Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tehran - Ahwaz

MSN:

11166

YOM:

1981

Flight number:

EP775

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

VT-EGD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Calcutta – Patna – Lucknow – New Delhi

MSN:

22280

YOM:

1980

Flight number:

CD7412

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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 an Airbus A310 in Vienna, Austria

Date & Time: Jul 12, 2000 at 1334 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airbus A310

Operator:

Registration:

D-AHLB

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hania - Hanover

MSN:

0528

YOM:

1990

Flight number:

HF3378

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

143

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

23400

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2850

Aircraft flight hours:

41307

Aircraft flight cycles:

13789

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Chania-Souda Airport, the crew reported technical problems with the right main gear that could not be raised properly in its wheel well. The captain decided to continue to Munich in a gear down configuration but the fuel consumption increased. En route, the crew realized he could not make it to Munich so diverted to Vienna-Schwechat Airport. At a distance of about 12 NM from the airport, at an altitude of 4,000 feet, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. One of the engine could be restarted for a short period of time but on short final, the aircraft stalled and struck the ground (a grassy area) about 500 metres short of runway 34. The left main gear broke off, the aircraft slid for some 600 metres then veered to the left and came to rest on its left wing. All 151 occupants were rescued, among them 26 passengers were slightly injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Continuation of the flight with a landing gear problem until the engines failed due to fuel exhaustion.
The following findings were identified:
Crew:
- Failure to comply with the company's rules on fuel reserves, caused by several human factors, with extreme workload and stress being the important factor (loss of situational awareness).
- Determination of the fuel reserves using only the FMS, which, due to its characteristics did not take into account the additional fuel consumption.
- Failure to develop alternative strategies to curb the fuel problem.
- Failure to comply with a fuel warning (low fuel level warning) and decision to continue the flight to Vienna International Airport, although the plane was in the immediate vicinity of Zagreb Airport.
Manufacturer:
- Inadequate and misleading documentation (FMS scheme, altitude, terms) for this specific case, particularly in relation to the restriction of FMS.
Operator:
- Inadequate documentation for "abnormal landing gear up indication" of the abnormal checklist.
- Lack of review of the fuel needs by the Operations Division.
Contributing factors:
- Missing or inadequate preventive measures by manufacturers, approving authority and airlines following the previous publications of ICAO and EU DG VII about problems which, with the introduction of aircraft equipped with modern technologies, occurred and had been identified.
- Anthropo-technical construction deficiencies, which favour a misinterpretation of the FMS EFOB display.

Final Report:

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

Date & Time: Jul 4, 2000 at 1657 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-154

Operator:

Registration:

HA-LCR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Budapest - Thessaloniki

MSN:

82A543

YOM:

1982

Flight number:

MA262

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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 GAF Nomad N.22C off Cagayancillo: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 2000 at 1050 LT

Type of aircraft:

GAF Nomad N.22

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Cagayancillo – Puerto Princesa

MSN:

YOM:

1979

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Cagayancillo Airport, the pilot reported engine problems and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. On final approach, the aircraft was not properly aligned so the captain increased engine power and initiated a go-around. The aircraft lost height and crashed in the sea about 2 km offshore. A passenger was rescued while 14 other occupants were killed, among them General Santiago Madrid, Chief of the southwestern military command.

Probable cause:

Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Douglas B-26C-25-DT Invader in Grande Prairie

Date & Time: Jun 29, 2000 at 2219 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Registration:

CF-EZX

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Fire fighting

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Loon River - La Biche Lake - Grand Prairie

MSN:

18807

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, departed Loon River Airport on a fire fighting mission to La Biche Lake under callsign Tanker 3. While returning to Grand Prairie Airport, on final approach to runway 25, both engines failed almost simultaneously. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed 3 km short of runway. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure on final approach due to a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Cessna 402A in Kamina: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 2000

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 402

Operator:

Air Manubada

Registration:

P2-SAV

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Kerema - Kamina

MSN:

402A-0069

YOM:

1969

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Kamina Airport, the twin engine aircraft struck a mountain and crashed. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2R4C in Khartoum

Date & Time: Jun 26, 2000

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

7O-ACQ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sana'a - Khartoum

MSN:

23129

YOM:

1984

Flight number:

IY626

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Sana'a, the crew was cleared for an approach to runway 18. Weather conditions were poor with a sandstorm upon arrival. For unknown reasons, the captain decided to perform a straight-in approach to runway 36. After touchdown, The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and collided with small concrete blocks, causing the nose gear to collapse. All five crew members escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

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

Date & Time: Jun 22, 2000 at 1451 LT

Type of aircraft:

Xian Yunsunji Y-7-100

Operator:

Registration:

B-3479

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: