Aviation Insights by AEROTHRIVE的动态

Points to ponder

Air crash investigation – Elmina air crash cause revealed. There are some air crash investigations that have remained unsolved, The most notable one is Malaysia Airlines MH370. On March 8, 2014, MH370 vanished from radar less than an hour after take-off. Despite extensive search efforts, only a few debris pieces linked to the plane have been found. The main wreckage, including the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, remains missing. What happened to the aircraft and its 239 passengers is still unknown. In contrast, the Malaysian Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recently solved one significant mystery. On August 16, 2024, they concluded their investigation into the crash of a Hawker Beechcraft 390 Premier 1 at Elmina, Shah Alam, Malaysia. Human error by the flight crew was determined to be the primary cause. The AAIB revealed that an unrated pilot inadvertently extended the spoilers, causing the plane to stall and crash two minutes before landing. The 148-page report provided a detailed account of the accident, emphasizing the importance of adherence to procedures. The role of the AAIB is not to assign blame but to enhance aviation safety by identifying the causes and contributing factors of accidents. Their goal is to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. In this case, they found that deviations from standard operating procedures, inadequate crew training, regulatory grey areas, and poor communication all contributed to the crash. Two earlier accidents near Subang International Airport highlight the importance of proper crew training and communication – two key areas the AAIB addressed in their recent findings. On September 27, 1977, Japan Airlines Flight 715 also crashed near the Elmina Estate. The DC-8 captain, flying a non-precision approach in bad weather, descended below the decision height of 750 feet and crashed into a hillside. The first officer failed to challenge the captain, likely due to a lack of assertive support training. Today, such training might have prevented this tragedy. I remember this case vividly as I was holding in the air for the weather to improve at the same time on that day. On February 19, 1989, Flying Tiger Line Flight 66, a Boeing 747, crashed near Subang Airport. The cause was a miscommunication between the crew and air traffic control. The plane had been cleared to descend to 2,400 feet, but the crew mistakenly interpreted this as clearance to 400 feet. As a result, the aircraft descended 2,000 feet lower than instructed and crashed into a hillside. These examples demonstrate the value of air crash investigations. The airline industry has implemented numerous safety improvements, thanks to recommendations from past incidents. Mandatory Crew Resource Management (CRM) training and standardized phraseology in communications are just two examples of how the industry has evolved to prevent further accidents. Air Crash Investigators at Work

Engine Failure: Fatal Dominicana DC-9 Crash On February 15, 1970, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 operated by Dominicana de Aviación, registered as HI-177, met a catastrophic fate when it crashed into the Caribbean Sea shortly after takeoff from Las Américas International Airport, Santo Domingo, bound for Luis Mu?oz Marín International Airport, San Juan. The incident resulted in the loss of all 102 individuals on board. Constructed by McDonnell Douglas and delivered to Dominicana de Aviación in December 1969, the aircraft had accumulated a mere 354 flying hours. During its flight, the DC-9 experienced a critical failure when, mere minutes after takeoff, the right engine ceased functioning. The crew's attempt to return to the airport was thwarted by the subsequent failure of the left engine, leading to an uncontrolled descent into the sea. The aircraft's tragic end stirred initial speculations of a terrorist act, given the presence of notable figures among the passengers. However, the investigation pinpointed the root cause as fuel contamination by water, leading to the sequential shutdown of both engines. The absence of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder hindered a more detailed analysis. In the immediate aftermath, Dominicana de Aviación halted its operations, and the FAA imposed a temporary ban on the airline's flights to the United States. This ban was later lifted following the lease of a replacement aircraft operated by Iberia's crew, allowing Dominicana to resume its services until its final closure in 1999. Subscribe to our Aviation Safety Newsletter NOW and get the hot stuff free and without delay:?https://lnkd.in/eGZqhPHR! My accident reviews are short summaries of publicly available accident reviews and reports and do not constitute any interpretation nor express my opinion or the opinion of any organization.

In the wake of a recent Bell 212 helicopter crash in the Northwest Territories, Canada, resulting in the tragic loss of the pilot, the USDA Forest Service (USFS) has issued a memo on June 2, temporarily grounding contract aircraft identified as "Bell Flight 212 type aircraft." This grounding is described as a "tactical pause" to allow for further investigation into the cause of the accident. The grounding in the U.S. follows a voluntary grounding of the same aircraft types in Canada. The USFS memo emphasized the importance of safety and the need to bridge the information gap while investigations are ongoing. The memo states, "In every case of an aviation accident, there is an information gap that is appropriate due to the needed investigation but is unsettling due to continuing operations using the same aircraft while the investigation gets to the facts." The USFS shared initial information from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada - Bureau de la sécurité des transports du Canada, relayed through the Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC). The TSB's preliminary findings indicate that the Bell 212 involved in the accident experienced a torque tension strap failure. The TSB's report clarified, "The failure end is on the outboard blade retention pin position. There are no issues with the pin itself. It is the strap that has failed." Torque tension straps (TT straps) are critical components that connect the rotor blades to the rotor hub in helicopters. These straps are essential for maintaining blade rigidity and allowing blade pitch adjustments with pilot input. The failure of these unseen but crucial parts is central to the ongoing investigation. As more information becomes available, both the USFS and HAC will continue to update contractors and relevant stakeholders to ensure all decisions are made with the most accurate and current data. The safety of aviation operations remains the top priority as the investigation progresses. For more detailed information on the investigation and updates, please visit our blog. #AvfoilNews #USFS #AviationSafety #Bell212 #HelicopterSafety #AviationAccident #TSB #TTStraps #HelicopterAssociationOfCanada #AviationNews #USForestService

There’s good. There’s bad. This was UGLY! We hear about illegal charter, but this was illegal and reckless private jet operations. This captain's behavior is off the charts, literally. He could have killed everyone on board due to his egregious contempt for professionalism. - The captain, who was the pilot flying, did not hold any valid Federal Aviation Administration pilot certificates at the time of the accident because they had been revoked 2 years prior due to his falsification of logbook entries and records. - Additionally, he had never held a type rating for the accident airplane and had started, but not completed, training in the accident airplane model before the accident. - The flight crew attempted to takeoff with the airplane 2,975 lbs. over the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), a center of gravity (CG) close to the most forward limit, and an incorrect stabilizer trim setting. - The digital flight data recorder (DFDR) data indicated that the captain attempted takeoff at a rotation speed 23 knots (kts) slower than the calculated rotation speed for the airplane at maximum weight. - Takeoff performance showed the departure runway was 575 ft shorter than the distance required for takeoff at the airplane’s weight. - The investigation revealed that had the actual performance numbers been entered, a “FIELD LIMITED” amber message would have illuminated warning the crew that the MTOW was exceeded, and airspeed numbers would not have been generated. - The airplane overran the end of the runway onto a gravel pad where the landing gear collapsed. Learn more about this accident from the National Transportation Safety Board at https://lnkd.in/eZBXhF6z Folks, let’s make “professionalism” part of our normal conversations. Let’s define it, and ask ourselves if we are aspiring, every day, to these precepts. See Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt’s article on professionalism in aviation in Aviation International News. Also, if you are a private jet owner and are not providing proper oversight and leadership to your operations, you are in the "danger zone." It's better to place your operations under a professional aircraft management company, many of them being WYVERN Wingman Operators. Learn more about risk management at WYVERN Ltd https://www.wyvernltd.com/ ?#aviation #aviationsafety #safetyculture

Accidents don’t happen because of a single failure. There is always a chain of events that lead to an outcome. The private operator running an illegal charter with an illegal captain doing illegal stuff. #businessjets #privatejet #businessaviation #privateplane #privateaviation

It's amazing to me that operations like this exist. It's so important to know exactly who you have in your flight department and to be confident in that individual's aeronautical decision making and piloting skills. It's amazing that everyone walked away from this incident but it stands as a great lesson learned for those that lead corporate and private flight departments: there is no substitute for professionally trained and competent aviators.

West Coast Airlines Flight 720 Crash: Inadequate De-Icing and Crew Fatigue On March 10, 1967, West Coast Airlines Flight 720, a Fairchild F-27 aircraft, crashed into Stukel Mountain near Klamath Falls, Oregon, shortly after takeoff. The incident resulted in the loss of all four occupants onboard, including three crew members and one passenger. The crash occurred during the aircraft's ascent after departing from Klamath Falls Airport, where adverse weather conditions played a crucial role. The aircraft had been parked in a hangar at Klamath Falls Airport for routine maintenance before its scheduled flight to Seattle, Washington, with intermediate stops. Due to snowy weather, the crew and passenger boarded the aircraft inside the hangar. Following standard preflight checks, which did not identify any immediate issues, the aircraft was pushed out into the snow to prepare for departure. However, the ground tug used for the pushback became stuck in the snow, causing an 11-minute delay during which the aircraft was exposed to accumulating snow and ice. No de-icing procedures were performed during this delay, despite the continuous snowfall and the visibility of ice on the wings and control surfaces. The aircraft subsequently received clearance for takeoff at 4:57 a.m. and departed four minutes later. The control tower confirmed the aircraft’s position on radar, but shortly thereafter, the aircraft veered off course. Radar data indicated that the plane began a leftward turn, deviating from its assigned heading. Just over a minute into the flight, the aircraft impacted Stukel Mountain's northwest slope at an elevation of approximately 5,050 feet. The post-crash investigation determined that the failure to de-ice the aircraft's surfaces was a critical factor leading to the accident. The accumulation of snow and ice on the wings likely impaired the aircraft’s aerodynamic performance, contributing to the loss of control. Additionally, the investigation suggested that crew fatigue may have been a contributing factor, given the short turnaround time between flights. Subscribe to our Aviation Safety Newsletter NOW and get the hot stuff free and without delay: https://lnkd.in/eGZqhPHR! My accident reviews are short summaries of publicly available accident reviews and reports and do not constitute any interpretation nor express my opinion or the opinion of any organization.

ALM Flight 980 Ditching: Pilot Error Leads to Fatal Fuel Exhaustion On May 2, 1970, ALM Antillean Airlines Flight 980, operated by Overseas National Airways, encountered a critical situation leading to a water landing in the Caribbean Sea due to fuel exhaustion. The Douglas DC-9-33CF, piloted by a crew under Captain Balsey DeWitt, was scheduled from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York to Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten. During the flight, adverse weather conditions at St. Maarten led the crew to consider diverting to San Juan. However, after an update on improving weather, the captain redirected the flight back to St. Maarten. Multiple landing attempts failed due to misalignment and insufficient visibility of the runway. Subsequently, the decision was made to divert to St. Croix, but by then, the fuel levels were critically low. The aircraft ditched approximately 30 miles east of St. Croix, resulting in 23 fatalities among the 63 occupants. Survivors endured harsh sea conditions until rescue efforts, involving multiple branches of the U.S. military, were successful. The subsequent investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board identified the primary cause of the accident as fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors included miscalculations by the crew concerning fuel consumption and ineffective management of the available fuel. The report criticized the coordination among the crew and highlighted discrepancies in the fuel gauge readings versus actual fuel calculations. Safety improvements recommended post-incident stressed the need for robust emergency landing protocols and the importance of functional communication systems aboard aircraft. Subscribe to our Aviation Safety Newsletter NOW and get the hot stuff free and without delay:?https://lnkd.in/eGZqhPHR! My accident reviews are short summaries of publicly available accident reviews and reports and do not constitute any interpretation nor express my opinion or the opinion of any organization.