Crash of an Antonov AN-26-100 off Abidjan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 2017 at 0823 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ER-AVB
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ouagadougou – Abidjan
MSN:
32 04
YOM:
1975
Flight number:
Kondor 26
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
23766
Captain / Total hours on type:
10133.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2250
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2080
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Ouagadougou on a flight to Abidjan, carrying seven passengers, three crew members and military equipment on behalf of the French Army (antiterrorist operation 'Barkhane'). On approach to Abidjan-Félix Houphouët-Boigny Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility due to heavy rain falls. On short final, the aircraft descended below MDA, impacted water and crashed in the sea few hundred metres short of runway 03. Six occupants were rescued while four others including all three crew members were killed. The aircraft was destroyed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were below minimums.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of this accident is the continuation of the approach below minimums without having established formal visual contact with runway references and without adequate monitoring of the aircraft's glide path. The rigorous application of the company SOPs should have necessarily led to a go-around.
The following factors contributed to the accident:
- Underestimation of adverse weather conditions below minimums;
- A lack of knowledge of the environment of Abidjan airport and insufficient awareness of the aircraft's vertical position;
- Inadequate monitoring of aircraft instruments and flight path (altitude and speed) in degraded weather conditions;
- A high workload due to continued final approach training and distraction from tasks not related to flight operations;
- Disabling EGPWS audible alerts due to unwanted alarms;
- Crew resource management (CRM) probably unbalanced by the authority of the PNF over the rest of the crew.
- Strict non-compliance with company SOPs.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-26B in Goma

Date & Time: Sep 10, 2017 at 1130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9S-AFL
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Goma – Bunia
MSN:
140 03
YOM:
1985
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Goma Airport, while on a cargo flight to Bunia, the crew reported technical problems with the right engine and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. The crew landed long (about half way down the runway) and after touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and while contacting lava ground, the right main gear and the nose gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest with its right wing bent and all four crew members evacuated safely.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26B in Maban

Date & Time: Aug 28, 2017 at 1130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EK-26006
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
121 02
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown on runway 33 at Maban Airport, South Sudan, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance and overran. It lost its undercarriage and came to rest, bursting into flames. All crew members evacuated safely and the aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire. The crew was completing a cargo flight on behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Balashov: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 2017 at 0640 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF-36160
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Balashov - Balashov
MSN:
80 01
YOM:
1979
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training mission at Balashov Airport, in the region of Saratov. Following several touch-and-go manoeuvres, the crew initiated a new approach. On final, the airplane descended below the MDA and, at a speed of 240 km/h, rolled to the right to an angle of 24°, stalled and crashed in a field located 1,100 metres from the airfield, bursting into flames. Five occupants were injures while a pilot under supervision was killed. The airplane had the dual registration RF-36160 and 79 red.
Crew:
Cpt Y. Tereshin,
Maj S. Rodionov,
Ens Frolov,
P. Halaimov,
I. Makhmoudov,
M. Artemiev. †
Probable cause:
It was determined that during the approach, the instructor led the aircraft descending below MDA when he simulated an engine failure and positioned both power levers to idle. As a result of the failure of the propeller feathering system, the right engine stopped. After 14 seconds, the instructor mistakenly shut down the left engine that was running properly, causing the aircraft to lose speed, to stall and to crash.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 near San Cristóbal: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 2017
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CU-T1406
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Playa Baracoa - Playa Baracoa
MSN:
135 02
YOM:
1985
Flight number:
FAR1436
Country:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Playa Baracoa Airport at 0638LT on a training flight and continued to the southwest. En route, it impacted the slope of Mt Loma de la Pimienta located about six km north of San Cristóbal, province of Artemisa. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight crew members were killed. Owned by Aerogaviota, the airplane was operated by the Cuban Air Force (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias) under flight code FAR1436.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26B in Wau

Date & Time: Mar 20, 2017 at 1525 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
S9-TLZ
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Juba - Wau
MSN:
133 10
YOM:
1983
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
40
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Juba, the crew initiated the approach to Wau Airport when he encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility. On short final, during the last segment, the aircraft collided with a fire truck and near the runway 27 threshold, bursting into flames. All 45 occupants were rescued, among them 18 were injured. The airplane was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26-100 in Belaya Gora

Date & Time: Oct 11, 2016 at 1638 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-26660
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Yakutsk - Belaya Gora
MSN:
8008
YOM:
1979
Flight number:
PI203
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
11439
Captain / Total hours on type:
2697.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
11142
Copilot / Total hours on type:
122
Aircraft flight hours:
34490
Aircraft flight cycles:
16367
Circumstances:
On final approach to Belaya Gora Airport, the aircraft was too low and hit the ground. On impact, the right main gear and the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest in a snow covered field about 400 meters short of runway threshold and 300 meters to the left of the approach path. The propeller on the right engine was torn off and it appears that the fuselage was bent as well. All 33 occupants were evacuated safely. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were marginal with limited visibility caused by snow falls. It was reported the visibility was about 2,5 km at the time of the accident while the crew needed at least 4 km on an NDB approach.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- Absence of standard operating procedures issued by the operator of how to conduct NDB approaches,
- Violation of procedures by tower who only transmitted information about snow fall and recommended to perform a low pass over the runway but did not transmit the actual visibility was 1900 meters below required minimum
- Absence of information that the visibility was below required minimum, the last transmission indicated minimum visibility was present,
- Presence of numerous landmarks (abandoned ships, ship cranes, fuel transshipment complex, ...) covered by snow within 700-1000 meters from the unpaved runway which could be taken as runway markers by flight crew,
- Presence of a number of "bald spots" due to the transitional period of year where the underlying surface became visible making it difficult to visualize and recognize the unpaved runway covered with snow (it was the first flight into Belaya Gora for the crew in the winter season, they had operated into the aerodrome only in summer so far),
- Insufficient use of the available nav aid on final approach which led to lack of proper control of the aircraft position relative to the glide path,
- Lack of possibility for tower to watch the aircraft performing the NDB approach from his work place.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in El Obeid: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 2016
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Crashed on final approach to El Obeid Airport, killing all five crew members. The accident was caused by a technical failure according to the Sudanese Air Force while local rebels claimed they shot down the aircraft with a mortar shell.

Ground fire of an Antonov AN-26RT in Rostov-on-Don

Date & Time: Mar 29, 2016
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
09 blue
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
122 02
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the right engine caught fire. The crew aborted the takeoff procedure and was able to stop the aircraft on the runway. Unfortunately, he was unable to extinguish the fire that destroyed the right engine. All occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was partially destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
The right engine caught fire during takeoff for unknown reasons.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26B off Cox's Bazar: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 2016 at 0905 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
S2-AGZ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cox’s Bazar – Jessore
MSN:
134 08
YOM:
1984
Flight number:
21
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
13315
Captain / Total hours on type:
6896.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1438
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1195
Aircraft flight hours:
16379
Aircraft flight cycles:
17299
Circumstances:
On March 9, 2016 one AN -26B aircraft belonging to True Aviation Ltd was operating a schedule cargo flight from a small domestic airport (Cox’s Bazar-VGCB) in southern Bangladesh to another domestic airport (Jessore -VGJR) in western Bangladesh, The cargo was Shrimp fries. As per the General Declaration the total cargo quantity was 802 boxes weighing 4800 kg. The airline had filled a flight plan keeping the ETD blank. The flight plan routing was CB W4 CTG W5 JSR at FL 100. All the documents except the load sheet were found properly signed and are in the possession of AAIT. According to ATC controller’s statement and recorded tape the aircraft requested for startup clearance at 0258z. As per the recordings with ATC the controller passed the visibility information of Jessore Airport as 3km. The aircraft started engines and requested for taxi. The aircraft was cleared to taxi to Runway 35 via taxiway S. The aircraft requested for takeoff clearance and was cleared for Take Off at 0305z. Immediately after airborne the pilot reported engine failure without mentioning initially which engine had failed but later confirming failure of the left engine and requested for immediate return back to Cox’s Bazar airport. He was advised by ATC to call left hand down wind. But the control tower spotted the aircraft making a right hand down wind at a very low altitude. All emergency services were made standby from the ATC. The aircraft called final and requested for landing clearance. For reasons so far unknown the aircraft made a low level Go Around. The controller in the tower saw the aircraft flying at about 400 to 500 feet. The surviving Flight Navigator also confirmed this in his statement. The ATC advised the captain to call left hand down wind. But there was no response from the crew. The ATC repeatedly kept calling the aircraft but there was no response from the crew and total communication was lost. At time 0332z the airport authority came to know through other means that the aircraft had crashed approximately 03km west of the airport.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
a) Failure to initiate a rejected take off during take off roll following the indication of engine failure;
b) Failure to adhere to the company SOP following the detection of the engine failure during take off;
c) Considering the poor visibility at Cox’s Bazar Airport, diverting to the alternate airfield Chittagong Airport located only 50 nm away that has the provision for full ILS approach facility. This could have helped the crew in carrying out a proper one engine out precision approach landing;
d) The aircraft flew at a speed much lower than the clean configuration speed. The aircraft flew at 225 km/h in clean configuration whereas the minimum clean configuration speed is 290 km/hr.
e) As per the FDR data the aircraft stalled while making a turn towards the side of the failed engine at a very low altitude.
Final Report: