AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS, FLYING COFFIN? The Near Crash of Olympic Airlines Flight OA202


Book Description

The Lockheed 1011 registered A6-BSM, operated by Star Jet and chartered by Olympic Airlines, arrived on 4 July 2005 at Terminal 1 at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Departure was delayed because the forward hold door could not be closed. A mechanic tried to close the door manually with a hammer and a chuck. Some passengers, worried about the apparent state of the cabin and the noise, asked to disembark, and this led to a mass movement. The airplane took finally off at 16h17. Shortly after departure the crew noticed problems with engine number 3. The captain requested the SEVERE DAMAGE procedure and returned to the airport. The French Bureau d'Enqu tes et d'Analyses pour la s curit de l'aviation civile (BEA) investigated the incident. BEA found out that the aircraft suffered from many problems, such as leaking fuel, malfunctioning safety features and lacking maintenance. The flight crew was not properly licensed, the captain was too old to fly in Europe. The Lockheed Tristar was a flying coffin.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS FAILING BRAKES The Crash of TAM Linhas Aereas Flight JJ3054


Book Description

On 17 July 2007, at 17:19 local time, an Airbus A-320, operated as flight JJ3054 by TAM Linhas Aéreas, was on its way from Porto Alegre, Brazil, for a domestic flight to Congonhas Airport in São Paulo city, São Paulo State, Brazil. During the landing, at 18:54 local time, the aircraft veered to the left, overran the left edge of the runway, collided with a building, and with a fuel service station. All persons on board - six crewmembers, and 181 passengers - perished. The crash also caused 12 fatalities on the ground. The runway had recently been resurfaced, but it did not yet have water-channeling grooves cut into it to reduce the danger of hydroplaning, making landing during rain a dangerous endeavour. Flight Data Recorder information showed that immediately prior to touchdown, both thrust levers were in CL (or "climb") position, with engine power being governed by the flight computer's autothrottle system.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS GHOSTS? The Crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401


Book Description

On December 29, 1972 an Eastern Air Lines' Lockheed L-1011, as Flight 401 on its way from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, to Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, crashed at 2342 eastern standard time in the Everglades, approximately 18 miles west northwest of Miami International Airport. The aircraft was destroyed. There were 163 passengers and a crew of 13 aboard the aircraft, 99 people died in the crash. The flight was diverted because of problems with the nose landing gear The aircraft climbed to 2,000 feet while the crew attempted to correct the problem. Surviving passengers and crewmembers stated that the flight was routine and operated normally before impact with the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident, was preoccupation with a malfunction of the nose landing gear position indicating system distracted the crew's attention from the instruments and allowed the descent to go unnoticed.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS - IN-FLIGHT ENGINE FAILURE - The Crash of Air Algerie Flight 6289


Book Description

During takeoff from runway 02 at Tamanrasset Aguenar aerodrome in Southern Algeria, on Thursday 6 March 2003, the left engine of a Boeing 737-200 from Air Algerie suffered a contained burst. The airplane swung to the left. The Captain took over the controls. The airplane lost speed progressively, stalled and crashed, with the landing gear still extended, about one thousand six hundred and forty-five meters from the takeoff point, to the left of the runway extended centerline. The crew of six and 96 of the 97 passengers were killed in the accident. The accident was caused by the loss of an engine during a critical phase of flight, the non-retraction of the landing gear after the engine failure, and the Captain, the PNF, taking over control of the airplane before having clearly identified the problem.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS EYE OF THE NEEDLE The Crash of British Airways Flight 38


Book Description

On 28 November 2008, a Boeing 777-200ER, operated by British Airways as flight BA38, on its way from Beijing, China to London (Heathrow), suffered on approach to Heathrow Airport an in-flight engine rollback. At 720 feet agl, the right engine ceased responding to autothrottle commands for increased power and instead the power reduced to 1.03 Engine Pressure Ratio (EPR). Seven seconds later the left engine power reduced to 1.02 EPR. This reduction led to a loss of airspeed and the aircraft touching down some 330 m short of the paved surface of Runway 27L at London Heathrow. The investigation identified that the reduction in thrust was due to restricted fuel flow to both engines. It was determined that the restriction occurred most probably in the Fuel Oil Heat Exchangers. The investigation identified the forming of ice in the fuel system as probable cause. The aircraft was destroyed, but there were no casualties.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS - Loss of Cargo Door - The Near Crash of United Airlines Flight 811


Book Description

On February 24, 1989, United Airlines flight 811, a Boeing 747-122, lost a cargo door as it was climbing between 22,000 and 23,000 feet after taking off from Honolulu, Hawaii, en route to Sydney, Australia with 355 persons aboard. As a result of the incident nine of the passengers were ejected from the airplane and lost at sea. The cargo door was recovered in two pieces from the ocean floor at a depth of 14,200 feet on September 26 and October 1, 1990. The probable cause of this accident was a faulty switch or wiring in the door control system. Contributing to the cause of the accident was a deficiency in the design of the cargo door locking mechanisms. Also contributing to the accident was a lack of timely corrective actions by Boeing and the FAA following a 1987 cargo door opening incident on a Pan Am B-747.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS A DISASTROUS SPARK The Crash of TWA 800


Book Description

On July 17, 1996, about 2031 eastern daylight time, Trans World Airlines, Inc. (TWA) flight 800, a Boeing 747, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York. TWA flight 800 was a scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York, to Charles DeGaulle International Airport, Paris, France. All 230 people on board were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. The weather was good. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank, resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank. Contributing factors to the accident were the design and certification concept that fuel tank explosions could be prevented solely by precluding all ignition sources and the design and certification of the Boeing 747. The safety issues in this report focus on fuel tank flammability.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS DEATH IN THE POTOMAC The Crash of Air Florida Flight 90


Book Description

On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737-222, was a scheduled flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C. There were 74 passengers and 5 crewmembers on board. The flight was delayed about 1 hour 45 minutes due to a moderate to heavy snowfall. Shortly after takeoff the aircraft crashed at 1601 e.s.t. into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River and plunged into the ice-covered river, 0.75 nmi from the departure end of runway 36. Four passengers and one crewmember survived the crash. Four persons in the vehicles on the bridge were killed; four were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flightcrew's failure to use engine anti-ice during ground operation and takeoff, and to take off with snow/ice on the airfoil surfaces of the aircraft. Contributing to the accident were the ground delay between de-icing and takeoff clearance.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS LACK OF EXPERIENCE The Crash of a Maryland State Police Helicopter


Book Description

On September 27, 2008, about 2358 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale Helicopter (Eurocopter) operated by the Maryland State Police (MSP) encountered instrument meteorological conditions was diverted to Andrews Air Force Base (ADW), Camp Springs, Maryland. About 3.2 miles north of the runway 19R threshold at ADW, during an instrument landing system approach, the helicopter impacted terrain and crashed. The pilot, one flight paramedic, one field provider, and one of two automobile accident patients being transported were killed. The helicopter was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and terrain in Walker Mill Regional Park, District Heights, Maryland. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's lack of experience and lacking support of supporting institutions.




AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS - Runway Overrun American Airlines Flight 1420 - Killing 11 Persons In Little Rock


Book Description

On June 1, 1999, at 2350:44 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, crashed after it overran the end of runway 4R during landing at Little Rock National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. The flight originated from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas. There were 145 persons on board. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The captain and 10 passengers were killed; 120 crewmembers and passengers received serious or minor injuries; and 24 passengers were not injured. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes were the flight crew's failure to discontinue the approach when severe thunderstorms.