Varig Flight 967

{{Short description|1979 disappearance of a cargo flight from Japan to Brazil}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox aircraft occurrence | name = Varig Flight 967 |image=PP-VLU Boeing 707-323C.jpg | caption = PP-VLU, the missing aircraft, in March 1978 | occurrence_type = Incident | date = 30 January 1979 | summary = Disappearance | site = Pacific Ocean, {{convert|200|km|nmi mi|abbr=on}} ENE of Tokyo, Japan | aircraft_type = Boeing 707-323C | aircraft_name = | operator = Varig | IATA = RG967 | ICAO = VRG967 | callsign = VARIG 967 |tail_number = PP-VLU<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.airliners.net/photo/Varig-Cargo/Boeing-707-323C/1903986 |title=Boeing 707-323C – Varig Cargo |website=airliners.net}}</ref> |origin = Narita International Airport, Tokyo, Japan |stopover = Los Angeles International Airport, US |destination = Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, Brazil |occupants = 6 |passengers = 0 |crew = 6 |missing = 6 |fatalities = |survivors = }}

'''Varig Flight 967''' was an international cargo flight from Narita International Airport in Japan to Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport in Brazil, with a stopover at Los Angeles International Airport in the United States. On 30 January 1979, the Boeing 707 serving the flight disappeared while en route to Los Angeles with radio contact being lost an hour into the flight. Neither the aircraft nor its six crew members have ever been found.

==Background== ===Aircraft=== The aircraft involved was a Boeing 707-323C, construction number 19235, line number 519,<ref name="AirFrames">{{cite web |url=http://www.airframes.org/reg/ppvlu |title=Aircraft construction & line number |website=airframes.org |access-date=27 December 2013}}</ref> delivered new to American Airlines and registered N7562A on 31 August 1966. The aircraft was operated under its cargo subsidiary<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airframes.org/reg/n7562a |title=Aircraft data |website=airframes.org |access-date=27 December 2013}}</ref> before being sold to Varig Cargo on 28 March 1974 and re-registered as PP-VLU.<ref name="AirFrames"/> The jet was powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B engines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boeing.com/boeing/commercial/707family/ |title=Background description of the Boeing 707 family |website=boeing.com |access-date=27 December 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131006105314/http://www.boeing.com/boeing/commercial/707family | archive-date = 6 October 2013| url-status=live}}</ref>

===Flight crew=== The flight crew consisted of Captain Gilberto Araújo da Silva, 55, First Officer Erni Peixoto Mylius, 45, Second Officers Antonio Brasileiro da Silva Neto, 39, Evan Braga Saunders, 37, and Flight Engineers José Severino Gusmão de Araújo, 42, and Nicola Exposito, 40.<ref name="GAdS">{{cite web |date=16 August 2009 |title=Especial Gilberto Araújo: Nascido para voar |trans-title=Special Gilberto Araújo: Born to fly |url=http://www.gilbertoaraujodasilva.sertaopb.com/2009/09/especial-gilberto-araujo-jornal-uniao.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227201406/http://www.gilbertoaraujodasilva.sertaopb.com/2009/09/especial-gilberto-araujo-jornal-uniao.html |archive-date=27 December 2013 |access-date=27 December 2013 |website=gilbertoaraujodasilva.sertaopb.com |language=pt}}</ref>

In 1973, Captain Araújo da Silva was the Captain of Varig Flight 820, a Boeing 707 carrying 134 people that made an emergency landing due to a fire before it was due to land at Orly Airport in Paris, with the loss of 123 passengers and crew.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19730711-0 |title=Flight RG 820 accident description |website=aviation-safety.net |access-date=27 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626154057/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19730711-0 |archive-date=26 June 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1979, at the time of disappearance, he had more than 23,000 hours logged.<ref name="GAdS"/>

==Disappearance== On 30 January 1979, PP-VLU disappeared en route from Narita International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport while operating as Varig Flight 967. Its ultimate destination was Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport.<ref name="GAdS"/>

The flight took off at 20:23 from Narita International Airport. The last radio contact with the flight was at 20:45. The flight crew were expected to radio at 21:23, but they did not do so. Radio contact was lost about {{convert|200|km|abbr=on}} ENE of Tokyo.<ref name="asn">{{cite web |title=Accident description |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790130-0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720045717/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790130-0 |archive-date=20 July 2013 |access-date=15 July 2013 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network}}</ref>

The cargo included 53 paintings by Manabu Mabe returning from an exhibition in Tokyo, valued at US$1.24 million. The wreckage, paintings, and bodies of the crew were never found.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramalhoso |first=Wellington |date=3 November 2014 |title=Boeing da Varig desapareceu há 35 anos e jamais foi encontrado |trans-title=Varig Boeing disappeared 35 years ago and was never found |url=https://noticias.uol.com.br/internacional/ultimas-noticias/2014/03/11/boeing-da-varig-desapareceu-ha-35-anos-e-jamais-foi-encontrado.htm |access-date=17 January 2017 |website=UOL Notícias – Internacional |publisher=Universo Online |language=pt}}</ref><ref name="asn"/>

==See also== {{Portal|Brazil|Aviation|Modern history}} * List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft * List of missing aircraft

==References== {{Reflist}} {{Varig}} {{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979}}

Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 707 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979 967 Category:Missing aircraft Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Japan Category:1979 in Japan Category:January 1979 in Japan