Córdoba-Ambrosio Taravella (Pajas Blancas)

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

San Juan – Córdoba

MSN:

31-7552076

YOM:

1975

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

5914

Captain / Total hours on type:

240.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

485

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft was completing a charter flight from San Juan to Córdoba with seven passengers and two pilots on board. On approach to Córdoba-Ambrosio Taravella Airport by night, the crew encountered limited visibility due to poor weather conditions. The aircraft descended below the glide and collided with the inner marker antenna located about 700 metres short of runway 18 and crashed. Both pilots and four passengers were killed while three other passengers were seriously injured. Among those killed were the Argentinian racer Nicolas Vuyovich and Gustavo Ramonda, Director of the Toyota Corolla Racing Team who just won a race at the San Juan's autodrome.

Probable cause:

During a night approach in IMC conditions, the aircraft collided with the antenna of the inner marker after the crew descended below the MDA and deviated from the approach pattern. The following contributing factors were identified:
- The adverse weather conditions probably produced an optical illusion among the crew,
- The crew had only little training in instrument flights,
- Wrong altimeter setting,
- Absence of crew resources management,
- Poor crew coordination.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 737-204C in Buenos Aires: 65 killed

Date & Time: Aug 31, 1999 at 2054 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

LV-WRZ

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Buenos Aires-Aeroparque-Jorge Newbery

Schedule:

Buenos Aires – Córdoba

MSN:

20389

YOM:

1970

Flight number:

MJ3142

Location:

Buenos Aires City

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6500

Captain / Total hours on type:

1710.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

4085

Copilot / Total hours on type:

560

Aircraft flight hours:

67864

Aircraft flight cycles:

41851

Circumstances:

LAPA flight 3142 was scheduled to depart from Buenos Aires-Jorge Newbery Airport at 20:36 for a 1 hour and 15 minute flight to Córdoba, Argentina. The first officer and cabin crew were the first to arrive at the Boeing 737-200. The first officer notified one of the mechanics that the total fuel requirement was 8,500 kg, all to be stored in the wing tanks. The mechanic noticed there was still some fuel in the central tank and commenced transferring the fuel from the central to the wing tanks. At that moment the captain boarded the flight. He threw his paperwork on the ground, showing annoyance, confirming that attitude by later shutting off the fuel transfer between the main tank and the wing tanks. During their first four minutes on board, the captain, the co-pilot and the purser talked about trivial matters in good spirits, focusing on the purser's personal issues. When the purser left the cockpit, the conversation changed tone as they discussed a controversial situation about the family problems of the captain. The captain said that he was "going through bad times", to which the copilot replied that he was also having a bad day. Without interrupting the conversation, the crew began working the checklists, mixed with the personal issues that worried them and that led them to misread the checklist. In the process they omitted to select the flaps to the appropriate takeoff position. This confusing situation, in which the checklist procedure was mixed with conversation irrelevant to the crew's task, persisted during push back, engine start and taxiing, up to the moment of take-off, which was delayed by other aircraft waiting ahead of the LAPA flight and heavy arriving traffic. During this final wait, the crew members were smoking in the cockpit and continued their conversation. Take-off was started on runway 13 at 20:53 hours. During the takeoff roll the Take-off warning system sounded because the flaps had not been selected. The crew ignored the warning and continued the takeoff. After passing Vr, the pilot attempted to rotate the aircraft. The stick shaker activated as the aircraft entered a stall. It successively impacted the ILS antenna, the perimeter fence, a waiting shelter for buses, two automobiles, two excavators and an embankment where it stopped. Immediately a fire erupted. Three flight crew members, 60 passengers and two persons inside an automobile were killed.

Probable cause:

The JIAAC considers as an immediate cause of the accident that the flight crew of the LAPA 3142 forgot to extend the flaps for takeoff and dismissed the alarm sound that warned about the lack of configuration for that maneuver.
The contributing factors were:
- Lack of discipline of the crew that did not execute the logical reaction of aborting the takeoff and verification of the failure when the alarm began to sound when adding engine power and continued sounding until the rotation attempt.
- Excess of conversations foreign to the flight and for moments of important emotional intensity between the pilots, that were mixed with the execution of the check lists, arriving at omitting the part of these last ones where the extension of flaps for takeoff had to be completed.
- Personal and/or family and/or economic and/or other problems of both pilots, which affected their operational behavior.
- Insufficiency of the psychic control system, which did not allow to detect when the pilots were suffering personal and/or family problems and/or of another type that influenced their operational capacity when diminishing their psychic stability.
- Knowledge and treatment of very personal and extra-occupational issues among the pilots and even with the onboard commissioner, who facilitated the atmosphere of scarce seriousness and concentration in the operational tasks.
- Background of negative flight characteristics of the commander that surfaced before his personal situation and relationship in the cockpit before and during the emergency.
- Background of flight characteristics of the co-pilot, which manifested themselves during compliance with the procedural checklists in a cockpit where its components participated with a completely dispersed attention to particular interests outside the flight.
- No immediate recognition or verification of both pilots, of the relationship between the type of intermittent audible alarm that indicated failure in the configuration for takeoff, with the absence of flaps in the position for this maneuver.
- Design of the take-off configuration alarm system that does not allow, in this type of aircraft, a simple check by the crews to ensure periodic listening to this type of intermittent alarm.

Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Sabreliner 60 in Córdoba: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1998 at 2140 LT

Type of aircraft:

Rockwell Sabreliner 60

Operator:

Alas del Sur

Registration:

LV-WPO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Salta – San Miguel de Tucumán – Córdoba

MSN:

306-3

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Rockwell Shrike Commander 500

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2082

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3084

Aircraft flight hours:

8587

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a cargo service from Salta to Córdoba with an intermediate stop in San Miguel de Tucumán, carrying one passenger and two pilots. En route to Córdoba, the crew was cleared to descend to an altitude of 8,000 feet and later for an ILS approach to runway 18. By night and IMC conditions, the aircraft descended below the MDA when it crashed in an open field located 11,4 km short of runway. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

By night and IMC conditions, the crew was unable to intercept the ILS for runway 18 and continued the descent below MDA until impact with the ground.

Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Shrike Commander 500U in Córdoba

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1997

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Aeronimbus

Registration:

LV-IYO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

La Rioja - Buenos Aires

MSN:

500-1673-19

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Rockwell 1121 Jet Commander

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a cargo flight from La Rioja to Buenos Aires, the pilot encountered engine problems and decided to divert to Córdoba-Ambrosio Taravella Airport. On final approach, both engines failed and the pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in a field located 1,200 metres short of runway. It slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest in a grassy area. All four occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It was determined that both engines failed due to the malfunction of the fuel supply system due to poor maintenance.

Crash of a Rockwell 1121B Jet Commander in Córdoba: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1994 at 2058 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Radeair

Registration:

LV-WEN

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Córdoba – Buenos Aires

MSN:

1121-126

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region:

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following a long takeoff roll from Córdoba-Pajas Blancas Airport runway 36, the crew started the rotation and the aircraft adopted a low rate of climb. It collided with trees located past the runway end, stalled and crashed in a wooded area located 2 km from the runway end, bursting into flames. A pilot was seriously injured while eight other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew failed to prepare the flight according to published procedures and failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist. Following a wrong takeoff configuration, the crew started the rotation too late, retracted the flaps too early after rotation, causing the aircraft to lose lift and to stall. The distance separating the aircraft from the ground was insufficient for the crew to expect recovery. At the time of the accident, the total weight of the aircraft was above the MTOW, which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 in Córdoba

Date & Time: May 25, 1984

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T-83

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Comodoro Rivadavia – Córdoba

MSN:

170

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Córdoba-Pajas Blancas Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions and was forced to initiate a go-around. During a second attempt to land, the aircraft was too low and crashed in a maize field, few km short of runway 18 threshold. All 15 occupants were rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Cessna 401 in Córdoba: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1984 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 401

Operator:

Registration:

LV-JJR

Flight Phase:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mendoza - Córdoba

Location:

Country:

Region:

Government of the Province of Córdoba

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Córdoba-Ambrosio Taravella, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and rain showers. The twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Juárez Celman, about 5 km short of runway 23 threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Crash of a Cessna 402 in Córdoba: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 4, 1982 at 2345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 402

Operator:

Registration:

LV-JNU

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Calibration

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Córdoba - Córdoba

MSN:

402-0112

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a night calibration/inspection of the Instrument Landing System at Córdoba-Ambrosio Taravella Airport on behalf of the Directorate General of Aeronautics of the Province of Córdoba. On final approach to runway 18, the twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances about 300 meters short of runway. Both occupants were killed.

Crash of a Dinfia IA.50 Guaraní II in Córdoba: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1969

Type of aircraft:

Dinfia IA.50 Guaraní II

Operator:

Registration:

T-123

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region: