Crash of a Cessna 650 Citation III in Caico Seco: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 18, 2008 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 650 Citation III
Operator:
Registration:
N385EM
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Valencia – Puerto Ordaz
MSN:
650-0145
YOM:
1987
Location:
Caico Seco
Anzoátegui
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Valencia-Arturo Michelana Airport on a private flight to Puerto Ordaz, carrying one passenger and two pilots. While cruising at an altitude of 30,000 feet, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a near vertical attitude. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The copilot probably gave his place on board to a passenger without any qualification to operate the aircraft, moments after takeoff. During the en-route flight phase, a failure of the primary pitch trim system was simulated by the activation of the secondary system, which would have resulted in an abnormal operation of the system, followed by violent loss of altitude and over speed condition.

Crash of a BAe 3103 Jetstream 31 in Los Roques

Date & Time: Feb 13, 2008 at 0920 LT
Type of aircraft:
BAe Jetstream 31
Operator:
Registration:
YV186T
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Porlamar - Los Roques
MSN:
616
YOM:
1983
Location:
Los Roques
Los Roques Federal Dependencies
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing at Los Roques Airport, the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off runway to the left and came to rest on the edge of a lagoon. All 16 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left main gear upon landing for unknown reasons.

Ground accident of a DC-9-31 in Caracas

Date & Time: Feb 12, 2008
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-9
Operator:
Registration:
YV298T
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
48147/1048
YOM:
1981
Location:
Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar
Vargas
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on a post maintenance delivery mission. A crew of two engineers was positioning the aircraft from a technical hangar at Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar Airport to the main terminal. While taxiing on the ramp, the crew lost control of the aircraft that rolled to a grassy area and eventually collided with a drainage ditch. The left main gear collapse and the left wing was severely damaged. Both crew were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Loss of control for undetermined reasons.

Crash of a Boeing 727-259 in Trinidad

Date & Time: Feb 1, 2008 at 1035 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-200
Operator:
Registration:
CP-2429
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
La Paz – Cobija
MSN:
22475/1690
YOM:
1980
Location:
Trinidad-Jorge Heinrich Arauz
Beni
Country:
Bolivia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
151
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from La Paz, the crew started the descent to Cobija Airport when he was informed by ATC that a landing was impossible due to poor weather conditions at destination. The crew decided to divert to the Trinidad-Jorge Heinrich Arauz Airport which is located about 600 km southeast of Cobija Airport. On final approach to Trinidad Airport, the crew reported technical problems and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a dense wooded and marshy area located 4 km short of runway. All 159 occupants were rescued but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion. The crew decided to divert to Trinidad Airport which is located 600 km southeast of Cobija Airport while weather conditions were considered as good at Rio Branco Airport located 160 km northeast of Cobija.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-8-202 in Bogotá

Date & Time: Jan 28, 2008 at 2302 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-8-200 (Dash-8)
Operator:
Registration:
HK-3997
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Maracaibo – Bogotá
MSN:
391
YOM:
1994
Flight number:
ARE053
Location:
Bogotá-El Dorado
Bogotá Capital District
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
37
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
14992
Captain / Total hours on type:
5552.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
555
Copilot / Total hours on type:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
19565
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Maracaibo, the crew completed a night approach and landing on runway 13L at Bogotá-El Dorado Airport. After touchdown, the crew initiated the braking procedure but due to a technical issue on the left engine, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, went through a perimeter fence and came to rest in a grassy area with its left main gear folded. All 41 occupants were evacuated, among them two passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Carrying out a landing with an unresolved issue on the left engine, causing the aircraft to be unable to stop within the remaining distance available. The failure to correct the maintenance reports in a satisfactory manner and the failure to properly follow-up on repetitive entries were considered as contributing factors.
Final Report:

Crash of a Let L-410UVP-E3 off Los Roques: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jan 4, 2008 at 0910 LT
Type of aircraft:
Let L-410
Operator:
Registration:
YV2081
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Caracas – Los Roques
MSN:
87 20 15
YOM:
1987
Location:
Los Roques
Los Roques Federal Dependencies
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
At 0858LT, while cruising at an altitude of 7,500 feet some 83 km from the destination, the crew reported his position to ATC. About 10 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the captain declared an emergency following a double engine failure. The aircraft lost height and crashed in the sea some 29 km off Los Roques Airport. Few debris were found floating on water and all 14 occupants were killed, among them 8 Italians, one Swiss and five Venezuelans. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor. On 19 June 2013, an Italian-Venezuelan search team found the wreckage at a depth of 974 metres.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of an Airbus A340-642 in Quito

Date & Time: Nov 9, 2007 at 1706 LT
Type of aircraft:
Airbus A340-600
Operator:
Registration:
EC-JOH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Madrid - Quito
MSN:
731
YOM:
2006
Flight number:
IB6463
Location:
Quito-Mariscal Sucre (City)
Pichincha
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
345
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
14024
Captain / Total hours on type:
2375.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
10095
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1742
Aircraft flight hours:
8704
Aircraft flight cycles:
965
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Madrid, the crew contacted Quito Approach at 1650LT and received descent instructions in preparation for an instrument approach no. 4 (VOR QIT DME/ILS) for runway 35. During the descent the crew were notified that preceding flights had reported braking action medium to poor. The flight crew selected auto braking to 'High'. At 17:05, the crew reported the runway in sight, after which the controller stated that the wind was 170° at 4 knots, the runway was wet and reported braking action was poor. The flight was cleared to land. The pilot in command, following the procedures established by Iberia, decided to leave the ILS glide path and captured the path of the PAPI lights. The aircraft touched down 200 metres past the threshold at a 3.09g side load. The spoilers deployed automatically and main gear tyres 3 and 8 blew. The flap lever was moved involuntarily by the copilot, from the full position to position 2. The crew applied full manual braking and select reverse thrust. The Auto Brake function failed, after which the crew disconnected the antiskid braking system and continued to apply manual braking. The aircraft passed the end of runway 35, with a ground speed of 90 knots, hit the ILS localizer and stopped 232 meters further. Passengers and crew were evacuated using the slide at door 2R, thirty minutes after the aircraft stopped. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who decided to continue the approach to Quito Airport, knowing the poor runway conditions, poor weather conditions and the aircraft weight, and his failure to initiate a go-around procedure while forcing the aircraft to intercept the PAPI, causing the aircraft to be unstabilized.
Contributing factors:
- On the date of the incident, the crew did not have specific regulations and operating procedures (the briefing of the operator for the airport in Quito was inappropriate to the existent conditions).
- The fact that the crew still being experienced similar airports in Quito and had not experienced similar weather situations, circumstances that would have allowed a strategy of approximation consistent with the terms of this operation, in particular as regards:
- Calculations in flight for landing runway length,
- Minimum altitude to start the maneuver of changing the path of ILS to PAPI,
- Carrying out a very detailed briefing that allowed unwanted deviations on approach,
- The weather conditions existing at the time of landing (visibility, tail wind and moderate rain).
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