Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 near Dhangadhi: 25 killed

Date & Time: Jul 27, 2000 at 1035 LT
Operator:
Registration:
9N-ABP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Bajhang - Dhangadhi
MSN:
654
YOM:
1979
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Circumstances:
While descending to Dhangadhi Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions and limited visibility due to low clouds. At an altitude of 4,300 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Jarayakhali located 29 km from Dhangadhi Airport runway 09. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Fokker F28 Fellowship 4000 in Ahwaz

Date & Time: Jul 18, 2000 at 2242 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EP-PAU
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tehran - Ahwaz
MSN:
11166
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
EP775
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
84
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Tehran, the crew initiated the approach to Ahwaz but encountered poor weather conditions with visibility near minimums. During the last segment, the aircraft landed hard on runway 30, bounced and touched down to the right of the runway. The crew decided to make a go-around and completed a circuit before landing again few minutes later. Following a 'normal' landing, all 88 occupants evacuated safely. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2A8 in Patna: 60 killed

Date & Time: Jul 17, 2000 at 0734 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VT-EGD
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Calcutta – Patna – Lucknow – New Delhi
MSN:
22280
YOM:
1980
Flight number:
CD7412
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
52
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
60
Captain / Total flying hours:
4361
Captain / Total hours on type:
1778.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
4085
Copilot / Total hours on type:
3605
Aircraft flight hours:
44087
Aircraft flight cycles:
51278
Circumstances:
Alliance Air Flight No. CD-7412 departed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata at 0651 hrs. on 17th July, 2000 bound for Patna-Lucknow-Delhi. After normal departure from Runway 01R, the aircraft climbed to FL260 on track to Patna via route W52. The aircraft was under the control of Kolkata Radar from 0652 hrs. to 0659 hrs. It changed over to Kolkata Area Control Centre. The aircraft reported position SAREK at FL 260 at 0712 hrs. and changed over to Patna Control with information that there was no reported traffic for descent. The aircraft contacted Patna ATC at 0713 hrs. and gave it’s ETA at Patna as 0736 hrs. Patna ATC cleared the aircraft to PPT VOR ILS/DME ARC Approach for R/W 25. The ATC Officer communicated that Patna METAR originated at 0650 hrs. stated “Wind calm, Visibility 4000 metres, Weather Haze, Clouds Broken 25000 feet, temp 29ºC, Dew Point 27º, QNH 996 hPa, No Sig”. The aircraft was cleared to descend to 7500’ and report 25 DME from PPT VOR. The aircraft reported 25 DME at 0726 hrs. The aircraft then descended to 4000’ on QNH 996 hPa and was asked to report 13 DME for ILS/DME ARC Approach R/W 25. The aircraft reported commencing the ARC at 0728 hrs. The aircraft reported crossing lead radial 080 at 0731 hrs. and coming on to the Localizer. The aircraft was then asked to descend to 1700’ on QNH 997 hPa with instructions to call established on Localizer. The aircraft informed Patna ATC at 0732 hrs. that it would like to do a 360º turn due to being high on approach. Patna ATC sought confirmation from the aircraft whether it had the airfield in sight and on receiving an affirmative reply, asked the aircraft to report on finals for R/W 25 after carrying out a 360º turn. This was acknowledged by the aircraft at 0732 hrs. This was the last communication from the aircraft. Immediately thereafter, the aircraft was spotted by the Air Traffic Controller in normal descent aligned with the R/W 25. It, however, appeared to be high on approach. The aircraft then turned steeply to the left losing height all of a sudden and disappeared from sight behind a row of trees. The Air Traffic Controller observed a huge column of smoke rising from the Gardani Bagh area outside the airfield perimeter and initiated crash action. All six crew members and 49 passengers were killed as well as five people on the ground. Three passengers escaped with serious injuries.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident was loss of control of the aircraft due Human Error (air crew). The crew had not followed the correct approach procedure, which resulted in the aircraft being high on approach. They had kept the engines at idle thrust and allowed the air speed to reduce to a lower than normally permissible value on approach. They then maneuvered the aircraft with high pitch attitude and executed rapid roll reversals. This resulted in actuation of the stick shaker stall warning indicating an approaching stall. At this stage, the crew initiated a Go Around procedure instead of Approach to Stall Recovery procedure resulting in an actual stall of the aircraft, loss of control and subsequent impact with the ground.
Final Report:

Crash of a BAe 3201 Jetstream 32EP near Chulum Juárez: 19 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 2000 at 1950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N912FJ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tuxtla Gutiérrez – Villahermosa – Veracruz – Mérida
MSN:
912
YOM:
1990
Flight number:
QA7831
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Captain / Total flying hours:
5300
Captain / Total hours on type:
1100.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
667
Copilot / Total hours on type:
40
Aircraft flight hours:
12041
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Tuxtla Gutiérrez Airport on a regular schedule flight to Mérida with intermediate stops in Villahermosa and Veracruz, carrying 17 passengers and two pilots. En route to Villahermosa-Carlos Rovirosa Pérez Airport, at an altitude of 16,000 feet and about 50 miles from the destination, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and deviated from the V3 Airway to the right for about 24 km. After he initiated the descent, the crew was instructed by ATC to report 25 DME. Shortly later, while descending in clouds, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Chulum Juárez, about 80 km southeast of Villahermosa Airport. The wreckage was found at an altitude of 1,890 metres. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 19 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain. Combining instrument flight (IFR), with visual flight (VFR), the crew lost situational awareness, deviating 29.8 miles to the right of the Victor 3 airway due to bad weather, when the weather conditions imposed the application of the instrument flight rules (IFR), causing collision of the aircraft with the mountain at 6200 feet of elevation without loss of control (CFIT).
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Severe weather conditions en route,
- Persistence of the pilot in command, to continue the instrument flight (IFR) on visual flight (VFR),
- Inconsistency in cockpit resource management (CRM),
- Loss of situational awareness of the flight crew and the controllers, due to numerous deviations from the route, due to severe weather conditions and poor communication between the parties.
- inadequate preparation of the flight plan, since in view of the very probable need to circumnavigate severe meteorological conditions, the flight altitudes that would continue outside of the controlled airspace (outside the v-3 airway) were not verified.
Final Report:

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154B-2 in Thessaloniki

Date & Time: Jul 4, 2000 at 1657 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HA-LCR
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Budapest - Thessaloniki
MSN:
82A543
YOM:
1982
Flight number:
MA262
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
86
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
7420
Captain / Total hours on type:
7000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
566
Copilot / Total hours on type:
566
Aircraft flight hours:
22409
Aircraft flight cycles:
13583
Circumstances:
Originally, flight MA262 from Budapest to Thessaloniki should be performed by a Boeing 737-300 HA-LES but due to technical problems, a Tupolev TU-154B-2 was dispatched. Following an uneventful flight, the crew was cleared for a VOR/DME approach to runway 34 followed by a visual circle to land on runway 28 as the runway 34 was closed to traffic due to construction works. Because a Boeing 757 slowed to vacate the runway after landing, ATC instructed the crew to extend the downwind leg for runway 28. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to comply with this instructions and performed 'S'. On final approach, the tower controller informed the crew that he forgot to lower the undercarriage. The captain increased engine power and initiated a go-around procedure but this decision was too late. The aircraft continued to descend and struck the runway surface in a gear-up configuration at 1657LT. The aircraft suffered substantial damages but the crew managed to go-around and to follow a holding pattern. A safe landing was completed at 1715LT. All 94 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Despite repeated instructions of the control tower the crew did not carried out a short turn for landing, resulting in:
- The aircraft was not aligned with the runway in time (unstabilized approach).
- Attention of the cockpit crew was to exclusively dedicated to performing sudden maneuvers at low altitude, in order to align the plane with the runway.
- Failure to lower the undercarriage in accordance with the applicable procedures for this flight phase.
Contributing Factors:
- The apparent inactivation of the audible warning when the undercarriage was not deployed.
- Lack of Cockpit Resources Management.
Final Report:

Crash of a Xian Yunsunji Y-7-100C near Wuhan: 49 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 2000 at 1451 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
B-3479
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Enshi - Wuhan
MSN:
06 7 08
YOM:
1988
Flight number:
CWU343
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
38
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
49
Aircraft flight hours:
13811
Aircraft flight cycles:
11724
Circumstances:
Wuhan Airlines flight 343 departed Enshi for a flight to Wuhan. The aircraft entered an area of poor weather; rain and thunderstorm with associated windshear. The crew reportedly circled Wuhan for about 30 minutes to wait for the storm to pass. Wuhan's weather bureau recorded 451 thunderclaps in a 10-minute period as the plane circled. During the approach the first officer proposed to land at an alternate airport, but the captain decided to continue to Wuhan. The plane was caught by windshear and crashed near Sitai Village, Yongfeng Township. Half of the plane plunged into a farmhouse and the other half came to rest on a dike of the Han River. Sitai is located about 20 to 30 kilometers (12 to 18 miles) from Wuhan. Seven workers who were installing generators on a vessel were killed when the plane hit.
Probable cause:
Loss of control due to severe atmospheric turbulences.

Ground accident of a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 in Newark

Date & Time: Jun 14, 2000 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N16884
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Newark - Detroit
MSN:
48074
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
CO481
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
45834
Aircraft flight cycles:
36189
Circumstances:
The aircraft was parked at gate C115 awaiting for passengers on a flight (service CO481) from Newark to Detroit-Wayne County Airport. In unclear circumstances, a pilot attempted to make an engine run test while six employees were cleaning the cabin. The aircraft moved forward and collided with the main terminal, suffering major structural damages. There were no injuries among the seven occupants while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
No investigations were conducted by NTSB on this event.

Crash of a Cessna 425 Conquest I near Dar es Salaam

Date & Time: Jun 12, 2000 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
5H-SCB
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dar es Salaam – Ifakara – Mikumi – Dar es Salaam
MSN:
425-0183
YOM:
1983
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5416
Captain / Total hours on type:
123.00
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was engaged in a round trip from Dar es-Salaam to Ifakara, Mikumi and back to Dar es-Salaam, carrying seven passengers and one pilot. While approaching Dar es Salaam at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the right engine failed, followed few seconds later by the left engine. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in a banana plantation located about 20 km from Dar es Salaam. All eight occupants were rescued, among them two passengers were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of both engines in flight due to fuel exhaustion. It was determined that fuel tanks were empty and that the pilot miscalculated the fuel consumption and quantity needed for all trip.

Crash of a Cessna 402B in Palma de Mallorca

Date & Time: Jun 11, 2000
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EC-EPK
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
402B-1036
YOM:
1975
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the last segment, while completing the flare, the twin engine aircraft landed hard. Upon impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the aircraft slid on its belly for few dozen metres before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Accra: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 2000 at 1135 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G524
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tamale - Accra
MSN:
10535
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
GH200
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
44
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a schedule service (flight GH200) from Tamale to Accra on behalf of the Ghana Air Force. On final approach to Accra-kotoka Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy rain falls. In a nose down attitude, the aircraft landed hard on runway 21, nose first. Upon impact, the aircraft broke in two and came to rest. Seven passengers were killed while several others were injured, some seriously.