Date & Time:
Feb 23, 1989 at 1059 LT
Type of aircraft:
Rockwell Gulfstream 690D Jetprop 900
Operator:
Registration:
OE-FCS
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Vienna - Hohenems
MSN:
690-15036
YOM:
1984
Flight number:
RY102
Country:
Switzerland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
9
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
11
Captain / Total hours on type:
1160
Copilot / Total hours on type:
400
Aircraft flight hours:
5197
Aircraft flight cycles:
4295
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Vienna-Schwechat Airport in the morning on a special flight to Hohenems-Dornbirn Airport, carrying nine passengers and two pilots, among them Alfred Dallinger, Austrian Minister of Labor. While descending to Hohenems Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to divert to Altenrhein Airport, Saint-Gall, Switzerland. At 1054, the aircraft passed the Altenrhein VOR at an altitude of 2,000 feet with an horizontal visibility estimated to 3-4 km with nebulosity. After completing the last turn to join the glide for a runway 10 approach, the aircraft was still over clouds at a 2,000 feet QNH altitude. Suddenly, the aircraft struck the water surface and crashed in the lake of Constance (Bodensee) about 5,100 meters short of runway 10 threshold. The wreckage was found off the village of Horn. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 11 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was probably caused by the fact that the crew continued the approach under VFR mode in IMC conditions.
The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor judgment of the weather situation prevailing in the approach sector,
- Deficiency in the distribution of tasks within the crew during the final approach,
- Improper use of the altitude alert / preselect system and the radio altimeter,
- The crew was stressed by the unfavorable weather conditions and the incoming of a layer of fog,
- Psychological pressure on the crew due to the presence on board of an important personality.
The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor judgment of the weather situation prevailing in the approach sector,
- Deficiency in the distribution of tasks within the crew during the final approach,
- Improper use of the altitude alert / preselect system and the radio altimeter,
- The crew was stressed by the unfavorable weather conditions and the incoming of a layer of fog,
- Psychological pressure on the crew due to the presence on board of an important personality.
