Crash of a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air in Angola: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 21, 2010 at 0020 LT
Operator:
Registration:
D2-FFT
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Pointe Noire - Luanda
MSN:
BB-607
YOM:
1980
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a charter flight from Pointe Noire to Luanda with one passenger on board, the Mauritanian businessman Rashid Mustapha who was candidate to the Presidential elections in Mauritania in 2007. The pax called his bodyguard just before takeoff, asking them to be ready upon arrival at Luanda-4 de Fevereiro Airport. The twin engine aircraft departed Pointe Noire Airport at 2321LT for a 75-90 minutes flight to Luanda. Just before it started the descent, while cruising over the area of Caxito, some 50 km northeast of Luanda, the aircraft disappeared from radar screens at 0020LT. SAR operations were abandoned after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the three occupants was found. It is possible that the aircraft crashed by night in the ocean off the Angolan coast but this was not confirmed as the wreckage was never found. Three years later, in March 2013, unconfirmed reports and rumors in Africa said that the aircraft never crashed anywhere and that Rashid Mustapha was in fact hostage by a terrorist group somewhere in Africa, but this was not confirmed by Officials in Mauritania or Angola. Without any trace of the aircraft, all hypothesis remains open.

Crash of a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air in Arlit

Date & Time: Apr 27, 2010 at 1830 LT
Operator:
Registration:
F-GLIF
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Niamey - Arlit
MSN:
BB-192
YOM:
1977
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Arlit Airport, the crew lost visual contact with the runway due to a sand storm. The aircraft was too low and hit the ground short of runway. Upon impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the aircraft slid over few dozen metres before coming to rest. All 10 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The crew continued the approach in a reduced visibility due to blowing sand and descended too low without visual contact with the ground.

Crash of a Learjet 25D in Bahías de Huatulco

Date & Time: Apr 1, 2010 at 1300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-UNC
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oaxaca – Bahías de Huatulco
MSN:
222
YOM:
1977
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Bahías de Huatulco Airport, the crew was unable to lower the landing gear. It was decided to perform a wheels up landing. The aircraft landed on its belly then slid for few dozen metres, veered off runway and came to rest, bursting into flames. All six occupants escaped uninjured but the aircraft was destroyed by fire. Among the passenger was Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, Governor of the State of Oaxaca.

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20C in Vail

Date & Time: Jan 8, 2010 at 1225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
XA-PCC
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Vail - Chihuahua
MSN:
159
YOM:
1968
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
11000
Captain / Total hours on type:
5000.00
Circumstances:
During taxi the airplane was observed to run over a tire chock with the left main gear tire. During a turn out of the ramp, the left main gear was observed to run over the nose gear chock that had been removed from the nose gear by the pilot during pre-flight. During the departure roll, the left main gear tire failed and the pilot elected to abort the takeoff attempt. The airplane did not stop on the remaining runway surface and departed the runway overrun area, coming to rest in snow-covered terrain. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.
Probable cause:
The flight crew’s improper preflight inspection and failure to remove the main landing gear wheel chock, resulting in damage and subsequent failure of the main landing gear tire during the takeoff roll.
Final Report:

Crash of a Swearingen SA227AC Metro III in Cap Haïtien

Date & Time: Dec 20, 2009 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C6-JER
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nassau – Cap Haïtien
MSN:
AC-588B
YOM:
1984
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
7400
Circumstances:
On Sunday December 20, 2009 at approximately 1700 UTC a fixed wing, multi engine, Fairchild SA-227AC Metro-liner III aircraft landed at Cap Haïtien Int’l Airport, Haiti, with its landing gear retracted. The pilot reported on two occasions whilst the aircraft was configured with flaps and gear extended, upon reduction in power preparing to land, the aircraft had a very high nose up attitude. The pilot further stated that after two go around, the decision was made to land the aircraft with its landing gear retracted. The aircraft landed on Runway 05. According to the pilot, the crew and all 19 passengers onboard suffered no injuries.
Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 748-398-2B in Tonj: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 2009
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5Y-YKM
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Juba - Tonj
MSN:
1779
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
37
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
15620
Circumstances:
After landing at Tonj Airfield, the aircraft that was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and came to rest against houses. All 41 occupants escaped uninjured while a woman was killed on the ground. The aircraft departed Juba on a charter flight to Tonj, carrying security personnel from the Presidency who should prepare the next visit of the President of South Sudan in Tonj.

Crash of a Beechcraft A100 King Air in Chicoutimi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 2009 at 2250 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GPBA
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Val d'Or - Chicoutimi
MSN:
B-215
YOM:
1975
Flight number:
ET822
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
3500
Captain / Total hours on type:
1000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1000
Copilot / Total hours on type:
150
Circumstances:
The Beechcraft was on an instrument flight rules flight between Val-d’Or and Chicoutimi/Saint-Honoré, Quebec, with 2 pilots and 2 passengers on board. At 2240 Eastern Standard Time, the aircraft was cleared for an RNAV (GNSS) Runway 12 approach and switched to the aerodrome traffic frequency. At 2250, the International satellite system for search and rescue detected the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter signal. The aircraft was located at 0224 in a wooded area approximately 3 nautical miles from the threshold of Runway 12, on the approach centreline. Rescuers arrived on the scene at 0415. The 2 pilots were fatally injured, and the 2 passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed on impact; there was no post-crash fire.
Probable cause:
Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors:
For undetermined reasons, the crew continued its descent prematurely below the published approach minima, leading to a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
Findings as to Risk:
1. The use of the step-down descent technique rather than the stabilized constant descent angle (SCDA) technique for non-precision instrument approaches increases the risk of an approach and landing accident (ALA).
2. The depiction of the RNAV (GNSS) Runway 12 approach published in the Canada Air Pilot (CAP) does not incorporate recognized visual elements for reducing ALAs, as recommended in Annex 4 to the Convention, thereby reducing awareness of the terrain.
3. The installation of a terrain awareness warning system (TAWS) is not yet a requirement under the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) for air taxi operators. Until the changes to regulations are put into effect, an important defense against ALAs is not available.
4. Most air taxi operators are unaware of and have not implemented the FSF ALAR task force recommendations, which increases the risk of a CFIT accident.
5. Approach design based primarily on obstacle clearance instead of the 3° optimum angle increases the risk of ALAs.
6. The lack of information on the SCDA technique in Transport Canada reference manuals means that crews are unfamiliar with this technique, thereby increasing the risk of ALAs.
7. Use of the step-down descent technique prolongs the time spent at minimum altitude, thereby increasing the risk of ALAs.
8. Pilots are not sufficiently educated on instrument approach procedure design criteria. Consequently, they tend to use the CAP published altitudes as targets, and place the aircraft at low altitude prematurely, thereby increasing the risk of an ALA.
9. Where pilots do not have up-to-date information on runway conditions needed to check runway contamination and landing distance performance, there is an increased risk of landing accidents.
10. Non-compliance with instrument flight rules (IFR) reporting procedures at uncontrolled airports increases the risk of collision with other aircraft or vehicles.
11. If altimeter corrections for low temperature and remote altimeter settings are not accurately applied, obstacle clearance will be reduced, thereby increasing the CFIT risk.
12. When cockpit recordings are not available to an investigation, this may preclude the identification and communication of safety deficiencies to advance transportation safety.
13. Task-induced fatigue has a negative effect on visual and cognitive performance which can diminish the ability to concentrate, operational memory, perception and visual acuity.
14. Where an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) is not registered with the Canadian Beacon Registry, the time needed to contact the owner or operator is increased which could affect occupant rescue and survival.
15. If the tracking of a call to 911 emergency services from a cell phone is not accurate, search and rescue efforts may be misdirected or delayed which could affect occupant rescue and survival.
Other Findings:
1. Weather conditions at the alternate airport did not meet CARs requirements, thereby reducing the probability of a successful approach and landing at the alternate airport if a diversion became necessary.
2. Following the accident, none of the aircraft exits were usable.
Final Report:

Crash of a BAe 125-800B in Minsk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 26, 2009 at 2134 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-02807
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow - Minsk
MSN:
258076
YOM:
1986
Flight number:
RLS9607
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
11926
Captain / Total hours on type:
811.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2356
Copilot / Total hours on type:
811
Aircraft flight hours:
12751
Aircraft flight cycles:
7979
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport, the crew started a night approach to Minsk-2 Airport runway 31. On approach, the crew encountered poor visibility due to marginal weather. The 'Pull Up' alarm sounded and the captain initiated a go-around procedure. Few minutes later, the crew attempted a second approach to land. At an altitude of about 550 metres, the crew realized he was on the wrong ILS frequency and corrected it. On final, the EGPWS alarm sounded for 35 seconds but the captain decided to continue the approach until the aircraft impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located 3 km short of runway, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The cause of the crash of BAe-125-800B RA-02807 during the ILS approach procedure at night, in weather conditions that met ICAO CAT I, was the failure to take timely action by the crew to carry out a missed approach, or divert to an alternate, when the ground could not be seen while descending below decision height during a transition to visual flight, and the lack of a proper response and action required when the TAWS alarm repeatedly sounded, which led to the collision of the aircraft with obstacles (forest) and land in a controlled flight (CFIT), its destruction and death of people on board.

Contributing factors were:
- Deficiencies in the type of retraining and training of the flight crew, especially in the use of automatic flight modes, and flight director;
- Erroneous actions of the captain, which led to an execution of the approach with the wrong ILS frequency set on the left set;
- Lack of preparation of the commander of the plane for an approach in weather conditions that meet CAT I ICAO.
Values of meteorological conditions in the flight log were in most cases were falsified;
- Poor communication and crew resource management (CRM) of the flightcrew;
- Poor control of the level of training of the crew by the airline's management and lack of organization in the airline's flight operations;
- Psychological characteristics of the pilots, unrecorded in the formation of the crew and, possibly, reduced efficiency of the captain in a stressful situation because of chronic ischemic heart disease with coronary artery problems, which was not detected when passing aviation medical checks.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 208 Caravan I in Sheffield

Date & Time: Sep 15, 2009 at 1435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N336DN
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Farmingdale - Saratoga Springs
MSN:
208-0001
YOM:
1985
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3100
Captain / Total hours on type:
25.00
Aircraft flight hours:
10182
Circumstances:
The pilot and the five passengers, who were employees of an industrial services company, were returning from a job site with hazardous materials used for blasting operations. The airplane was in a climb, at an altitude of 8,500 feet, when it experienced a catastrophic engine failure. The pilot declared an emergency and subsequently performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane's right wing struck a tree and separated. All occupants exited the airplane without injury; however, the airplane became fully engulfed in fire, which consumed the majority of the airplane. The airplane was equipped with a turbine engine that, at the time of the accident, had been operated for about 7,620 hours since new and 65 hours since it was overhauled about 19 months prior to the accident. Impact damage was observed to the interior of the engine exhaust duct. In addition, the exhaust duct contained portions of a fractured power turbine blade. Additional examination of the engine revealed damage consistent with a distressed 1st stage sun gear, and associated compressor turbine and power turbine damage. Examination of the sun gear teeth output splines revealed that they were too damaged to determine the cause of their deterioration. It was noted that the sun gear found on the accident engine was previously removed from another engine due to "spalled gear teeth" about 7 years prior to the accident. The condition of the sun gear when installed on the accident engine could not be determined.
Probable cause:
A total loss of engine power due to a failure of the 1st stage sun gear output splines for unknown reasons, which resulted in a power turbine overspeed condition, with subsequent blade distress/release.
Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-6 Islander off Caracas

Date & Time: Aug 16, 2009 at 1806 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
YV212T
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Los Roques – Caracas
MSN:
171
YOM:
1970
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
10187
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Los Roques on a charter flight to Caracas with nine passengers and one pilot on board. While approaching Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar Airport, at a distance of about 13 km, the pilot was cleared to descend to 1,500 feet where he completed two circuits. After being cleared to descend to 1,000 feet, he flew two other circuits as he was n°7 on approach. While descending at an altitude of 600 feet, both engines failed simultaneously. The pilot ditched the aircraft some 4 km off the airport. All 10 occupants were rescued, among them three were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure on approach caused by a fuel exhaustion. Poor flight preparation and planning on part of the pilot who miscalculated the fuel consumption for the required trip.
Final Report: