Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Cuenca: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 2006 at 1102 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HC-BXD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Cuenca – Macas
MSN:
208B-0591
YOM:
1997
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
11250
Copilot / Total flying hours:
8007
Aircraft flight hours:
5736
Aircraft flight cycles:
10332
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from runway 05 at Cuenca-Mariscal La Mar Airport, while climbing to a height of 300 feet, the engine failed. The airplane lost height, causing the nose wheel to struck the roof of a building. Out of control, the aircraft crashed onto a building occupied by a rubber company. Five passengers were killed while nine other occupants were seriously injured. There were no injuries on the ground. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Investigations revealed that one or more blades located on the turbine compressor failed as a result of deformation due to excessive high temperatures. It was also reported that the company's maintenance failed to follow the engine maintenance program that had not been inspected in accordance with the procedures published by the engine manufacturer. The Hot Section Inspection (HSI) should be performed at 3,600 flight hours but the airplane accumulated 200 additional hours since without the required checks.
Final Report:

Crash of an ATR72-212A in Bangalore

Date & Time: Mar 11, 2006 at 1017 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DKC
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Coimbatore – Bangalore
MSN:
721
YOM:
2005
Flight number:
DN108
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
40
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft landed hard on runway 27 at Bangalore-Hindustan Airport. After touchdown, it veered off runway and came to rest. All 44 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Brand new, it was delivered four months ago.

Crash of a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 in Surabaya

Date & Time: Mar 4, 2006 at 1625 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PK-LMW
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Denpasar – Surabaya
MSN:
49443/1291
YOM:
1986
Flight number:
JT8987
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
138
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Prior to departure from Bali to Surabaya, the crew was informed that the left engine's thrust reverser system was out of service. Following an uneventful flight, the crew completed a normal approach to runway 10 then landed according to procedures. After touchdown, the crew activated the thrust reverser when the airplane deviated to the right. The crew elected to counteract but the aircraft veered off runway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a grassy area. All 144 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a BAe 3102 Jetstream 31 in Cap Haïtien

Date & Time: Jan 31, 2006
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HH-DPL
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
769
YOM:
1987
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Cap Haïtien Airport, the captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran. The left hand side of the fuselage was punctured by propeller parts coming from the left engine. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The exact date of the mishap remains unknown, somewhere in January 2006.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan near Port Alberni: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 2006 at 1420 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GRXZ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tofino – Vancouver
MSN:
208B-0469
YOM:
1995
Flight number:
RXX604
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
2480
Captain / Total hours on type:
750.00
Circumstances:
The Cessna 208B aircraft (registration C-GRXZ, serial number 208B0469) was en route at 9000 feet above sea level, from Tofino, British Columbia, to Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia, when the engine failed. The pilot began a glide in the direction of the Port Alberni Regional Airport before attempting an emergency landing on a logging road. The aircraft struck trees during a steep right-hand turn and crashed. The accident occurred at about 1420 Pacific standard time, approximately 11 nm south-southeast of the Port Alberni Regional Airport. Five passengers survived with serious injuries; the pilot and the other two passengers were fatally injured.
Probable cause:
Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors:
1. The engine lost power when a compressor turbine blade failed as a result of the overstress extension of a fatigue-generated crack. The fracture initiated at a metallurgical anomaly in the parent blade material and progressed, eventually resulting in blade failure due to overstress rupture.
2. The combination of aircraft position at the time of the engine failure, the lack of equipment enabling the pilot to locate and identify high terrain, and the resultant manoeuvring required to avoid entering instrument flight conditions likely prevented the pilot from attempting to glide to the nearest airfield.
Findings as to Risk:
1. Single-engine instrument flight rules (SEIFR) operations in designated mountainous regions have unique obstacle risks in the event of an engine failure. Canadian equipment requirements for such operations do not currently include independent terrain mapping, such as terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS).
2. Airline operators are not currently required to conduct any additional route evaluation or structuring to ensure that the risk of an off-field landing is minimized during SEIFR operations.
3. Pilots involved in commercial SEIFR operations do not receive training in how to conduct a forced landing under instrument flight conditions; such training would likely improve a pilotís ability to respond to an engine failure when operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
4. Mean time between failure (MTBF) calculations do not take into account In Flight Shut Downs (IFSDs) not directly attributable to the engine itself; it may be more appropriate to monitor all IFSD events.
5. The design of the Cessna 208B Caravan fuel shutoff valves increases the risk that the valves will open on impact, allowing fuel spillage and increasing the potential for fire.
Other Finding:
1. Sonicblue Airways was not providing downloaded engine parameter data for engine condition trend monitoring (ECTM) evaluation at appropriate intervals.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-140-100 off Nardaran: 23 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 2005 at 2240 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
4K-AZ48
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Baku - Aktau
MSN:
36525307036
YOM:
2004
Flight number:
AHY217
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
On a flight from Baku to Aktau in difficult weather conditions at night when took off with caged gyro horizons, so the crew lost spatial orientation. The aircraft entered a steep right downward spiral and crashed on the shore of the Caspian Sea near Nardaran, some 35 km northeast of Baku, less than five minutes after takeoff. All 5 crew and 18 passengers were killed, among them were 15 Azeris, one Briton, one Australian, one Turkish, one Georgian and 4 Kazakh.
Probable cause:
The gyro horizons failed after takeoff due to a malfunction caused by the fact that some counterfeit assemblies and instruments had been installed by KhGAPP during the production of the aircraft. While cruising at night and poor visibility, the crew lost situational awareness and suffered a spatial disorientation, causing the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descent and to crash into the sea. The lack of visual references on ground was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Grumman G-73 Turbo Mallard off Miami: 20 killed

Date & Time: Dec 19, 2005 at 1439 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2969
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Miami - Bimini
MSN:
J-27
YOM:
1947
Flight number:
OP101
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Captain / Total flying hours:
2830
Captain / Total hours on type:
1630.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1420
Copilot / Total hours on type:
71
Aircraft flight hours:
31226
Aircraft flight cycles:
39743
Circumstances:
On December 19, 2005, about 1439 eastern standard time, a Grumman Turbo Mallard (G-73T) amphibious airplane, N2969, operated by Flying Boat, Inc., doing business as Chalk’s Ocean Airways flight 101, crashed into a shipping channel adjacent to the Port of Miami, Florida, shortly after takeoff from the Miami Seaplane Base. Flight 101 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight to Bimini, Bahamas, with 2 flight crewmembers and 18 passengers on board. The airplane’s right wing separated during flight. All 20 people aboard the airplane were killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. Flight 101 was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on a visual flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Probable cause:
The in-flight failure and separation of the right wing during normal flight, which resulted from:
1) The failure of the Chalk’s Ocean Airways maintenance program to identify and properly repair fatigue cracks in the right wing and
2) The failure of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to detect and correct deficiencies in the company’s maintenance program.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Tamarindo

Date & Time: Dec 16, 2005 at 1150 LT
Operator:
Registration:
TI-AZQ
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
San José - Tamarindo
MSN:
805
YOM:
1984
Flight number:
5C330
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5297
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from San José-Tobías Bolaños Airport, the crew started the descent to Tamarindo Airport runway 07. On short final, at a height of about 500 feet, control was lost and the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 2 km short of runway. All eight occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a loss of control on short final following the combination of the following factors:
- An elevator cable probably broke away due to a progressive wear combined with a damaged pulley,
- The proximity of the terrain,
- The low speed of the aircraft,
- The lack of crew training in such situation,
- The loss of control of the aircraft occurred at a critical phase of the flight, initially caused by a mechanical failure and later to human factors.

Crash of a Douglas DC-9-32 in Port Harcourt: 108 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 2005 at 1408 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5N-BFD
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Abuja - Port Harcourt
MSN:
47562
YOM:
1972
Flight number:
SO1145
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
103
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
108
Captain / Total flying hours:
10050
Captain / Total hours on type:
1900.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
920
Copilot / Total hours on type:
670
Aircraft flight hours:
51051
Aircraft flight cycles:
60238
Circumstances:
The aircraft with call sign OSL 1 145 which departed Abuja at 1225 hrs UTC (1.25 pm local time) with endurance of 2 hours 40 minutes was on a scheduled passenger flight enroute Port Harcourt with 110 Persons on Board (103 Passengers and 7 Crew) and the flight continued normally. At 1241 hours UTC, the aircraft cruising at FL240 (24,000ft) Above Sea Level (ASL) got in contact with Port Harcourt Approach Control. The Approach control gave the OSL 1145 in - bound clearance to expect no delay on ILS Approach to runway 21, QNH of 1008 and temperature of 33° C. At about 1242 hours UTC (1.42pm local), the Approach controller passed the 1230 hours UTC weather report to the aircraft as follows: Wind - 260° /02kts Visibility - 12km Weather - Nil Cloud - BKN 420m, few CB (N-SE) at 690m QNH - 1008HPA Temperature - 33° C. About 1250 hours UTC (1.50 pm local), the aircraft, which was 90 nautical miles to the station, contacted Approach Control for initial descent clearance and was cleared down to FL 160. The aircraft continued its descent until about 1300 hours UTC (2.00 pm local) when the crew asked Approach Control whether it was raining over the station to which the controller reported negative rain but scattered CB and the crew acknowledged. At 1304 hours UTC, the crew reported established on the glide and the localizer at 8 nautical miles to touch down. Then the Approach controller informed the aircraft of precipitation approaching the station from the direction of runway 21 and passed the aircraft to Tower for landing instructions. At 1305 hours UTC, the aircraft contacted Tower and reported established on glide and localizer at 6 nautical miles to touch down. The controller then cleared the airplane to land on runway 21 but to exercise caution as the runway surface was slightly wet and the pilot acknowledged. At about 1308 hours UTC, the aircraft made impact with the grass strip between runway 21 and taxiway i.e. 70m to the left of the runway edge, and 540m from the runway 21 threshold. At about 60m from the first impact, the aircraft tail section impacted heavily with a concrete drainage culvert. The airplane then disintegrated and caught fire along its path spanning over 790m. The cockpit section and the forward fuselage were found at about 330m from the rest of the wreckage further down on the taxiway creating a total wreckage trail of 1 120m. Fire and rescue operations were carried out after which 7 survivors and 103 bodies were recovered. Five of the survivors died later in the hospital. The accident occurred in `Instrument Meteorological Conditions' (IMC) during the day.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the accident was the crew's decision to continue the approach beyond the Decision Altitude without having the runway and/or airport in sight.
The contributory factors were:
- The crew's delayed decision to carry out a missed approach and the application of improper procedure while executing the go-around.
- The aircraft encountered adverse weather conditions with the ingredients of wind shear activity on approach.
- The reducing visibility in thunderstorm and rain as at the time the aircraft came in to land was also a contributory factor to the accident. And the fact the airfield lightings were not on may also have impaired the pilot from sighting the runway.
- Another contributory factor was the fact that the aircraft had an impact with the exposed drainage concrete culvert which led to its disintegration and subsequent tire outbreak.
Final Report:

Crash of a Xian Yunsunji Y-7-100C in Ratanakiri

Date & Time: Nov 21, 2005 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XU-072
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Phnom Penh – Ratanakiri
MSN:
08705
YOM:
1989
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
59
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the aircraft struck the right side of the runway while landing at Ratanakiri Airport. Upon impact, the right main gear collapsed and out of control, the aircraft veered off runway and came to rest. All 65 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.