airliner accident statistics 2002* controlled flight into terrain (cfit) cfit occurs when an...

Airliner Accident Statistics 2002 Statistical summary of fatal multi-engined airliner accidents in 2002

by Harro Ranter the Aviation Safety Network January 3, 2003

Statistical summary of fatal multi-engined airliner accidents in 2002 ........................................................................................................................................ 1

PREFACE .................................................................................. 3 2002 IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.............................................. 4 AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS ....................................................... 6 COUNTRIES .............................................................................. 7 CONTINENTS ............................................................................ 8 FLIGHT NATURE ........................................................................ 9 FLIGHT PHASE........................................................................... 9 AVIATION SAFETY PRIORITIES ...................................................10

Airliner Accident Statistics 2001 by Harro Ranter, Aviation Safety Network

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PREFACE

In the year 2002 a total of 37 fatal multi-engine airliner accidents caused fatal injuries to 1098 occupants. An estimated 78 people on the ground were killed. Focusing on just passenger flights, 2002 achieved an all-time low of 20 fatal accidents. The total number of 37 fatal accidents, which includes a.o. cargo and ferry flights, makes 2002 the sixth safest year since 1946. The average number of fatal accidents over the 1992-2001 period is 47 accidents per year. The 2002 fatality rate (percentage of occupants killed in fatal airliner accidents) of 82% was down from last year, but still much higher than the 1992-2001 average of 73%. Trends show a decrease in the number of fatal accidents for Europe, North-, South-, and Central America over the past five years. Africa on the other hand shows an continuous increase from a 10-year average of 5,1 accidents in 1993 to 7,6 accidents in 2002. Last year’s accidents again highlighted the four aviation safety priorities, identified by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF): * Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) CFIT occurs when an airworthy aircraft under the control of the flight crew is flown unintentionally into terrain (mostly mountains/hills), obstacles or water, usually with no prior awareness by the crew. Preliminary investigation result show that CFIT accidents in 2002 were responsible for almost 30% of all fatal accidents. Some 11 accidents were CFIT-related, totalling 410 fatalities. * Approach and landing 2002 did show a rise in the number of approach and landing accidents. In 2002 they accounted for 54% of all accidents, compared to 38% in 2001. * Loss of control Approximately ten accidents last year can be attributed to a loss of control of some kind. On July 28 for instance, an Ilyushin 86 crashed when the horizontal stabilizer spontaneously shifted to the full down position two seconds after takeoff. * Human factors It's too early to tell in what cases aviation personnel were a causal factor in accidents in 2002. However, the July 1 collision over Germany seems an interesting case from a human factors point of view. A Boeing 757 and a Tupolev 154 collided over Germany when the Tupolev-crew complied with ATC instructions to descend instead of following their TCAS Resolution Advisory (RA) instruction to climb. Please bear in mind that human factors does not mean "pilot error"; in human factors it is important to determine which mistakes were made, why, under what circumstances etc. The figures have been compiled using the airliner accident database of the Aviation Safety Network, the Internet leader in aviation safety information. The Aviation Safety Network uses information from authoritative and official sources like NTSB, ICAO etc. The goal of the Aviation Safety Network is to provide everyone with a (professional) interest in aviation with up-to-date, complete and reliable authoritative information on airliner accidents and safety issues. More information: http://aviation-safety.net/


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http://aviation-safety.net/

2002 IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• The 2002 death toll of 1098 was below the 1972-2001 average death toll of 1445 casualties

• The 2002 death toll of 1098 was below the 1992-2001 average death toll of 1293 casualties

• The 2002 number of occupants involved in fatal airliner accidents of 1335 was lower than the 1992-2001 average of 1762

• The 2002 fatality rate (percentage of occupants killed in fatal airliner accidents) of 82% was higher then the 1992-2001 average of 73%

• The 2002 number of 37 fatal airliner accidents was far below the 1972-2001 average number of fatal airliner accidents of 50,7 per year

• The 2002 number of 37 fatal airliner accidents was far below the 1992-2001 average number of fatal airliner accidents of 47 per year

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• The 2002 number of fatal jet airliner accidents of 12 was below the 1972-2001

average of 16,7 accidents per year • The 2002 number of fatal prop airliner accidents of 23 was on the 1972-2001

average of 23,3 accidents per year • The 2002 number of 1 fatal piston airliner accident was far below the 1972-2001

average of 10,4 accidents • The 2002 number of 1 fatal piston airliner accident was far below the 1992-2001

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AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Manufacturer 2002 2001 2000 1999 Aérospatiale / BAC 0 0 1 0 Airbus 0 1 2 0 Antonov 5 2 5 3 ATR 2 0 0 2 BAC 1 0 0 0 Beechcraft 1 1 1 3 Boeing 7 6 3 5 BAe/Avro 0 1 2 1 CASA 0 1 0 1 Consolidated 1 0 0 0 Curtiss 0 0 2 0 De Havilland Canada 4 1 3 4 Dornier 0 0 0 2 (MDD)Douglas 1 3 4 10 Embraer 2 0 1 3 Fairchild 1 0 0 0 Fokker 2 1 1 2 GAF 0 1 0 0 Hawker Siddeley 1 0 0 1 Ilyushin 1 2 0 1 Let 4 4 1 2 Lockheed 1 0 1 2 PZL Mielec 0 1 0 0 Saab 0 0 1 0 Shorts 0 1 3 0 Sud Aviation 0 1 0 0 Swearingen 1 3 1 0 Transall 0 1 0 0 Tupolev 2 2 0 1 Yakovlev 0 1 1 2 Yunshuji 0 0 2 0 Western Built 25 22 29 36 (fmr) Eastern Block built

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Total 37 34 36 45


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COUNTRIES

In 2002 both the United States and Colombia suffered the highest number of fatal airliner accidents: 3. None of the U.S. accidents however concerned passenger flights (two fire fighting flights and a ferry flight). Of the other countries Tunisia suffered it’s first fatal airliner accident when an EgyptAir Boeing 737 crashed on approach to Tunis. Country 2002 2001 2000 1999 2002 2001 2000 1999 Angola 0 1 3 3 Liberia 1 0 0 0 Argentina 0 0 0 1 Libya 0 0 1 0 Bahamas 0 0 1 0 Luxembourg 1 0 0 0 Bahrain 0 0 1 0 Mexico 1 1 1 1 Belgium 0 0 0 1 Morocco 1 0 0 0 Botswana 0 0 0 1 Myanmar 0 0 0 1 Brazil 2 0 0 1 Nepal 2 0 1 3 Canada 0 1 2 3 Nigeria 2 1 1 0 Cape Verde 0 0 0 1 Panama 0 0 1 0 Central African Rep. 1 0 0 0 Papua New Guinea 0 0 0 1 China 1 0 1 2 Philippines 1 0 1 1 Colombia 3 2 1 4 Portugal 0 0 0 1 Comoros 1 0 0 0 Russia 2 4 1 1 Congo (fmr Zaire) 0 2 1 1 Spain 2 2 0 0 Costa Rica 0 0 1 0 Serbia & Montenegro 0 0 0 1 Djibouti 1 0 0 0 South Africa 1 0 0 0 Estonia 0 1 0 0 South Korea 1 0 0 0 Fiji 0 0 0 1 Sri Lanka 0 0 1 0 France (incl. overseas):

0 1 3 1 Surinam 0 1 0 0

Gabon 0 0 1 0 Switzerland 0 1 1 0 Germany 1* 0 0 0 Taiwan 2 0 1 1 Ghana 0 0 1 0 Thailand 0 1 0 0 Guatemala 0 1 0 1 Tunisia 1 0 0 0 Hong Kong 0 0 0 1 Turkey 0 0 0 2 India 0 0 1 0 UK 0 1 0 2 Indonesia 2 2 0 0 USA 3 7 7 3 Iran 2 1 0 0 Uzbekistan 0 0 0 1 Italy 0 1 0 1 Vanuatu 0 0 0 1 Ivory Coast 0 0 1 0 Venezuela 0 2 0 1 Kenya 1 0 0 1 Total 37 34 36 45 Laos 0 0 1 0 *) collision


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CONTINENTS

In 2002 Africa was again the most unsafe continent. Nearly 27% of all fatal airliner accidents happened in Africa, while Africa only accounts for approximately 3 percent of all world aircraft departures. The moving 10-year average trends show a decrease in the number of fatal accidents for Europe, North-, South-, and Central America over the past five to six years. Africa on the other hand shows an increase from a 10-year average of 5,1 accidents in 1993 to 7,5 accidents in 2002. The average number of accidents per year in Australasia has not been moving much since 1995. Continent 2002 2001 2000 1999 Africa 10 4 9 9 Asia 11 4 8 12 Australia 0 0 0 3 Central America

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Europe 7 10 5 7 North America 4 9 9 6 South America 5 5 1 6 Total 37 34 36 45

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FLIGHT NATURE

From a passenger’s point of view the year 2002 was the safest year in aviation since Word War II. The number of fatal (non scheduled) passenger flight accidents was never this low (20), except for 1984. A breakdown by flight nature shows a continuous decrease in the number of scheduled passenger flight accidents over the last four years. The moving 10-year average shows the number of fatal scheduled passenger service accidents decreasing from 24,5 accidents in 1995 to 18,5 accidents in 2002. A type of operation hitting the news in 2002 were fire fighting flights. In June a Lockheed Hercules crashed in California following separation of the right wing. One month later a 58-year old PB4Y-2 Privateer tanker crashed in Colorado following separation of the left wing. These accidents triggered the commission of the ‘Blue Ribbon Panel on Aerial Fire Fighting’ by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The panel was chartered to identify key information for planning the safe and effective future of aerial fire fighting. The report was released December 6, 2002 and revealed eight findings. As a result the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management decided no longer to contract for the C-130A or PB4Y aircraft as air tankers and the Forest Service suspended fire missions of 19 P-58 Barons and 4 Shorts 330 aircraft pending evaluations of the issues identified in the Blue Ribbon panel's report. Manufacturer 2002 2001 2000 1999 Ambulance 0 1 0 0 Ferry 5 0 0 2 Fire fighting 2 0 1 0 Freight 9 5 9 16 Non Scheduled Passenger 4 7 9 4 Para 0 0 0 1 Positioning 0 0 1 1 Scheduled Passenger 12 13 14 19 Training 0 1 0 0 Passenger *) 4 3 0 1 ? 1 4 2 0 - 0 0 0 1 Total 37 34 36 45 *) unknown if these flights were a scheduled or non-scheduled passenger flights.

FLIGHT PHASE

2002 did show a rise in the number of approach and landing accidents, which is one of the four most pressing safety problems facing the aviation industry according to the Flight Safety Foundation. In 2002 they accounted for 54% of all accidents, compared to 38% in 2001. Manufacturer 2002 2001 2000 1999 Ground 0 1 0 0 Takeoff 2 3 3 2 Climb 4 7 11 7 Cruise 10 9 3 11 Approach 18 12 13 16 Landing 2 1 3 8 ? 1 1 3 1 Total 37 34 36 45


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AVIATION SAFETY PRIORITIES

Analyzing last year's accidents and comparing them with the four aviation safety priorities, identified by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), it can be concluded that much work still needs to be done: Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) CFIT accidents in 2002 were responsible for almost 30% of all fatal accidents. Some 11 accidents were CFIT-related, totalling 410 fatalities. Approach and landing Around 19 accidents happened in the approach and landing phase last year. On April 15 for instance, an Air China Boeing 767-200 turned 1.8km past the usual turn point while on approach to Pusan, South Korea. The aircraft collided with a high ground, killing 128 of the 166 occupants. Loss of control At least 9 accidents last year can be attributed to a loss of control of some kind. On November 12 for instance, an American Airlines Airbus A.300 crashed after takeoff from New York following the separation of the tailfin. Human factors It's too early to tell in what cases flight crew actions were a causal factor in accidents in 2002. However the July 1 collision over Germany seems an interesting case from a human factors point of view. A Boeing 757 and a Tupolev 154M collided over Überlingen, Germany when the Tupolev-crew complied with ATC instructions to descend instead of following their TCAS Resolution Advisory (RA) instruction to climb. Please bear in mind that human factors does not mean "pilot error"; in human factors it is important to determine which mistakes were made, why, under what circumstances etc. Apart from these four FSF identified priorities, the most talked-about issue this year obviously was aviation security, both on the ground and in the air. Following the September 11 hijackings many airlines took action, a.o. by strengthening cockpit doors and by making procedural changes. Airport and airplane security will no doubt be the number one priority for aviation regulators and the aviation industry in 2002.


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APPENDIX 1 – Descriptions of all fatal airliner accidents 14 JAN 2002

Embraer 120RT Brasilia EC-GTJ Ibertrans Aérea near Zaldivar (Spain) 3(3)

The cargo aircraft departed Madrid at 06.37h for a flight to Bilbao. Some 35km from Bilbao, the aircraft crashed into the Santa María Vieja mountain. Weather around the time of the accident (06.30Z) was: LEBB 140600Z 09002KT 3000 BR FEW004 SCT016 BKN025 09/09 Q1030 TEMPO 1500 BCFG= LEBB 140630Z 10002KT 3500 BR FEW004 SCT016 BKN025 08/08 Q1030 TEMPO 1500 BCFG= LEBB 140700Z 09001KT 3500 BR FEW004 SCT020 BKN055 08/08 Q1030 TEMPO 1500 BCFG=

15 JAN 2002

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300

XC-FIT Procuraduría General de la República (PGR)

Chilpancingo (Mexico) 4(18)

While trying to land at Chilpancingo, the Twin Otter apparently went off the runway. The aircraft struck a concrete airport perimeter wall, overturned and caught fire.

16 JAN 2002

Boeing 737-3Q8 PK-GWA Garuda Indonesia Airways 14mls W of Yokyakarta (Indonesia)

1(60)

The aircraft was descending from FL320 when the aircraft entered a heavy thunderstorm. While descending through FL180 in heavy precipitation and turbulence both engines lost power. Three unsuccessful attempts were made to relight the engines and one unsuccessful attempt were made to relight the APU. The crew then decided to carry out a flaps and gear up emergency ditching in a shallow, 1 metre deep part of the Benjawang Solo River. One stewardess did not survive the crash. Similar occurrences (Boeing 737-300 double engine flameout while descending in heavy precipitation with engines at flight idle) happened May 24, 1988 and July 26, 1988. Following these incidents OMB 88-5 and AD 6-14-88 were issued to require minimum rpm of 45% and to restrict the use of autothrust in moderate/heavy precipitation; engine modification was provided for increased capacity of water ingestion.

17 JAN 2002

Fairchild FH-227E HC-AYM Petroproduccion - Unidad de Aviacion

El Tigre (Colombia) 26(26)

The aircraft departed Quito at 10.38h for a 37-minute flight to fly workers to an oil site in the Amazon jungle. Last radio contact with the flight was at 10.58h. The wreckage was found January 20 just across the border with Colombia at the 11,500ft level of the El Tigre Mountain, approximately 50 nautical miles from its intended destination.

28 JAN 2002

Boeing 727-134 HC-BLF TAME Ecuador near Ipiales (Colombia) 92(92)

The Boeing 727 departed Quito at 10.03h for a 40-minute flight to Tulcán. Flight 120 was to have continued to Cali,


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Colombia. Last radio contact with the flight was at 10.23h. The aircraft was found to have crashed into the 15,668-foot high Chiles Volcano which is located on the Ecuador/Colombian border.

07 FEB 2002

Antonov 12BK UR-LIP Volare Aviation Enterprise 80km from Agadir (Morocco) 8(8)

Crashed into a mountain in the Atlas mountain range at 9900ft. 12 FEB 2002

Tupolev 154M EP-MBS Iran Air Tours near Sarab-e Do Rah (Iran) 119(119)

Crashed into the Sefid-Kouh mountain at 9100ft while descending for Khorramabad, one hour after take-off from Tehran. The cockpit voice recorder was located Feb. 17, 2002.

15 FEB 2002

Antonov 12BP ER-ADL Tiramavia 6km from Monrovia-Roberts International Airport (ROB) (Liberia)

1(8)

Crashed after requesting to make an emergency landing at Monrovia. The aircraft reportedly carried arms. 17 MAR 2002

Let 410UVP-E J2-KBC Djibouti Airlines off Djibouti-Ambouli Airp(JIB) (Djibouti)

ort 4(4)

Crashed into the sea while on approach to Djibouti Airport. Both pilots were from the Ukraine; both cabin crew members from Djibouti.

12 APR 2002

Swearingen SA.227AC Metro III

EC-GKR Tadair Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) (Spain)

2(2)

Crashed while landing on runway 24L. 15 APR 2002

Boeing 767-2J6ER B-2552 Air China near Pusan-Kimhae Airport (PUS) (South Korea)

128(166)

Flight 129 departed Beijing at 08.37 local time for a flight to Pusan. The aircraft crashed while turning from base leg to finals on a runway 18R approach. A preliminary report by a Ministry of Construction and Transportation investigation team into the crash stated the aircraft went down after it turned 1.8km past the usual turn point. The 767 hit one side of the 1,000-foot mountain and plowed toward the peak, leaving a trail of fallen trees 30 yards wide and 100 yards long. METAR report for the time of the accident (ca 02.40Z) was: RKPK 150200Z 22007KT 3200 -RA BR SCT005 BKN010 OVC025 16/13 Q1015== RKPK 150300Z 21009KT 4000 -RA BR SCT005 BKN010 OVC025 16/13 Q1015== (Wind around 210 degrees at 7-9kts; visibility 3200-4000m in rain and mist).


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19 APR 2002

Antonov 32A HK-4171X SELVA Colombia Popayán-Guillermo Valencia Airport (PPN) (Colombia)

Leon 3(8)

Antonov 32 HK-4171X was being used by the Instituto Nacional Penitenciario y Carcelario (Inpec) to fly prisoners from Medellín to Popayán. The aircraft had just flown 50 prisoners to Popayán when it departed for a ferry flight to get another 50 prisoners. The aircraft crashed nose down into the ground, immediately after takeoff.

04 MAY 2002

BAC One-Eleven 525FT 5N-ESF EAS Airlines Kano (Nigeria) 71(77)+78

The BAC One-Eleven jet operated on a flight from Jos to Lagos via Kano. Shortly after departing Kano, the aircraft reportedly stalled. It came down in the heavily populated district of Gwammaja about half a mile from the airport on the outskirts of Kano. It sheared roofs from two-story concrete homes and sliced a mosque in half as it broke apart and burst into flames. Some 23 houses in Gwammaja area were destroyed, along with a school and the mosque.

07 MAY 2002

Boeing 737-566 SU-GBI EgyptAir near Tunis (Tunisia) 14(62)

Flight MS843 departed Cairo at 13.40 for a flight to Tunis. Crash-landed about six kilometres (four miles) from the airport. The METAR report for 16.00Z read: DTTA 071600Z 09023G36KT 5000 SCT012 FEW023CB BKN026 18/18 Q1000 RERA RMK CB/NE/E/SE. The accident presumably happened somewhere around 14.30Z.

07 MAY 2002

McDonnell Douglas MD-82 B-2138 China Northern Airlines 20 km E off Dalian (China) 112(112)

Flight 6163 departed Beijing at 20.37h, for a planned one hour and three minutes flight to Dalian. The aircraft crashed into the sea after the pilot reported a fire in the cabin. Chinese salvage workers found the flight data recorder on May 18. The cockpit voice recorder was recovered from the sea on May 14. This MD-82 was built in China under licence from McDonnell Douglas by Shanghai Aviation Industrial Corporation (SAIC).

21 MAY 2002

Let 410UVP 9Q-CEX ? Sky Executive Airlines Akani Obi Oron (Nigeria) 5(5)

Let 410 9Q-CEX was being flown by a Congolese crew on behalf of the Nigerian airline company Sky Executive Airlines. The aircraft departed Abuja around 16.30h for a passenger flight to Port Harcourt. At Port Harcourt all passengers disembarked. The aircraft then took off for a ferry flight to Calabar. On approach the pilot declared an emergency due to an electrical failure. At 65km out the crew commenced a descent to 2500 ft. The descent was continued past this altitude until the Let crashed in a swamp. During the investigation into the cause of the accident it was found out that the aircraft was non-


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compliant with the maintenance requirements, and proper documentation of the aircraft and crew members. Also, the plane had exceeded the prescribed annual inspection time by 248 hrs, and the engines were not maintained in accordance with the standard procedure. Contrary to NCAA regulations a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) installed, nor a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) where installed.

25 MAY 2002

Boeing 747-209B B-18255 China Airlines 45km NE off Penghu islands (Taiwan)

225(225)

Boeing 747-209B B-18255 was scheduled to fly flight CI 611 Taipei-Hong Kong during it's last day in service for China Airlines before being sold to Orient Thai Airlines. Weather conditions at Taipei that afternoon where fine: sunny weather, a temperature of 28deg C and easterly winds at a speed of 9 knots. At 14.38h Taipei Delivery cleared Flight 611 to Hong Kong: "Dynasty six one one cleared to Hong Kong Airport via Jessy one departure after Jessy direct to Chali Makung alpha one maintain flight level two six zero expect flight level three five zero at Makung squawk two six six one". The gate closed around 14.50h, ten minutes after the scheduled departure time and the crew requested ground start and pushback from stand B2. At 14.57h pushback was completed and the aircraft taxied to runway 06. Ten minutes later the aircraft had taxied into position and was cleared for take off. While climbing through 1600 feet the crew contacted Taipei Approach and received clearance to climb to and maintain FL260 and proceed direct to Chali. At 15.16h, while climbing through FL187, Dynasty 611 contacted Taipei Control. The Flight was cleared to climb and maintain FL350 and proceed from Chali direct to Kadlo. Some 13 minutes later, while approaching 35,000 feet, the aircraft disappeared off radar screens. Wreckage and bodies were found at sea, about 45km Northeast off the Penghu islands. The flight probably disintegrated at high altitude since other debris was found near Changhua, about 45 kilometers from the crash site.

25 MAY 2002


PK-YPZ Trigana Air Service 50km from Nabire (Indonesia)

6(6)

The aircraft crashed in conditions of heavy rain while on a flight carrying basic supplies for the isolated town. 01 JUN 2002

Hawker Siddeley HS-748-372 Srs. 2B

ZS-OJU Airquarius Aviation near George (South Africa) 3(3)

An Airquarius HS-748 plane departed Bloemfontein for a mail flight to George around 04.00h. The crew allowed a passenger to board the flight. Hansie Cronje, a former South African cricket captain who had missed a South African Airlines flight. Weather was poor at George and the crew reportedly missed their first approach. The aircraft crashed in the rugged Outeniqua mountains at an altitude of about 1000 meters, near the Outeniqua Pass while manoeuvering for another approach. Weather conditions around the time of the accident (05.00 GMT) were: METAR FAGG 010500Z 27014KT 6000 R29/1240V1500D -RA SCT008 BKN014 10/09 Q1023= (Wind 270deg at 14kts, Light Rain, Scattered Clouds at 800 ft and Broken Clouds at 1400 ft.).


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17 JUN 2002

Lockheed C-130A Hercules N130HP Hawkins & Powers Aviation Walker, CA (USA) 3(3)

Hercules N130HP was hired to fight a 10,000-acre wildland blaze near Walker, CA. After dumping a red cloud of fire retardant, both wings separated in an upward motion. The right wing immediately separated from the fuselage at low altitude. The plane then lost control and rolled left. During this manoeuvre the left wing fell from the aircraft as well and the aircraft nosedived into the ground. The whole event just took about 4 seconds and was captured on video a passer-by. In April 1998 two one-inch cracks were found on the bottom of a wing (the service difficulty report does not state which wing), at Outer Wing Station 33, which is 33 inch (83cm) from the wing joint. These cracks were repaired. The investigations into the June 17, 2002 C-130A and July 18 PB-4Y crashes are closely looking at the fatigue cracks as well as other safety issues, such as inspection and maintenance procedures and operational factors. Preliminary results for both have indicated that widespread fatigue was not evident over the entire wing but that in some locations current crack detection techniques may have been unreliable.

01 JUL 2002

Tupolev 154M RA-85816 Bashkirskie Avialinii Überlingen (Germany) 69(69)

(Germany) 2(2) 01 JUL 2002

Boeing 757-23APF A9C-DHL DHL Aviation Überlingen

Bashkirian Airlines flight 2927 (a Tupolev 154) originated in Ufa, Russia and flew to Moscow to pick up passengers. From Moscow the aircraft continued as a charter flight to Barcelona. The flight used the RNAV-Route Salzburg - Traunstein - Kempten - Trasadingen at Flight Level 360. Communications were handed over from Munich to Zürich ACC at 23.30:11. At that moment one controller was responsible for the entire traffic in the Zürich airspace. He was monitoring two frequencies and two radar scopes. On one frequency (119,925 MHz) he was guiding one traffic for an approach into Friedrichshafen and on the other frequency (128,050 MHz) he had to control four aircraft. Between 23.25:43 and 23.33:11 LT the controller tried several times to establish contact with Friedrichshafen by phone. Because of working on the telephone net of Skyguide, the controller was not able to reach Friedrichshafen. At 23.34:42, 50 seconds prior collision, the Tupolev's Honeywell 2000 TCAS gave a Traffic Advisory and seven seconds later the radar controller issued the first descent instructions to flight 2927 to FL350: "descend flight level 350, expedite, I have crossing traffic". This descent was necessary for continuation of the flight to Barcelona and to achieve a vertical separation with respect to an approaching DHL Boeing 757 cargo plane. This flight was en route from Bergamo, Italy to Brussels along RNAV-Route ABESI-AKABI-TANGO at FL360. At 23.42:56 the crews of both aircraft receive a Resolution Advisory-command from their TCAS. The DHL crew complied with this and initiate a descent, when the Tupolev crew were then trying to deal with the conflicting descent (by ATC) and climb (TCAS) instructions. Seven seconds after the Resolution Advisory-command, the ATC controller repeated the instruction to descend. The Bashkirian crew then decided to follow the ATC controller's instructions. A little later the Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) aboard the Boeing 757 gave the crew a Resolution Advisory (RA) to "increase


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descent". They then contacted ATC, telling the controller that they were doing a TCAS descent. Since both aircraft were descending, the TCAS of the Russian plane warned the crew to "increase climb" to avoid a collision. This was eight seconds before the collision. Just prior to the collision, both crews detected the other aircraft, and reacted to avoid the collision by attempting appropriate flight manoeuvres. Nevertheless, at 23.35:32 both aircraft collided at approx. FL354. The tail fin of the Boeing 757 struck the left side of the Tupolev 154 fuselage near both overwing emergency exits. The Tupolev immediately broke up in four pieces (left wing, right wing, main fuselage and tail unit including the engines). The Boeing 757 lost control and crashed 8km North of the Tupolev, just after losing both engines. That night, from 23.00h the configuration of the radar data processing of Skyguide was modified. Thus the system was operating in FALLBACK modus. This requires among other facts, that radar separation values were increased from 5 NM to 7 NM. Also, the STCA (Short Term Conflict Alert) was not available at that time. The STCA at Karlsruhe Upper Area Control Center (UAC) however did work. From 23.33:36 on the controller of Karlsruhe UAC, tried in vain to get in contact with Zürich-ATC until 23.35:34. Between 23.33:36 and 23.34:45 the busy signal was to be heared afterwards the ringing tone. According to his statements the controller tried repeatedly to establish the connection via the priority button, but it failed.

04 JUL 2002

Boeing 707-123B 9XR-IS New Gomair Bangui (Central African Republic)

28(30)

The aircraft departed N'Djamena carrying passengers along with a load of onions and garlic on a flight to Brazzaville. Because of technical problems en route the crew tried to divert to Bangui. On final approach to Bangui, the Boeing descended into the ground, bounced and broke up in a suburb of Bangui. The plane was reportedly chartered by the Congolese airline Prestige Airlines. Unconfirmed reports say this aircraft flew for Transair Cargo registered 3D-ADK prior to being sold to New Gomair.

17 JUL 2002

de Havillland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300

9N-AGF Skyline Airways 10km N of Surkhet (Nepal) 4(4)

The Twin Otter departed Jumla at 14.04 hrs for a 25-minute flight to Surkhet. Some 18 minutes after take-off, at an altitude of about 6500 feet, the aircraft crashed into trees and crashed against the Gargare Danda hill in bad weather.

18 JUL 2002

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Super Privateer

N7620C Hawkins & Powers Aviation 6mls SW of Estes Park, CO (USA)

2(2)

Super Privateer 'Tanker 123' was being used by the U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to drop fire retardant on the Big Elk fire near Lyons, CO. The airplane was loaded with approximately 2,000 gallons of fire retardant, and 550 gallons of fuel and departed Broomfield-Jeffco Airport at 18.15h. The crew of a DC-4 ('Tanker 161') saw Tanker 123 in a base turn for the drop and in a "smooth 15 to 20 degree bank turn," when the left wing separated from the airplane inboard of the number 2 engine. The aircraft pitched nose down in a huge fireball and plunged into the ground vertically starting an immediate large fire. The investigations into the June 17, 2002 C-130A and July 18 P-4Y crashes are closely looking at the fatigue cracks as well as other safety issues, such as


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inspection and maintenance procedures and operational factors. Preliminary results for both have indicated that widespread fatigue was not evident over the entire wing but that in some locations current crack detection techniques may have been unreliable.

28 JUL 2002

Ilyushin 86 RA-86060 Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise Moscow (Russia) 14(16)

Lost control after takeoff, crashed into a forest just outside a fence around the airport and burst into flames. Preliminary investigation results indicate that the stabilizer spontaneously shifted to the full down (-12 degrees) position two seconds after takeoff. Six seconds after the shift, the captain tried to compensate by thrusting the control stick forward as far as possible, but he was unable to regain control of the aircraft. METAR for Moscow around the time of the accident (11.25 GMT) read: UUEE 281100Z 05003MPS 010V100 CAVOK 27/08 Q1028 NOSIG= UUEE 281200Z 05003MPS 020V100 CAVOK 27/09 Q1028 NOSIG=

22 AUG 2002


9N-AFR Shangri-La Air 5km SE of Pokhara (Nepal) 18(18)

The Twin Otter departed Jomsom at 09.41 for a 25-minute flight to Pokhara, carrying 15 tourists. The aircraft crashed against a hill which was under complete cloud cover following 3 days of continuous rains. Almost exactly four years ago (August 21, 1998) another Twin Otter crashed on the same route, also killing all 18 occupants.

29 AUG 2002

Antonov 28 RA-28932 Vostok Aviakompania 4,8 km SW of Ayan (Russia) 16(16)

The aircraft was attempting it's second approach in fog when it struck a cliff 10 meters below the top at a distance of 4.8km from the runway, ripping off one wing and the undercarriage. The fuselage and the other wing continued for about 100 meters and crashed in the valley 85 meters below.

30 AUG 2002

Embraer 120ER Brasilia PT-WRQ Rico Linhas Aéreas 1,5km from Rio Branco-Pres. Medici Airport, AC (RBR) (Brazil)

23(31)

Flight 4823 departed Cruzeiro do Sul at 16.25h for a flight to Rio Branco, with an intermediate stop at Tarauacá. While approaching Rio Branco during a rainstorm, the aircraft descended into the ground 1,5km short of the runway. METAR report for Rio Branco at 18.00h and 19.00h local time read: SBRB 302300Z 30008KT 4000 TSRA BKN006 FEW025CB BKN100 25/25 Q1010= SBRB 310000Z 18005KT 4000 -TSRA BKN007 FEW025CB BKN100 24/24 Q1012=

14 SEP ATR-42-312 PT-MTS TOTAL Linhas Aéreas near Paranapanema, SP 2(2)


18

2002 (Brazil) The ATR-42 departed São Paulo at 04.40h in the morning for a mail flight to Londrina and climbed to its cruising altitude of

FL180. Twenty minutes later the airplane crashed in a field near Paranapanema. 06 NOV 2002

Fokker 50 LX-LGB Luxair near Niederanven (Luxembourg)

20(22)

The aircraft reportedly crashed in fog while on approach to Luxembourg. Reportedly, both engines lost power completely just prior to the accident. Rumours say both propellers went into ground fine pitch shortly before the accident. METAR: (10.15h local = 09.15h Z). ELLX 060850Z 00000KT 0100 R24/0250N FG OVC001 04/04 Q1023 NOSIG= ELLX 060920Z 00000KT 0100 R24/0250N FG OVC001 04/04 Q1023 NOSIG

11 NOV 2002

Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 RP-C6888 Laoag International Airline Manila Bay (Philippines) 19(34)

Laoag Flight 585 took off from Manila runway 31 at just after 6 o'clock for a flight to Laoag and Basco Airport (BSO). Shortly after takeoff engine trouble developed in the aircraft's left Rolls Royce Dart turboprop engine. The pilot declared an emergency and he reportedly tried to land the plane at the reclamation area but decided at the last minute to ditch it into the sea. The aircraft broke up and sank in the water to a depth of about 60 feet.

28 NOV 2002

Let 410UVP-E20 5Y-ONT Eagle Aviation Masai Mara (Kenya) 1(19)

Crashed after aborting the takeoff at the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The passengers were foreign tourists. The Danish registered aircraft was sold to Eagle Aviation by the Argentine airline Pilmaiken Servicios Aéreos earlier in November.

09 DEC 2002

Beechcraft 1900C N127YV Raytheon Aircraft near Eagleton, AR (USA) 3(3)

The president of Hageland Aviation Services was taking the Beech 1900 for a a pre-purchase flight to Mena, AZ to pick up the craft's maintenance records after having undergone a routine maintenance and complete overhaul. The two other occupants were Raytheon employees. The aircraft crashed north of Mena in the Fourche Mountains a few miles from the Ouachita National Recreational Trail, approx, one hour after leaving Wichita.

21 DEC 2002

Aérospatiale/Aeritalia ATR-72-202

B-22708 Transasia Airways off Penghu Islands (Taiwan) 2(2)

Transasia Airways floght 791 departed Taipei at 01.05h local time for a cargo flight to Macau. The aircraft was carrying a cargo of fabric, leather, and electronic materials. Just before contact was lost, the plane requested to descend from FL180


19

to FL160. Thirty-five seconds before vanishing from radar, the plane dropped to 4,900 feet. After passing the Penghu Islands, the aircraft crashed into the sea.

23 DEC 2002

Antonov 140 UR-14003 Aeromist Kharkiv near Baghrabad (Iran) 44(44)

The Antonov 140 departed Kharkov at 11.23h for a flight to Isfahan, Iran via Trabzon. The passengers, aerospace scientists and executives, were to visit the test flight of the Iran-140, an Antonov 140 built under license in Iran. At 13.45h the flight landed at Trabzon, Turkey for refuelling. About one hour later, at 14.51, the plane took off heading for Isfahan. While descending towards Isfahan in an area of poor visibility, the aircraft collided with a mountain.

27 DEC 2002

Let 410 9XR-RB Ocean Airlines Ajouan (Comoros) 1(14)

approach. Crashed on

airliner accident statistics 2002* controlled flight into terrain (cfit) cfit occurs when an...

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