Mcdonnell Douglas DC-8-62 accident near Paramaribo, Ns, June 7, 1989
On June 7, 1989 at about 7:27 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-8-62, registered N1809E, was destroyed in an accident near Paramaribo (Zandery Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 174 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 1989 · about 7:27 am local time
- Place
- Paramaribo, NS · Zandery Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 174 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-8-62
- Registration
- N1809E · no longer on the register · serial 46107
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 335,000 lb
- Seats: 189
- Landing gear: retractable
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: Amsterdam,Nethe OF
- Destination: Parameaibo,Suri OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 56 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 9 | |||
| Passengers | 165 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.