Puerto Ordaz

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain

Schedule:

Caracas – Puerto Ordaz

MSN:

47738/830

YOM:

1976

Flight number:

VH342

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

125

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

14000

Copilot / Total flying hours:

275

Aircraft flight hours:

71817

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar Airport on a schedule service to Puerto Ordaz, carrying 125 passengers and a crew of 5. On this flight, the copilot was the PIC with the captain acting as instructor and a second copilot who was seating in the jump seat and acting as an observer. During the takeoff roll from Caracas Airport, the liftoff was completed quickly, causing the base of the empennage to struck the runway surface (tail strike). Nevertheless, the captain decided to proceed to Puerto Ordaz. On final to Puerto Ordaz, the approach speed was too low (123,8 knots). The aircraft sank and landed hard, causing the fuselage to be bent at the aft cabin, just prior to the tail, and both engine pylons to fail and to break from the fuselage. The aircraft was brought to a stop on the main runway and all 130 occupants evacuated safely.

Probable cause:

The accident investigators, taking into account the characteristics of the accident and the evidence collected in the course of the investigation, considered the Human Factor as the reason for this accident, being able to demonstrate convincingly the following causes:
- There was a breach of the provisions in Chapter 4 (flight operations policies), paragraph 6 (sterile cabin) of the Operations Manual of the airline due to carrying out activities that were not related to the conduct of the flight.
- Lack of situational awareness of the Flight Instructor, the observer pilot and the first officer.
- The captain performed other duties, adding to the duties already being accomplished in his role as a flight instructor.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain near Zaraza

Date & Time: Jun 16, 2011 at 0950 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

YV1394

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Maracay - Puerto Ordaz

MSN:

31-7405135

YOM:

1974

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed Maracay on a cargo flight to Puerto Ordaz, carrying one pilot, one passenger and some bank documents. While in cruising altitude, the pilot informed ATC about smoke in the cockpit and elected to divert to the nearest airport. Eventually, he attempted an emergency landing in an open field located some 20 km east from Zaraza. After touchdown, the aircraft rolled for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. While both occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was totally destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

During a flight of transport of values, in the phase of cruise, a smoke emergency appeared in the cockpit, that when not being able to be controlled, derived in a landing of emergency by precaution in a nonprepared field, which resulted without apparent damages to the aircraft, triggering later a fire and the almost total destruction of the same, due, very probably, to an electrical failure that originated the fire.

Crash of an ATR42-320 in Puerto Ordaz: 17 killed

Date & Time: Sep 13, 2010 at 1023 LT

Type of aircraft:

ATR42-300

Operator:

Registration:

YV1010

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Porlamar - Puerto Ordaz

MSN:

371

YOM:

1994

Flight number:

VCV2350

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total hours on type:

1574.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1083

Copilot / Total hours on type:

483

Aircraft flight hours:

27085

Aircraft flight cycles:

29603

Circumstances:

Following two uneventful flights to Santiago Mariño and Maturín, the aircraft departed Porlamar on a flight to Puerto Ordaz with 47 passengers and a crew of four on board. While descending to Puerto Ordaz, at an altitude of 13,500 feet and at a distance of 79 km from the destination, the crew reported control difficulties. After being prioritized, the crew was instructed for an approach and landing on runway 07. At 1021LT, the crew reported his position at 3,000 feet and 28 km from the destination Airport. Two minutes later, the message 'mayday mayday mayday' was heard on the frequency. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in an industrial area located about 9 km short of runway, bursting into flames. Three crew members and 14 passengers were killed while 34 other occupants were injured, 10 seriously.

Probable cause:

The most probable cause for the occurrence of the accident was the malfunction of the centralized crew warning system (CCAS/CAC) with erroneous activation of the flight loss of lift warning system.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor crew resources management,
- Loss of situational awareness,
- Inadequate coordination during the decision-making process to deal with abnormal situations in flight,
- Ignorance of the loss of lift warning system.
- Inadequate handling of flight controls.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 737-2H4 in Caracas

Date & Time: Oct 16, 2008 at 1530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

YV162T

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar

Schedule:

Puerto Ordaz – Caracas

MSN:

23055/970

YOM:

1983

Location:

Vargas

Country:

Venezuela

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After landing on runway 28R at Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar Airport, the aircraft deviated to the left. It eventually veered off runway to the left and went down a slope, coming to rest with its nose gear torn off. All 54 occupants evacuated safely and aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Cessna 650 Citation III in Caico Seco: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 18, 2008 at 1815 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 650 Citation III

Operator:

Registration:

N385EM

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Valencia – Puerto Ordaz

MSN:

650-0145

YOM:

1987

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Valencia-Arturo Michelana Airport on a private flight to Puerto Ordaz, carrying one passenger and two pilots. While cruising at an altitude of 30,000 feet, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a near vertical attitude. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The copilot probably gave his place on board to a passenger without any qualification to operate the aircraft, moments after takeoff. During the en-route flight phase, a failure of the primary pitch trim system was simulated by the activation of the secondary system, which would have resulted in an abnormal operation of the system, followed by violent loss of altitude and over speed condition.

Crash of a Dornier DO.28D-2 Skyservant in El Callao

Date & Time: Jun 15, 2005 at 0940 LT

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.28D Skyservant

Operator:

Revemin-Bonanza Mining Group

Registration:

YV-664CP

Flight Phase:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Puerto Ordaz – El Callao

MSN:

4084

YOM:

1971

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While approaching El Callao following an uneventful flight from Puerto Ordaz, the pilot encountered technical problems and elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed near Caserio San Juan and came to rest, bursting into flames. All three occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a Cessna 402B in Charallave: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1989

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 402

Operator:

Lineas Aéreas CAVE

Registration:

YV-478C

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga

Schedule:

Puerto Ordaz - Charallave

MSN:

402B-0542

YOM:

1973

Location:

Miranda

Country:

Venezuela

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilots were making a visual approach at night to RWY 10 from a right downwind. The pilots descended the airplane through a scud layer on final and initially contacted the ground well short of the runway. The pilot pitched up and added full power, but one main gear separated as it hit the side of the hill below the runway. The airplane then rolled inverted and impacted the runway threshold upside down. Still inverted, it slid across the grass onto an adjacent taxiway with a substantial external fire. Both pilots and one passenger were killed. Four passengers survived with various injuries. The passenger who was killed was Joseph T. Nall, NTSB member.

Crash of a Canadair CL-215-1A10 in Puerto Ordaz: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1989

Type of aircraft:

Canadair CL-215

Operator:

Registration:

YV-O-CFO-6

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site: