Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord)

Schedule:

Kuwait – Antalya – Vienna – Stornoway – Keflavik – Narsarsuaq – Goose Bay – Bangor – Denton

MSN:

1086

YOM:

2004

Location:

Qeqqata Kommunia

Country:

Greenland

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total hours on type:

105.00

Aircraft flight hours:

1035

Aircraft flight cycles:

716

Circumstances:

The accident flight was a part of a ferry flight from Kuwait to USA. The flight departed from Keflavik, Iceland with planned destination Narsarsuaq, Greenland. The commander did not get visual contact with the runway on the instrument approach to Narsarsuaq and the flight diverted towards Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. During the flight towards Kangerlussuaq, the amount of fuel became critical low and the aircraft landed on the Greenlandic icecap. The aircraft was destroyed during the landing attempt. The commander suffered minor injuries. The accident occurred in daylight and under visual meteorological conditions (VMC).

Probable cause:

After the flight was airborne from BIKF, the flight was restricted by ATC to cruise at FL200 instead of FL280. The lower flight altitude and the power setting used resulted in a reduction of the final reserve to approximately zero minutes. At that time the commander was not concerned about the final reserve because the flight to BGBW was only a two hours flight and as the aircraft before take-off from BIKF had fuel for more than three hours and 40 minutes of flight. During the approach to BGBW the flight never came below the clouds and was in IMC during the entire final approach. The most likely cause was that the aircraft was not following the NDB DME 07 approach procedure descent profile. Consequently the commander did not get visual contact during the approach and he had to make a missed approach. During the diversion to the alternate aerodrome, BGSF the flight was altitude restricted by ATC to FL190. One engine was intentionally stopped during the diversion to BGSF. The consequence was a reduction of the aircraft range. A shallow descent was initiated approximately 57 minutes before ETA over BGSF. The shallow descent profile did consume more fuel than a steeper descent profile. The commander decided to make a precautionary landing in the terrain. The aircraft was destroyed during the landing attempt on the rugged and bumpy surface of the icecap.

Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-28 in Kwamalasamutu

Date & Time: Oct 15, 2009 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-28

Operator:

Registration:

PZ-TST

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Paramaribo - Kwamalasamutu

MSN:

1AJ008-04

YOM:

1990

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Upon landing at the Kwamalasamutu Airstrip, the twin engine aircraft went out of control, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. Three passengers were slightly injured while the captain was seriously injured. All four other occupants escaped unhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Managua

Date & Time: Oct 14, 2009 at 1600 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino-Las Mercedes

Schedule:

Managua - Managua

MSN:

1G214-02

YOM:

1985

Location:

Managua City District

Country:

Nicaragua

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine aircraft departed Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino Airport for a local post maintenance check flight following an engine overhaul. On board were five engineers and pilots. On final approach, the engine failed. The pilot-in-command attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in an open field and came to rest upside down about 800 metres short of runway threshold. All five occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Boeing 707-321C in Mombasa

Date & Time: Oct 13, 2009

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 707

Operator:

Safari Airlines

Registration:

J5-GGU

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100

MSN:

19372/655

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Mombasa-Moi Airport, the aircraft was too low and collided with approach lights. The crew continued the approach and the aircraft landed safely. Few seconds later, while evacuating the runway to the taxiway, the right main gear collapsed. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 in Angra dos Reis

Date & Time: Oct 12, 2009 at 1310 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

SAVE Comercial e Importadora

Registration:

PP-AFM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Campo de Marte – Angra dos Reis

MSN:

500-00049

YOM:

2009

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7200

Captain / Total hours on type:

39.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1400

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Campo de Marte, the crew initiated the approach to runway 10 which is 961 metres long. After touchdown, the crew started the braking procedure but the aircraft skidded on runway and cartwheeled. It overran, lost its both main gears and came to rest six metres further. Both pilots escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The following findings were identified:
- The crew considered the operation at Angra dos Reis Airport as unsafe, but operated the aircraft at that airport several times due to pressures from the aircraft's owner,
- The landing was completed with a tailwind component and a high aircraft weight, without considering the possibility to use runway 28, which demonstrated a poor assessment of the existing landing conditions,
- The relative short landing distance available, less than one km,
- The possible pressure exerted by the owner to carry out the flights, as well as the need to maintain the job or the professional image, may have contributed to the complacency behavior of the crew on the issues that lead to the operation of aircraft under conditions below acceptable safety standards,
- Poor flight planning,
- The relative low experience of the crew on this type of aircraft.

Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-28 in Las Minas

Date & Time: Oct 9, 2009

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-28

Operator:

Registration:

YV1769

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Illegal (smuggling)

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

AJE001-02

YOM:

1995

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was damaged beyond repair during a landing in the area of Las Minas while engaged in an illegal contraband flight. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. A load of 4 tons of cocaine was found on board.

Crash of an Antonov AN-32A in Kandahar

Date & Time: Oct 8, 2009

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-32

Operator:

Registration:

354

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

22 06

YOM:

1989

Location:

Kandahar

Country:

Afghanistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Upon landing at Kandahar Airport, the left main gear collapsed and punctured the left wing. The aircraft came to rest and was damaged beyond repair. All occupants escaped uninjured.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left main gear upon landing for unknown reasons.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Umgalala: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 2009 at 1938 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Bashmia Aero Spray

Registration:

ST-AUS

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

White Nile (النيل الأبيض)

Schedule:

Umgalala - Umgalala

MSN:

1G156-23

YOM:

1974

Location:

Umgalala

Country:

Sudan

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

6481

Circumstances:

The Antonov 2 aircraft was assigned to spray birds at the white Nile Scheme. The aircraft arrived at Um-galala airstrip 5 days before the accident date and carried out seven spraying flight in the previous five days. The spraying of birds start daily about 18:30 local time and took about 50 minutes flight. According to the scheduled operation the aircraft started its flight ten minutes before Sun set to fly to the assigned bird location for spraying chemicals.On the day of the accident the airstrip lights were positioned by the captain himself at the edges of the airstrip. He put seven lamps at the left side and three lamps at the right side of the airstrip. The red lamp which should have been placed at the beginning of the airstrip was not placed that day due to a flat battery. At about 15:45 UTC the aircraft took-off for spraying birds. That night was dark and there was no moon light. After take-off the technician switched on all lamps except the red one waiting for aircraft arrival. Fifty minutes after take-off the aircraft was seen approaching the airstrip. The aircraft came flying over the strip at a height of about 25 meters and made a left turn. The aircraft then made another approach and came over the left row of lamps at a height of about 10 meters, as stated by the technician, and made a sharp left turn. At that instant the aircraft went down and crashed east of the airstrip. A fire erupted. The pilot died of his injuries. Although the airplane was formally registered ST-AUS in July 2009, the airplane still carried its previous Polish registration mark SP-WMH.

Probable cause:

The captain, as he was not rated for instrument flying, was disoriented by the absence of the red lamp which was used to indicate the beginning and center line of the airstrip in addition to remains of birds on windscreen which decreased the pilot vision. The presence of some people from the village within the East side of airstrip causing illusion of vision to the pilot was considered a contributory factor to this accident.

Crash of a NAMC YS-11M-A-624 at Ozuki AFB

Date & Time: Sep 28, 2009 at 1240 LT

Type of aircraft:

NAMC YS-11

Operator:

Registration:

9044

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site: