Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Managua

Date & Time: Oct 14, 2009 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
75
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Managua - Managua
MSN:
1G214-02
YOM:
1985
Location:
Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino-Las Mercedes
Managua City District
Country:
Nicaragua
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino Airport for a local post maintenance check flight following an engine overhaul. On board were five engineers and pilots. On final approach, the engine failed. The pilot-in-command attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in an open field and came to rest upside down about 800 metres short of runway threshold. All five occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Douglas DC-10-10F in Managua

Date & Time: Jun 4, 2006 at 0510 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-10
Operator:
Registration:
N68047
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Miami - Managua
MSN:
47801/98
YOM:
1973
Location:
Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino-Las Mercedes
Managua City District
Country:
Nicaragua
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Miami-Intl Airport on a night cargo flight to Managua, carrying three crew members and a load consisting of 50 tons of chemical and toxic products. After touchdown on runway 09 which is 2,450 metres long, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, went through a fence, lost its nose gear and came to rest 350 metres further in trees. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan on Mt Silva: 16 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1999 at 0945 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Operator:
Registration:
YN-CED
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Managua – Bluefields
MSN:
208B-0341
YOM:
1993
Flight number:
NIS046
Location:
Mt Silva
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur
Country:
Nicaragua
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Managua-Augusto C. Sandino Airport in the morning on a flight to Bluefields, carrying two pilots and 14 passengers, most of them members of a development aid organization. While approaching the destination, the crew initiated a VFR descent to Bluefields in marginal weather conditions. At an altitude of 2,000 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Silva located in the Zelaya Central Mountain Range. The wreckage was found about 50 km west of Bluefields and all 16 occupants were killed, among them a Swiss citizen.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew initiated the descent under VFR mode in IMC conditions. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor weather conditions with low clouds,
- The crew started the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to descent at 2,000 feet while the minimum safe altitude was 2,700 feet over the area of the accident.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2H6 in Managua

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1993 at 1930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 737-200
Operator:
Registration:
N401SH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Tegucigalpa - Managua - San José
MSN:
20584
YOM:
1972
Flight number:
SH415
Location:
Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino-Las Mercedes
Managua City District
Country:
Nicaragua
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
88
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The approach to Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino Airport was completed in poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to thunderstorm activity and heavy rain falls. On short final, the captain got distracted by lightning striking the ground to the right of the airplane. Then the aircraft landed nose first, causing it to be partially torn off. The aircraft bounced, veered off runway to the right and came to rest 45 metres to the right of the runway. All 94 occupants evacuated safely, except a crew member who was seriously injured.

Crash of a Boeing 727-200 in Tegucigalpa: 127 killed

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1989 at 0753 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-200
Operator:
Registration:
N88705
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
San José - Managua - Tegucigalpa - Houston
MSN:
19514
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
SH414
Location:
Tegucigalpa-Toncontin
Francisco Morazán
Country:
Honduras
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
138
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
131
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Managua, the crew started a night descent to Tegucigalpa-Toncontin Airport. The standard approach to runway 01 consisted of a three-steps descent from the initial approach fix altitude of 7,500 feet. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to follow this procedure and started the descent prematurely and with a constant descent profile from a distance of 11 nm from the airport. This caused the aircraft to descend below the glide when, at an altitude of 4,000 feet, it struck the slope of Cerro de Hula (4,800 feet high) located 7,7 km short of runway 01. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and 15 people, including four crew members, were rescued while 131 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew failed to follow the approach procedures and initiated a premature descent, causing the aircraft to follow a wrong approach profile.
The following contributing factors were reported:
- The crew experience was insufficient,
- Negligences on part of the crew,
- Poor crew coordination,
- The crew failed to take appropriate actions when the GPWS alarm sounded,
- Lack of visibility caused by night and marginal weather conditions,
- Absence of visual reference points on the ground.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6BF on Mt Fábrega: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1988 at 0700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-6
Operator:
Registration:
YN-CBE
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Panama City - Managua
MSN:
45175/832
YOM:
1957
Location:
Mt Fábrega
Bocas del Toro
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft departed Panama City-Tocumen Airport at 0549LT on a cargo flight to Managua, carrying a crew of six. At 0653LT, the last radio contact was recorded with the crew. While cruising in limited visibility, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Fábrega (3,335 meters high) located in the west part of Panama, near the border with Costa Rica. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the six occupants was found. The wreckage was found by walkers on 19 August 1989 at the altitude of 2,800 meters, more than 500 meters below the summit.
Crew:
William Gross Robles,
Ricardo Tadeo Czarski,
Marvin José Arana,
Juan de Dios Morales,
Juan Francisco Pavón,
José Félix Chávez.

Crash of a Boeing 727-22 in San José

Date & Time: May 23, 1988 at 1706 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-100
Operator:
Registration:
TI-LRC
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
San José – Managua – Miami
MSN:
18856
YOM:
1965
Flight number:
LR628
Location:
San José-Juan Santamaría
Alajuela (Center-North)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll on runway 07, at V1 speed, the captain started the rotation but the aircraft failed to respond. The crew decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and initiated an emergency braking maneuver. unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, crossed a ditch and came to rest in a field, bursting into flames. All 26 occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
Excess weight in the front cargo hold displaced the centre of gravity to the forward limit. Two additional trim units would have been required for takeoff.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6BF in Boca San Carlos

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1987 at 1436 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-6
Operator:
Registration:
YN-BFO
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Managua - Panama City
MSN:
45324
YOM:
1958
Location:
Boca San Carlos
Alajuela (Center-North)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While in cruising altitude on a cargo flight from Managua to Panama City, the engine n°3 detached and the n°4 caught fire. The pilot was able to extinguish the fire but unable to feather the propeller. Passengers jettisoned the cargo and eventually, the crew managed to ditch the aircraft in the Río San Carlos near Boca San Carlos. All six occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18D near Havana: 38 killed

Date & Time: Jan 19, 1985 at 0822 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-18
Operator:
Registration:
CU-T899
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Havana - Managua
MSN:
188 0111 02
YOM:
1968
Location:
Havana-José Martí (Rancho Boyeros)
La Habana
Country:
Cuba
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
33
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
38
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Havana-Jose Marti-Rancho Boyeros Airport, while climbing, the crew initiated a right turn when the airplane banked right to an angle of 30° then entered a dive and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and all 38 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of the failure of the artificial horizontal. Also, it is possible that cargo shifted during the right turn, modifying the CofG and causing the aircraft to be uncontrollable.

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 200 in Managua

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1983
Type of aircraft:
Casa 212 Aviocar
Operator:
Registration:
YN-BYZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
298
YOM:
1983
Location:
Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino-Las Mercedes
Managua City District
Country:
Nicaragua
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino Airport, the copilot mistakenly activated the reversers. The airplane lost height and landed hard, causing irreparable damages. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Crew error.
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