Dash8 Q400 incident at Munich (Picture)

On Friday night, once again a Dash 8-400 (Q400) was involved in a landing-gear-related incident. This was the 3rd accident of a Q400 within only 3 weeks and raises concerns about the safety and a possible design flaw of the Bombardier Q400.

An Augsburg Airways (member of Lufthansa Regional) Dash 8 Q400 originally bound from Munich to Florence (Italy) did an emergency landing at Munich Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (MUC), Germany, after the nose landing gear failed to deploy.

Q400 MUC

During approach to Florence the crew experience difficulties to deploy the nose gear. After trying several times to deploy the front landing gear without avail they decided to return to Munich. Main reason for returning back were security concerns, Munich provides much longer runways than those available in Florence.

After the emergency landing, without nose gear, at MUC the Dash 8 skidded down the runway and came to rest on its nose. None of the 65 passengers and 4 crew members aboard the flight were injured.
The involved Q400 was even inspected last week, with main focus on the landing gear.
Just a few days ago Bombardier announced that approximately 70% of all Q400 worldwide have been returned back to service.

Dash8 Q400 fleet returning to service

After meeting the requirements of Transport Canada’s Airworthiness Directive (AD) related to the recent Bombardier Q400 landing gear issue, operators worldwide have been returning their aircraft to service. Approximately 70% of the Q400 fleet is in service (approximately 116 aircraft out of total fleet of 165 aircraft). Of the estimated 85 Q400 aircraft requiring detailed inspections, more than 35 aircraft are already back in service.

“Several airlines have reported that their Q400 aircraft have returned to normal service. This is excellent news. We expect that more aircraft will also return to service in the coming days. We remain committed to our customers and are providing them with the necessary technical assistance to resolve the issue,” said Steven Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Regional Aircraft.

Bombardier – with the support of Goodrich – continues to focus its efforts on assisting its customers to return to normal flight schedules as quickly as possible.

Source: Bombardier

One-Two-Go MD-82 crashed in Phuket (Video)

A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (DC-9-82) operated by Thai low budget carrier One-Two-GO (owned by Orient Thai Airways) crashed at Phuket airport in southern Thailand during landing, killing 87 of the 130 people on board, according to health ministry officials.

During heavy monsun rain and heavy crosswinds the pilot attempted to land. The visibility was poor as he decided to make a go-around but the plane lost balance and crashed. The plane skidded off the runway, broke into two and burst into flames.

A spokesman for the airline said the plane was carrying 123 passengers and seven crew members. Many of the 43 survivors were foreigners from Britain, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Iran.

The island of Phuket is a popular resort destination for international and local tourists.

Two hospital treating survivors detailed their nationalities as: Australian: 1, Austrian: 1, British: 8, Dutch:1, German: 4, Iranian: 3, Irish: 3, Italian: 1, Swedish: 2, Thai: 14.

All flights from Phuket International Airport were canceled following the crash, which TNA reported caused “confusion and anger among travelers concerned to make connections to other destinations and to know when operations will resume.”

Phuket International Airport is the second-busiest airport in Thailand, according to the airport’s Web site. The airport is about 20 miles (32 km) from downtown Phuket.

Videos

Accident Digest

Status: Preliminary
Date: 16 SEP 2007
Time: ca. 16:00
Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (DC-9-82)
Operator: One-Two-Go Airlines
Registration: HS-OMG
C/n / msn: 49183/1129

First flight: 17 November 1983 (TWA – N912TW)
Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 7
Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 123
Total: Fatalities: 88 / Occupants: 130
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: Phuket International Airport (HKT) (Thailand) show on map
Phase: Landing
Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Bangkok-Don Muang International Airport (DMK/VTBD), Thailand
Destination airport: Phuket International Airport (HKT/VTSP), Thailand
Flightnumber: 269
Narrative:
One-Two-Go Flight 269 departed Bangkok-Don Muang (DMK) at about 14:30 for a domestic service to Phuket (HKT). It was raining at Phuket when the MD-82 approached the airport. Wind was from the West at 12 knots.
On landing the airplane went off the side of the runway, crashed into trees and caught fire. Weather around the time of the accident (ca 09:00 Z) was: VTSP 160900Z 27012KT 1000 RA SCT015 BKN110 BKN300 24/23 Q1006 2973.

AIRCRAFT PROFILE MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-80
* Last fatal hull-loss accident: 16 AUG 2005 HK-4374X of West Caribbean Airways, near Machiques, Venezuela- 160 fatalities
* Total number of hull-losses: 22 (19 accidents, 3 other occurrences (destroyed on the ground )), of which 12 losses were fatal
* 6th worst accident

AIRPORT PROFILE PHUKET
* ICAO/IATA designators: HKT / VTSP
* Latitude: 08° 06′ 47.52″ N / 029° 14′ 18.47″ E
* Elevation: 82 ft/ 25 m
* Runway: 09/27 (9843 x 148 feet, asphalt, ILS)
* Third hull-loss accident of an airliner at or near Phuket Airport

OPERATOR PROFILE ONE-TWO-GO
Thai low-cost carrier operating out of Bangkok since 2003. It is wholly owned by Orient Thai Airlines.
* First hull-loss accident

COUNTRY PROFILE THAILAND
* Last fatal airliner hull-loss accident: 03 MAR 2001 Boeing 737-4D7 HS-TDC of Thai Airways International, Bangkok International Airport – 1 fatality
* 3rd worst accident in Thailand

Sources:
Accident Digest by Aviation Safety Network
Bangkok Post, CNN

Preliminary Report on Danish SAS Q400 accident

The Danish investigation board has released a preliminary report on the SAS Dash 8-400 (Q400) accident from September 9th at AAL.
Apparently corrosion in the Actuator Piston has been hold responsible for this accident.

Further details:

Technical investigation
The technical investigation was focused on the right main landing gear assembly. Significant fracture damage to the right main landing gear was observed.

SAS AAL Investigation - Landing Gear

During the investigation, it was observed that the rod end of the right main landing gear retraction/extension actuator had separated from its piston rod.
The main landing gear retraction/extension actuator, the actuator rod end, and stabilizer brace assembly were removed from the aircraft for further examination.
Examination of the internal threads of the retraction/extension actuator piston revealed the presence of corrosion, which led to separation of the rod end from the piston. The separation contributed to the landing gear collapse.
The regulatory authorities were apprised of the situation and have subsequently issued an airworthiness directive which requires immediate action by the operators.
The investigation continues.

History of flight
The accident flight was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Copenhagen International Airport, Kastrup (EKCH) to Aalborg Airport (EKYT).
The flight from EKCH until the approach to EKYT was uneventful.
On approach to EKYT, the landing gear was selected down. When the landing gear extension sequence was completed, the cockpit indication for the landing gear indicated two green lights and one red light. The two green lights indicated that the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear were down and locked (safe). The red light indicated that the right main landing gear was not locked (unsafe). A go-around was initiated.
An alternate landing gear extension procedure was conducted but the cockpit indication for the right main landing gear remained unsafe.
A visual inspection of the landing gear was performed.
The cabin was prepared for an emergency landing and the passengers were briefed.
The aircraft touched down on the left main landing gear, followed by the right main landing gear, and shortly thereafter the right main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft then departed the runway to the right and came to rest on the lower fuselage and right wing tip.
The aircraft was substantially damaged.
Some passengers sustained minor injuries.
The accident took place during daylight hours and visual meteorological conditions.

Source: hcl.dk

SAS grounds entire fleet of Dash 8-400 after another accident

Scandinavian Airlines regrets to confirm that one of its aircraft, again a Dash 8-400 (Q400), with flight number SK2748 from Copenhagen to Palanga (Lithuania) has been involved in an accident. The aircraft experienced technical difficulties and the crew decided to divert to Vilnius Airport (Lithuania) where the accident occurred at 01:36 hrs local time today.

SK2748 accident
Photo: alfa.lt

According to a Bombardier statement is this indeed the second accident involving the collapse of the right main landing gear shortly after touchdown on a Q400. It is confirm that the 48 passengers and 4 crew onboard were evacuated after landing and no injuries are reported.

A team of specially trained SAS personnel is currently on its way to Vilnius to assist all passengers and crew.

The Canadian manufacturer of Dash 8-400, Bombardier, is in the process of developing an inspection programme. As a precautionary measure, Bombardier and Goodrich, the landing gear manufacturer, is highly recommending that all aircraft worldwide of this type with 10,000 landing gear cycles (a cycle is one take-off and landing) or more will be grounded until the recommended inspection is carried out.
Bombardier has delivered more than 160 Q400 aircraft to airlines around the world, of these there are currently about 60 Q400 aircraft with more than 10,000 landing gear cycles.

Scandinavian Airlines have decided to ground the entire fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft until further notice. No aircraft will be released for operations until inspections have been carried out on all aircraft.

Source: SAS, Bombardier

Video – SAS Dash 8 crashed at landing

An SAS Dash 8 Q400 (LN-RDK / flight number SK1209) with 73 people on board crashed on Sunday in Aalborg, western Denmark during an attempted emergency landing. Prior to the landing was an unsafe gear warning of the right landing gear. The right landing gear collapsed seconds after touchdown. The right wing and engine contacted the ground and the right propellor penetrated the fuselage. The plane skidded off the runway and caught fire.
Fortunately no one was seriously injured. 5 passengers have been lightly injured during evacuation. That no one was seriously hurt by the propellor penetrating the fuselage is due to the pilots decision to move passengers seating in rows near to the wings, to the far back and front of the plane, before landing.

SK1209 damage - propellor penetrated fuselage

The accident was filmed by danish TV2. This flight was a code-share with Spanair, BMI and Lufthansa.
Photo credit: dr.dk

Information about the second accident can be found here:
SAS grounds entire fleet of Dash 8-400 after another accident

Investigation – Preliminary Report:
Preliminary Report on Danish SAS Q400 accident

Skytypers plane crashed at Virginia Navy base (Video)

A pilot who flew with a World War II stunt plane team died Friday during a practice run for a Virginia air show, officials said.

Jan Wildbergh, 74, the flight leader of the Geico Skytypers Air Show Team, was piloting one of six SNJ-2 planes over the Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Va., around noon, officials said.

Larry Arken, deputy squadron commander of the nine-pilot team, said that the pilots had just finished rehearsing their routine and were coming in for a landing when Wildbergh’s No. 6 plane, the last in the formation, crashed.

Arken said witnesses told him the plane appeared to crash while still under its own power. Team spokesman Ralph Robert told WAVY-TV in Portsmouth that the plane had no ejection system and was probably flying too low for Wildbergh to use his parachute. “He probably tried to continue making the maneuver and save the plane, possibly by doing a belly flop,” Roberts said.

The squadron performs at air shows throughout the country, delivering aerial messages 10,000 feet in the air that can stretch eight miles wide. The planes were used to train naval pilots during World War II.

Video: whdh.com

Source: newsday.com

Fatal Plane Crash at Airshow in Poland (Video)

Two Zlin planes collided in mid-air during aeroplane acrobatics taking place at the Radom Air Show in Poland. The two pilots, Lech Marchlewski (the director of the Radom air club, founder and the leader of the “Zelazny” group) and Polish Championship representative, Piotr Banachowicz both died.
There were no reports of injuries among those on the ground – the collision happened well away from the crowd.

Videos


Accident Digest Boeing 737-800 China Airlines Exploded

Status: Preliminary
Date: 20 AUG 2007
Time: 10:35
Type: Boeing 737-809
Operator: China Airlines
Registration: B-18616
C/n / msn: 30175/1182
First flight: 2002
Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-7B26
Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 157
Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 165
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: Okinawa-Naha Airport (OKA) (Japan)
Phase: Landing
Nature: International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE/RCTP), Taiwan
Destination airport: Okinawa-Naha Airport (OKA/ROAH), Japan
Flightnumber: 120
Narrative:
China Airlines flight 120 departed Taipei at 08:14. It landed at Naha Airport (OKA) at 10:27 and taxied to the apron. Reaching the stand, ground engineers saw fuel gushing from an area near the nr.2 engine pylon. The pilot shut off the fuel supply to the engines after he was alerted by the ground engineer about the leak. Fuel from the leak flowed beneath the aircraft towards the nr.1 engine. It remains unclear yet what ignited the fuel. The fire engulfed the airplane.
When all occupants had evacuated, a large explosion occurred in the centre of the airplane. The airplane burned out completely.

Videos:

Accident Digest by Aviation Safety Network

TAM 3054 A320 – Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript

The Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript of the TAM Airlines Airbus A320 crashed at Sao Paulo Congonhas Airport last month has been published. It indicates that the spoilers did not activate and that the crew were unable to decelerate the aircraft after landing. The transcript confirms the pilots were aware of the non-functioning thrust-reverser and the strong possibility of a slippery runway. But however there is no evidence of a go-around attempt.

Transcript of a Honewell 30-minute solid state cockpit voice recorder, installed on TAM Airlines Airbus A320, which crashed during landing in Congonhas, Sao Paulo, Brazil on 7/17/07

LEGEND

CAM – Cockpit area microphone voice or sound source
HOT – Flight crew audio panel voice or sound source (1)
PA – Airplane Public Address system voice or sound source
FWC – Automated callout from the Flight Warming Computer
RDO – Radio transmissions from TAM flight 3054
APP – Radio transmission from Approach Control
TWR – Radio transmission from the Congonhas Control Tower
CH2 – sound heard on CVR channel 2

-1 – Voice identified as the captain/PIC
-2 – Voice identified as the first Officer/SIC
-3 – Voice identified as a Flight Attendant
-? – Voice unidentified
* – Unintelligible word
# – Expletive
@ – Non-pertinent word
( ) – Questionable insertion
[ ] – Editorial insertion

Note 1: Times are expressed Local time – reflecting a synchronization to the Flight Data Recorder using the A/P disconnect parameter from the DFDR and the tone heard on the CVR.
Note 2: Generally, only radio transmissions to and from the accident aircraft were transcribed.
Note 3: Words shown with excess vowels, letters, or drawn out syllables are a phonetic representation of the words.

Start Of Transcript

18:18:24.5 (all times are local time)
[start of recording]
18:18:24.5
PA-1 [captain makes speech to passengers]
18:18:53.4
CAM – ? [sound of whistling]
18:20:25.0
CAM [sound of flight attendant door open request]
18:20:28.1
CAM – 1 is ok?
18:20:29.7
CAM – 3 [flight attendant says that everything in the cabin is OK, and then asked where will they be landing]
18:20:33.3
CAM -1 I have just informed.
18:20:34.7
CAM – 3 I didn’t hear – sorry -her talking.
18:20:37.7
CAM -1 but she heard, Congonhas.
18:20:39.3
CAM – 3 is it Congonhas? its great so. she might have heard. thank you.
18:43:04.3
HOT -1 remember, we only have one reverse.
18:43:06.9
HOT-2 yes… only the left.
18:43:24.0
HOT-1 glideslope… LOC blue. LOC star. [LOC star means a an asterisk is displayed on the FMA, which means the loc capture]
18:43:26.6
HOT-2 checked.
18:43:27.1
HOT-1 autopilot one plus two.
18:43:29.4
HOT-1 flaps one.
18:43:30.7
HOT-2 speed checked.
18:43:36.7
HOT-1 clear status.
18:43:41.8
HOT-2 clear status.
18:43:43.8
HOT-2 clear.
18:43:48.2
RDO-2 going to intercept the localizer, TAM three zero five four.
18:43:52.2
APP TAM three zero five four, reduce speed for the approach… and call the tower on frequency one two seven point one five, good afternoon.
18:44:00.0
RDO-2 one two seven one five, over.
18:44:01.7
HOT-1 good afternoon.
18:44:06.4
HOT-1 flaps two.
18:44:08.01
CAM-2 speed checked.
18:44:20.0
HOT-2 flaps at two.
18:44:22.3
RDO-2 Sao Paulo tower, this is TAM three zero five four.
18:44:26.01
TWR TAM three zero five four, reduce minimum speed for approach, the wind is north with zero six. I will report when clear three five left.
18:44:33.4
RDO-2 good evening, reducing to the minimum possible [speed].
18:44:36.3
HOT-1 landing gear down.
18:44:37.7
HOT-2 landing gear down.
18:44:53.9
HOT-1 flaps three.
18:44:55.1
HOT-2 speed checked.
18:44:57.4
HOT-2 flaps three.
18:45:03.9
HOT-1 flap full.
18:45:05.7
CAM-2 speed checked, flaps full.
18:45:10.6
HOT-1 standby final checklist
18:45:12.0
HOT-2 standing by.
18:45:12.9
CAM-1 glide star, set missed approach altitude.
18:45:15.0
CAM-2 ALT**.
18:45:21.0
CAM-2 six thousand feet.
18:45:44.0
CAM [sound of windshield wipers operating]
18:45:52.1
CH2 [sound of outer marker beacon heard on channel 2]
18:46:03.2
HOT-1 final checklist.
18:46:04.6
HOT-2 final checklist, passing DIADEMA [name of the outer marker beacon]
18:46:10.4
PA-2 cabin crew, clear to land. [prepare for landing]
18:46: 14.0
CAM- 2 cabin crew
18:46:15.2
CAM – 1 advised.
18:46:16.00
CAM – 2 auto thrust.
18:46:18. 8
CAM 1 – speed.
18:46:20.0
CAM 2 – **-
18:46:21.1
CAM 1 – landing no blue.
18:46:22.6
CAM 1 – ECAM MEMO (Eletronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor – check memo status)
18:46:23.8
HOT-1 landing, no blue
18:46:24.9
HOT-2 landing no blue.
18:46:26.1
HOT-1 okay?
18:46: 26.7
HOT-2 okay..what?
18:46:28.6
HOT-2 okay.
18:46:30.8
HOT-? *-
18:46:30.8
HOT-2 final checklist complete.
18:46:33.8
CAM-1 runway in sight, landing.
18:46:41.7
CAM-1 ask him [the tower] about the rain condition, the runway condition, and if the runway is slippery.
18:46: 57.0
RDO-2 TAM on final approach, two miles away. could you confirm conditions?
18:47:01.7
TWR it’s wet, and it is slippery. I will report three five left clear, three zero five four.
18:47:06.1
RDO-2 already on final.
18:47:07.5
TWR the aircraft is starting the departure.
18:47:10.7
HOT-1 wet and slippery!
18:47:22.0
HOT-2 The aircraft is starting the takeoff run.
18:47: 34.3
TWR TAM three zero five four, three five left, clear to land, the runway is wet, and is slippery and the wind is three three zero at eight. knots.
18:47:40.6
HOT-2 three three zero at eight, is the wind.
18:47:42.9
HOT-1 checked.
18:47:43.9
TWR three zero five four?
18:47:45.3
RDO-2 three zero five four, roger.
18:47:46.4
FWC four hundred.
18:47:49.8
HOT-1 is the landing clear?
18:47:50.7
HOT-2 clear to land.
18:47:52.3
HOT-1 land green, manual flight.
18:47:53.7
CAM [sound of autopilot disconnect tone]
18:47:54.1
HOT-2 checked.
18:47:54.8
HOT-1 inhibit the glide [GPWS aural warning] for me please.
18:47:55.7
CAM [sound of triple click indicating reversion from CAT II or III to CAT I approach mode (manual flight approach)]
18:47:56.9
HOT-2 what?
18:47:58.8
FWC three hundred.
18:47:59.3
HOT-1 inhibit the glide for me.
18:48:00.6
HOT-2 okay.
18:48:03.0
HOT-2 inhibit.
18:48:05.8
HOT-2 middle.
18:48:11.6
FWC two hundred.
18:48:14.9
HOT-2 one dot now. okay.
18:48: 16.8
HOT-1 okay.
18:48:21.0
FWC twenty.
18:48:21.6
FWC retard.
18:48:23.0
FWC retard.
18:48:24.5
CAM [sound of trust lever movement]
18:48:24.9
CAM [sound of increase engine noise]
18:48:25:5
GPWS retard.
18:48:26:3
CAM [sound similar to touchdown]
18:48:26:7
HOT-2 reverse number one only.
18:48:29:5
HOT-2 spoliers nothing.
18:48:30:8
HOT-1 aaiii [sigh]
18:48:33:3
HOT-1 look this.
18:48:34:4
HOT-2 decelerate, decelerate.
18:48:35:9
HOT-1 it can’t, it can’t.
18:48:40:0
HOT-1 oh my god….. oh my god.
18:48:42:7
HOT-1 go, go, go, turn turn turn turn.
18:48:44:6
HOT-2 turn turn to…no, turn turn.
18:48:45:5
CAM [sound of crushing noises].
18:48:49:7
CAM-? (oh no) [male voice]
18:48:50:0
CAM [pause in crushing noises]
18:48:50:6
CAM-? [sound of scream, female voice]
18:48:50:8
CAM-? [sound of crushing noise]
[end of recording]
18:48:51:4

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