determined.


 * 14 November 1970: Southern Airways Trident 7A N116S (c/n C1018/1969), operating as charter Flight SO 932 from Kinston, North Carolina, to Huntington, West Virginia, crashed into a hill just short of the Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 passengers and crew. Pilot error was determined to be the cause of the crash, with the plane descending "below Minimum Descent Altitude during a non-precision approach under adverse operating conditions, without visual contact with the runway environment".


 * 30 July 1975: All Nippon Airways Trident 7D JA8329 (c/n C1412/1974), operating as Flight NH 58 from Sapporo, Japan to Tokyo, was destroyed in a mid-air collision with F-86 Sabre 92-7392 of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force. All 131 passengers and 7 crewmembers on the airliner were killed; the pilot of the fighter ejected safely.


 * 1 January 1976: Middle East Airlines Trident 7C OD-MDD (c/n C1358/1974), operating as Flight ME 438 from Beirut, Lebanon to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was destroyed in flight over Saudi Arabia by a terrorist bomb. All 66 passengers and 15 crew aboard were killed.


 * 4 April 1977: Southern Airways Trident 7D N152S (c/n C1273/1973), operating as Flight SO 242 from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia, executed a forced landing on Georgia State Route 381 in New Hope, Georgia, after suffering hail damage and losing thrust on both engines in a severe thunderstorm. The pilots managed to safely glide to a landing on the highway, but during the rollout the aircraft's left wing collided with a petrol station, causing it to swerve and crash into a wooded area. Sixty-three people on the aircraft (including both pilots) and nine people on the ground died; twenty passengers and the two flight attendants survived.


 * 11 February 1978: Pacific Western Airlines Trident 7A VB-PVF (c/n C1047/1969), operating as flight PW 314 from Edmonton, Alberta to Castlegar, BC, via Calgary, Alberta and Cranbrook, BC crashed at Cranbrook after a failed touch-and-go attempt. At 12:38 PM, Calgary ATC reported to Cranbrook Aeradio that Flight 314 was underway with an ETA of 13:05; this information was passed on to the driver of a radio-equipped snow removal vehicle sweeping the runway at the time. At 12:46, descending out of FL180, Flight 314 contacted Cranbrook, and were advised about the snow removal in progress; Cranbrook Aeradio received no further transmissions from the airplane. The aircraft passed the SKOOKUM beacon without contacting it, inbound on a straight-in instrument approach, and flew the ILS for runway 16 to touchdown. The aircraft had touched down at 12:55 about 800 feet from the threshold and reverse thrust was selected when the crew noticed the snow plough on the runway. The captain initiated a go-around at once, but one of the thrust reversers failed to re-stow due to loss of hydraulic power. The aircraft became airborne and successfully cleared the snow plough, but unexpectedly the left thrust reverser deployed in flight as it climbed to about 350 feet. As a result of this the crew lost control of the aircraft, which suddenly banked steeply to the left, lost height, and side-slipped into the ground. The aircraft broke up and caught fire. The deep snow made it difficult for fire crews to reach the wreckage, and 42 of the 44 passengers and 6 crew were killed.


 * 4 April 1978: Sabena Trident 7E OO-SDG (c/n C1555/1976) operating a training flight from Brussels, Belgium to Charleroi, ingested several birds during the seventh touch-and-go at Charleroi as the aircraft was rotating. The instructor took over and tried to continue the takeoff, but the aircraft didn't respond and appeared to decelerate. He decided to abort but overran the end of the runway and struck a localiser antenna. During the subsequent skid the right main gear collapsed and the aircraft caught fire, stopping 220 yards past the end of the runway and burning out. All three crewmembers escaped safely.


 * 25 September 1978: Pacific Southwest Airlines Trident 7B N928PS (c/n C1437/1975), operating as Flight PS 182 from Los Angeles, California, to San Diego, California, was destroyed in a mid-air collision with Cessna 172 N7711G.


 * 23 December 1978: Alitalia Trident 7D I-DIRQ (c/n C1598/1977), operating as Flight AZ 4128 from Rome, Italy to Palermo, crashed into the sea whilst on approach to Palermo. The flight was cleared for a night-time VOR/DME approach to runway 21. The final part of the approach, about two miles, is to be flown visually with the crew having to turn left to line up for runway 21, which has a magnetic heading of 206 degrees. The aircraft stopped descent at about 150 feet above the sea after passing the 3 DME fix, as if the pilot was trying to locate the final approach area, thinking to be very close to the runway. This feeling was enhanced by the light geometry around the airport. For about nine seconds the aircraft flew almost level with the sea at 150 knots, then the wind helped to lose the final feet and the right wing impacted water. Twenty-one survivors were saved by nearby fishing boats. Piloting the aircraft was the first officer (seven years as F/E, just three months as pilot, with 173 hours on the Trident). The captain was a senior pilot, with great experience on Caravelles, but just 418 hours on the Trident. 103 of 124 passengers and all 5 crew were killed.


 * 7 January 1980: Alitalia Trident 7D I-DIRF (c/n C1305/1973) was destroyed when it caught fire while undergoing a C-check at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy. The fire broke out shortly after the APU fuel shut off valve, located in the right wheel well, had been removed.


 * 21 November 1980: Pacific Western Airlines Trident 7A VB-PVA (c/n C909/1968), operating as Flight PW 461 from Seattle, Washington, to Calgary, Alberta, touched down thirteen feet short of the runway; the captain had reduced thrust prematurely and had been approaching on a too-shallow approach slope. The right main landing gear was immediately severed, the aircraft sliding along the runway and veering off it, coming to a stop 1,700 feet from the touchdown point, and severe fire started along the right side of the aircraft as it came to rest. All 67 passengers and six crewmembers evacuated within a minute of the aircraft coming to rest; there were no fatalities.


 * 22 March 1984: Pacific Western Airlines Trident 7C VB-PZG (c/n C1360/1974), operating as Flight PW 501 from Calgary, Alberta to Edmonton, Alberta, was destroyed by fire after a rejected take-off.


 * 27 February 1988: Talia Airways Trident 7B TC-AKD (c/n C1075/1970), operating a positioning flight from Istanbul, Turkey to Ercan, crashed into a mountainside. The crew had been cleared for a VOR approach, but instead cancelled IFR and descended to 2,000 feet, without regard to the height of the mountain chain ahead of them (3,130 feet). When the pilot noticed the mountains a climbing left turn was initiated, but the aircraft struck the mountain, killing all fifteen crew and airline staff aboard.


 * 25 August 1989: Torosair Trident 7B TC-AJV (c/n C1027/1969), operating a non-scheduled passenger flight from Ankara, Turkey to Maastricht, Netherlands, struck an ILS antenna about 330 yards past the end of the runway after take-off. The crew managed to return safely to the airport, but the aircraft was written off. There were no fatalities amongst the 151 passengers and 8 crew.


 * 11 September 1990: Faucett Peru Trident 7B OB-1303 (c/n C1028/1969) disappeared whilst returning to Peru after a lease to Air Malta. The aircraft was en route from Keflavík, Iceland to Gander, Newfoundland, when a distress call was received by the crews of TWA Flight TW851 and American Flight AA35, in which the Faucett crew reported descending through FL100 with the low fuel light on and preparing to ditch. Nothing further was heard from the flight, and the wreckage was never found. There were 16 people aboard, including the flight crew.


 * 3 December 1990: Northwest Airlines Trident 7A N117S (c/n C1065/1970), operating as Flight NW 1482 from Detroit, Michigan to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whilst taxiing from Gate C18 to Runway 03C missed a turn onto the designated taxiway, entering instead the active runway 03C. Ground control immediately ordered them to leave the runway, as a Boeing 727 (Northwest Airlines Flight NW299 to Memphis, Tennessee) had just received takeoff clearance. As the Trident was leaving the runway, the 727, travelling at over 100 knots, struck the right side of the Trident; the 727's right wingtip was shorn off as it sliced into the Trident's fuselage just under the window line, cutting off the No. 2 engine. A fire erupted in the Trident, burning it out between the fore and aft bulkheads; the 727 sustained damage only to its wing. Of the forty passengers and four crew, eight died.


 * 13 June 1991: All Nippon Airways Trident 7D JA8331 (c/n C1494/1975), operating a non-revenue positioning flight from Nagoya, Japan, to Tokyo, was written off after a gear-up landing. The crew failed to read out the landing procedure checklist, and forgot to lower the landing gear; when the ground proximity warning horn sounded, the circuit breaker was deliberately tripped to disable the horn.


 * 26 June 1991: Okada Air Trident 7E 5N-AOW (c/n C1618/1978), operating as Flight 9H 440 from Lagos, Nigeria to Kano, was destroyed in a forced landing due to shortage of fuel. The aircraft had become lost due to a weather front, and the crew eventually discovered they were near the city of Sokoto, about 235 miles west of Kano. Unable to head to their destination due to the weather conditions, they arrived near Sokoto at 21:00 to find the airport closed with lights off. With fuel running out, the crew was forced to make a forced landing in rolling grassland, during which the undercarriage was shorn off and the aircraft broke up. There were four fatalities amongst the 48 passengers and 5 crew on board.


 * 19 May 1993: SAM Colombia Trident 7A HK-2422X (c/n C1188/1971), operating as Flight MM 501 from Panama City to Medellín, hit Mt. Paramo de Frontino at 12,300 ft. while on approach to José María Córdova International Airport. The aircraft descended into mountainous terrain before actually reaching the Abejorral non-directional beacon. The VHF/DME at Medellín had been sabotaged by terrorists and was not in service. All 130 passengers, including a group of Panamanian dentists and doctors on their way to a convention, were killed.


 * 4 August 1993: SAM Colombia Trident 7A HK-2421X (c/n C1187/1971) was destroyed on the ground after the number three engine caught fire during maintenance work. The fire started when the FCU was disconnected and may have resulted from residual fuel leaking out and being ignited by one of the portable work lamps. No casualties.


 * 13 December 1996: Inter-Dominion Air Lines Skookum Trident VB-ISJ (c/n C1795/1982), operating as Flight ID 173 from Vancouver to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, was written off after a wheels-up landing. A severe snowstorm made flying conditions difficult and visibility was reduced; compounding the issue, the flight had been delayed by an hour due to a mechanical issue with the aft cargo door, so it was arriving in Yellowknife after the brief period of daylight had passed, reducing visibility further. The crew was thus distracted and, having omitted to go through the landing checklist, simply forgot to lower the landing gear. All 99 passengers and 6 crew survived, but the underside of the aircraft was seriously damaged and was written off.


 * 14 June 2000: Continental Airlines Trident 7B N7216F (c/n C1433/1975), operating as Flight CO 481 from Newark, New Jersey to Detroit, Michigan, was written off after the aircraft jumped its chocks during an engine test run at Gate C115 and the empty aircraft ran forwards and collided with the terminal building. There were no casualties amongst the six crew and cleaners aboard the aircraft to prepare it for the first flight of the day.


 * 18 March 2002: VarigLog Trident 7A(F) PP-VTB (c/n C989/1969), flying from Salvador to Belo Horizonte, rolled off the runway during landing and was critically damaged. The crew of 3 were not injured but the aircraft was written off.


 * 13 December 2003: Aero Continente Trident 7B OB-1544 (c/n C1000/1969), operating as Flight N6 341 from Caracas, Venezuela to Lima, Peru made a gear-up landing and was written off. During the approach to Lima's Runway 15, the crew noted a flap asymmetry warning. Distracted, they continued the approach but forgot to lower the landing gear, and the airplane landed on its belly at a speed of 190 knots, sliding 7,700 feet before coming to a stop. There were no fatalities amongst the 94 passengers and six crew aboard.


 * 4 January 2005: Tri-MG Inter-Asia Airlines Trident 7A(C) PK-YMG (c/n C1100/1970), operating an unscheduled relief flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to Banda Aceh following a tsunami. The airplane reportedly struck a water buffalo on the runway whilst landing, causing the left undercarriage to collapse. The aircraft was written off, but there were no casualties amongst the three crew aboard.


 * 15 December 2005: Allied Air Trident 8F 5N-OTI (c/n C1778/1981), operating as Flight 4W 214 from Mbwake, Niger to Lagos, Nigeria, made a gear-up landing and was subsequently written off. There were no casualties amongst the three crew aboard.


 * 25 January 2008: Canadian Airways Congo Trident 7D 9L-LEF (c/n C1486/1975) was damaged beyond repair whilst parked at the airport of Pointe Noire, Congo after Antonov An-12 EK-11660 suffered a brake failure whilst taxiing to the apron and collided with the Trident. Nobody was aboard at the time.


 * 15 April 2008: Hewa Bora Airways Trident 7D 9Q-CHN (c/n C1609/1977), operating as Flight EO 336 from Goma, DR Congo to Kisangani, lost thrust during take-off and, failing to lift off, ran off the runway and crashed into a residential area and caught fire. Of the 86 passengers and 8 crew there were only three fatalities, but 37 people on the ground were killed.


 * 29 April 2009: Bako Air Trident 7C TL-ADM (c/n C1298/1973) crashed during a ferry flight from Brazzaville, Congo to Harare, Rhodesia-Zimbabwe, where the aircraft was to undergo an overhaul. All seven people (three crew and four engineers) aboard were killed.


 * 13 September 2016: Trigana Air Service Trident 8F PK-YSY (c/n C1905/1984), operating as Flight IL 7321 from Jayapura, Indonesia to Wamena, was written off after a failure of both main landing gears upon landing. The flight was following another Trigana flight operating the same route, and whilst cruising at FL180, prior to descent the crew was able to identify the flight ahead of them, observing that Visual Meteorological Conditions existed. After descending to 7,000 feet, the aircraft orbited 8 nmi from the airport to allow the preceding flight to land, before receiving landing clearance from Wamena tower. From this position, the pilot could not identify his visual checkpoints, and decided to reduce the rate of descent as he continued the approach. About two nmi from the runway threshold at FL57, the pilot spotted the runway and increased the rate of descent. Just before touching down, the aircraft rolled 28° to the left and pitched 11° downwards before returning to wings level with a +7° pitch, then touched down with a vertical acceleration of 3.25 g. Both of the main gears collapsed with the left main gear shearing off completely during the landing, and the aircraft stopped its slide 2,067 yards from the threshold of Runway 15. The investigation concluded that the pilot made an error in judgement in deciding to continue the approach instead of going around. There were no fatalities amongst the three crewmembers aboard.


 * 20 December 2016: Aerosucre Colombia Trident 7A(F) HK-4544 (c/n C1067/1970), operating as Flight 6C 157 from Puerto Carreño, Colombia to Bogotá, crashed shortly after takeoff. Numerous errors on the part of the pilots in preparing for and performing the takeoff led to the aircraft not becoming airborne after running the entire 5905 ft length of the runway. It continued another 312 ft on the grass before striking part of the perimeter fence, then continued across a road and hit a shed and a tree. The aircraft finally became airborne, but the collision with the tree had caused the separation of the right main landing gear and damaged the right trailing inboard flap; number 3 engine suffered a loss of power, and a hydraulic fluid leak from System A was noted by the crew. The aircraft reached an altitude of 790 feet before entering a slight right-hand, descending turn until it crashed into flat terrain and burst into flames. In addition to the poor crew procedures, the aircraft had been overloaded, and had flown into an airfield from which Trident operations had not been authorised. Of the six crew aboard, five survived.


 * 2 July 2021: Transair Global Trident 7B(F) N810TA (c/n C1152/1971), operating as Flight R9 810 from Honolulu, Hawaii to Kahului, ditched at sea after an engine failure. Shortly after takeoff the crew reported engine issues and began a return to the airport. After the number 1 engine failed completely, the aircraft had difficulty maintaining altitude, and Honolulu ATC suggested diverting to Kalaeloa Airport, which was closer by. Even so, the aircraft was unable to reach this airfield, either, and was ditched at sea. Both crew members aboard were rescued.

Trident 7B
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Trident 7B

 * Commercial


 * Military/government


 * Private/leasing companies

Trident 7C

 * Commercial


 * Private/leasing companies

Trident 7D

 * Commercial


 * Private/leasing companies

Trident 7E

 * Commercial


 * Private/leasing companies

Skookum Trident/Trident 8

 * Commercial


 * Military/government


 * Private/leasing companies