Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Kinshasa

Date & Time: Apr 14, 2006 at 1445 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
9T-TCB
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kinshasa - Kinshasa
MSN:
4416
YOM:
1971
Location:
Kinshasa-N'Djili
Kinshasa City Province
Country:
Democratic Republic of Congo
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a test flight on this aircraft that was parked for 10 years at Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport. On landing, the left main gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest. All seven occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The General Kikunda Ombala was PIC at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130E Hercules in Tehran: 106 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 2005 at 1410 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
5-8519
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Tehran – Bandar Abbas
MSN:
4399
YOM:
1970
Location:
Tehran-Mehrabad
Tehran City District
Country:
Iran
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
84
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
106
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft departed Tehran-Mehrabad Airport on a flight to Bandar Abbas, carrying 84 passengers and a crew of 10, among them several journalists from local newspapers and the Iranian National TV who were flying to Bandar Abbas to cover important military manoeuvres. Some eight minutes after takeoff, while climbing, the captain informed ATC about technical problems with the engine n°4 and elected to return to Tehran for an emergency landing. After being cleared to return, the crew started the descent when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a residential area located in the district of Yaft Abad, about 2 km south of runway 29L threshold. All 94 occupants were killed as well as 12 people leaving in a 9-floor building that was struck by the airplane. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced to 1,500 metres due to haze.
Probable cause:
Failure of the engine n°4 for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Lockheed L-382G-32C Hercules in Lokichoggio

Date & Time: Jun 10, 2005 at 1459 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
S9-BAS
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Humanitarian
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
El Obeid – Lokichoggio
MSN:
4472
YOM:
1972
Location:
Lokichoggio
Rift Valley
Country:
Kenya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
19800
Captain / Total hours on type:
15000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
14225
Aircraft flight hours:
51888
Circumstances:
A HS-748 suffered landing gear problems, causing the airplane to end up on its belly, blocking Lokichoggio's single 1800-metre runway 09/27. Three other light aircraft, a Dornier 228, an Antonov 28 and a Cessna 208, landed safely at the airfield on runway 27 after the HS-748 accident. Two Antonov 12 aircraft inbound to Lokichoggio from Torit, Southern Sudan, diverted to Juba upon getting information of the runway obstruction. Transafrik Hercules S9-BAS, flying for the United Nations World Food Programme, contacted Lokichoggio Tower at 14:30 hours. The aircraft was returning from a food air drop at Motot, Southern Sudan. The pilot was advised to divert to Eldoret International Airport but he opted to land at Lokichoggio. The Tower cleared the Hercules to land on runway 27 at the pilot’s discretion. The aircraft made a very heavy landing short of the runway and the top centre fuselage broke. The aircraft came to a stop about one kilometre from the touchdown point. Shortly before coming to a halt, the aircraft impacted the HS 748 with its right wing tip. The captain, the first officer, the flight engineer and the two loadmasters evacuated themselves safely. A repair crew started to work on S9-BAS on site at Lokichoggio in May 2006. The fuselage was repaired but the contractor left before repairs were completed. The airplane was seen in November 2008 parked at Lokichoggio without landing gear, engines and vertical stabilizer.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the Hercules accident was the captain’s improper decision to land on the blocked runway at Lokichoggio Airport.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed MC-130H Hercules near Gramsh: 9 killed

Date & Time: Mar 31, 2005 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
87-0127
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tirana - Tirana
MSN:
5118
YOM:
1987
Location:
Gramsh
Elbasan
Country:
Albania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Assigned to the 352nd Special Operations Group based at RAF Mildenhall, the four engine aircraft departed Tirana-Rinas Airport in the evening for a night training mission with the Albanian Army. While flying at low height, about 300 feet above the ground by night and using night-vision goggles, the crew elected to gain height while approaching a ridge. Unable to climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed in hilly and snow covered terrain. The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident investigation board determined that the crew's loss of situational awareness placed the aircraft in too low a climb with respect to the surrounding mountainous terrain. Responding to the situation, the crew did not use all available power and stalled the aircraft during a turning climb. This resulted in a loss of aircraft control and almost immediate crash.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130K Hercules near Baghdad: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 2005 at 1630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
XV179
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Baghdad - Balad
MSN:
4195
YOM:
1967
Location:
Baghdad
Baghdād (بغداد)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Aircraft flight hours:
24200
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing, according to the RAF, an administrative flight from Baghdad to Balad, an Air Base located 65 km northwest of Baghdad. While climbing, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed near Al Taji, about 30 km northwest of Baghdad. The aircraft was destroyed and all 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The Board concluded that XV179 crashed because the ac became uncontrollable after hostile action caused the explosive separation of the outboard 23 feet of the right-hand wing. Furthermore the Board conclude that the explosive separation could have been caused solely by [blanked out] or a combination of [blanked out] and another [blanked out] impacting the wing in the vicinity of the separation boundary.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Flying at low level and in daylight made the ac vulnerable to [blanked out],
- The lack of any fire retarding technology, either foam or inert gas, in the fuel tanks allowed an explosive fuel/air mix to develop in the ullage,
- The ACHQ did not have sight of Op [blanked out] tasking and this reduced their ability to provide relevant intelligence support,
- The SAFIRE reporting, collating and dissemination chain was not efficient enough to provide aircrew with the time-sensitive intelligence they need,
- The lack of a procedure to pass up-to-the-minute and relevant threat information to the C-130 left crew unaware of the recent SAFIRE site between BIAP and BSE.

Crash of a Lockheed MC-130H Hercules at Qayyarah Airfield West AFB

Date & Time: Dec 29, 2004
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
85-0012
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
5054
YOM:
1985
Location:
Qayyarah Airfield West AFB
Nīnawā (Nineveh) (نينوى)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The MC-130H Hercules plane was on a nighttime logistics transport mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. US operated airfield in northern Iraq, reportedly Qayyarah Airfield West, a trench was being dug in the runway 33. The construction works, approx. 2700 feet from the southern end of the runway were not marked nor NOTAMed. On landing, at a speed of 80 knots, the Hercules plane ran into the construction works. The nose gear and forward undercarriage were sheared off and the left wing separated just outside the no. 2 engine. The aircraft then caught fire. The crew members egressed safely, but the four passengers required assistance from ground personnel and aircrew.
Probable cause:
The Board President determined the causes of the accident are:
1) A failure on the part of the mishap site Assistant S-3 (Battle Captain[s]) to disseminate timely Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) information via the appropriate channels,
2) the failure of the Army project manager for construction at the mishap site to ensure the construction was properly marked and
3) a failure of the NOTAM reporting system to include oversight and supervision of the NOTAM processes, within the area of responsibility (AOR).
Contributing factors in this mishap include:
1) a lack of training on the part of the U.S. Army to effectively prepare their personnel for combat zone airfield management and operations, and
2) the failure of the Garrison Commander at the mishap location to assume responsibility for ensuring safe flight operations at the airfield.
The Board President also determined there were numerous opportunities for airfield construction information to flow to the aircrew, but in each case the information was not properly disseminated prior to the aircrew departing for their scheduled mission.
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