Airbus A300 | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was completing a local training flight at Luxor Airport, consisting of touch-and-go maneuvers. Following a wrong approach configuration, the pilot-in-command landed too far down the runway, about 700 meters past the runway threshold and to the right of the centerline. After touchdown, the right main gear struck runway lights. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, collided with the localizer antenna, went through a fence and came to rest, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration.

Crash of an Airbus A300B2-1C in Madras

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1986 at 0719 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airbus A300

Operator:

Registration:

VT-ELV

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Madras - Bombay

MSN:

YOM:

1976

Flight number:

IC571

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

185

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

20865

Circumstances:

During taxiing for takeoff, the commander gave controls to copilot for takeoff. During takeoff roll, the commander and the copilot sighted a large bird towards the right hand side and the commander told the copilot to continue with takeoff. The copilot reportedly saw another large bird on the runway centreline when the aircraft speed was around 150 knots. The copilot rotated the aircraft and when the aircraft attained 5 to 8° nose up attitude, a loud noise was heard from the right side followed by severe vibration. The commande took over the controls from the copilot at this stage and initiated action to abort the takeoff. Reverse thrust and wheel brakes were applied but the aircraft could not be stopped on the runway and rolled over to kutcha ground. There was no fire but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. All 196 occupants were evacuated, among them 14 were slightly injured.

Probable cause:

Wrong decision of the commander to reject the take-off after the aircraft had been rotated for a lift-off, following a loud sound and severe vibrations from right engine due to bird hit.

Crash of an Airbus A300B2-120 in Kuala Lumpur

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1983 at 1938 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airbus A300

Operator:

Registration:

OY-KAA

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kuching - Singapore - Kuala Lumpur

MSN:

122

YOM:

1980

Flight number:

MH684

Location:

Kuala Lumpur-Subang-Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah

Selangor

Country:

Malaysia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

233

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3907

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Singapore-Changi Airport, the crew started the approach to Kuala Lumpung-Subang Airport by night and poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. During an ILS approach to runway 15 with an RVR of 450 meters, the pilot-in-command was unable to establish a visual contact with the runway and eventually decided to make a go-around. Four other attempts to land failed and during the sixth approach procedure, the crew descended below the MDA until the aircraft contacted trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located 1,200 meters short of runway, bursting into flames. All 247 occupants were quickly evacuated, 20 of them were injured. The undercarriage and both engines were torn off while the aircraft was partially destroyed by a post crash fire.

Probable cause:

The flight crew's decision to continue the approach after passing the MDA below the glide without proper visual contact with the ground/runway. Published procedures violation, lack of visibility, poor weather conditions were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Airbus A300B4-203 in Sanaa

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1982 at 0810 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airbus A300

Operator:

Registration:

F-BVGK

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sanaa - Cairo - Paris

MSN:

070

YOM:

1979

Flight number:

AF125

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

111

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

9053

Aircraft flight cycles:

3376

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll at Sana'a Intl Airport, at a speed of 95 knots, the crew noticed a loud bang followed by vibrations. The captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and initiated an emergency braking maneuver. The airplane came to rest on runway with its right wing on fire. All 124 occupants were evacuated safely, nevertheless, two passengers were slightly injured. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The accident directly resulted from the uncontained explosion of a first stage high pressure turbine disk of the right hand engine. The propagation of a low cycle fatigue crack on one of the embossments of the disk rim was at the origin of the disk fracture. This cracks, which existed before, had not been detected during the inspection conducted in the operator's workshops, according to the method defined by the manufacturer and in accordance with the requirements of the airworthiness authority. The investigations showed that it was necessary, not only to reduce the intervals between the inspections of these disks and conduct two independent sequential inspections, but also to modify the design and make sure they were progressively replaced by the new type. It seems obvious that the limit life validation methods used at the time of the accident, were still insufficient, as far as the probability of non-detection of cracks was concerned.