Final report issued for Kalitta Air Boeing 747 freighter accident at Brussels

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of Belgium's Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport agency has released its final report on the 2008 Kalitta Air freighter accident at Brussels, Belgium. On May 25, 2008, the Boeing 747-200 aircraft (registration N704CK) overran runway 20 of Brussels Zaventem Airport (EBBR) after a rejected takeoff. The aircraft came to a stop 300 meters beyond the end of the runway, where it broke into three parts. The four crew members and one passenger suffered minor injuries.

The accident aircraft was departing Brussels for Bahrain at the time of the accident. A bird, later identified as a European kestrel, was ingested by the number three engine during the takeoff roll. According to the AAIU report, the bird strike caused "a momentary loss of power, accompanied by a loud bang, heard by the crew and external witnesses, and by flames, seen from the control tower."

The bang and the loss of power occurred four seconds after the V1 speed call-out.

Two seconds after the bang, all four engines were brought back to idle, and braking action was initiated. The aircraft reached a first embankment, dropping from a height of 4 m, and broke in three parts. The aircraft came to a stop just above the top of the railroad embankment.

There was no post crash fire.

Although the captain stated he applied maximum braking power during the stop run, the thrust reversers were not deployed. The captain stated he applied speed brakes, however "the speed brake lever was found in the retract position in the cockpit, while the speed brakes themselves seemed in a stowed / retract position."

The AAIU has determined that this accident "was caused by the decision to Reject the Take-Off 12 knots after passing V1 speed."

The report lists the following contributing factors:

• Engine Nr 3 experienced a bird strike, causing it to stall. This phenomenon was accompanied by a loud bang, noticed by the crew.
• The aircraft line up at the B1 intersection although the take-off parameters were computed with the full length of the runway.
• The situational awareness of the crew,
• Less than maximum use of deceleration devices.
• Although the RESA [runway end safety area] conforms to the minimum ICAO requirement, it does not conform to the ICAO recommendation for length.

Several safety recommendations are included in the report, including this one regarding Kalitta’s training program:

We recommend to modify the training program of the flight crew (initial and recurrent), and related documentation, to highlight the risks involved in rejecting TO around V1, as well as the importance of respecting procedures.

The training program of Kalitta was amended and an in-house DVD training video was developed, that demonstrates proper and improper reject procedures that is modeled after rwy 20 in BRU. The content of the DVD was reviewed by both Boeing and FAA.

This revised training program is currently in place.

The AAIU Final report, in English, is available for download here: Ref. AAIU-2008-13, July 10, 2009 (66-page 'PDF'file)

Alternate source for the same document.

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Downdrafts cited by NTSB as probable cause of Steve Fossett's fatal crash

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed its investigation of the aircraft accident that claimed the life of legendary aviator Steve Fossett. The NTSB's final report on the accident cites as probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent encounter with downdrafts that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane. Contributing to the accident were the downdrafts, high density altitude, and mountainous terrain.

The NTSB found no evidence of engine malfunction or airframe failure that would have contributed to the accident.

Mr. Fossett, flying a borrowed Bellanca 8KCAB-180 Super Decathlon (registration N240R), disappeared on September 3, 2007. Early that morning, he took off from a private airstrip at the Flying M Ranch near Yerington, Nevada. He never returned.

An extensive and lengthy search for the aircraft and Mr. Fossett was unfruitful. According to the NTSB report, no emergency radio transmissions were received from the airplane, nor were any Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) transmissions received.

About a year later, on October 1, 2008, a hiker notified the Madera County Sheriff's Department (California) that he had found personal effects, including a pilot certificate and another identification card belonging to Mr. Fossett near Minaret Summit in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This prompted a new search of that area.

The wreckage of the aircraft was found about a half mile from where the hiker came across some of Fossett's personal effects. The crash site was located in steep mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 10,000 feet. The severely fragmented wreckage had been burned by "a severe post crash fire."

The NTSB reports that after the wreckage was located, "a review of radar data from September 3, 2007, revealed a track that ended about 1 mile northwest of the accident site. This 20-minute track showed the airplane flying south along the crest of a mountain range with elevations greater than 13,000 feet."

Quoting from the synopsis of the NTSB accident report:

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane was on a northerly heading at impact, indicating that the pilot had executed a 180-degree turn after radar contact was lost.

Ground scars and distribution of the heavily fragmented wreckage indicated that the airplane was traveling at a high speed when it impacted in a right wing low, near level pitch attitude.

A postimpact fire consumed the fuselage, with the exception of its steel frame. The wings were fragmented into numerous pieces. The ELT was destroyed.

Damage signatures on the propeller blades and the engine crankshaft indicated that the engine was operating at impact. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation.

Visual meteorological conditions existed in the accident area at the time of the accident.

Mean winds at 10,000 feet were from 220 degrees at 15 to 20 knots; some gusts of 25 to 30 knots may have occurred. Moderate turbulence and downdrafts of at least 400 feet per minute probably occurred at the time and in the area of the accident. The magnitude of the downdrafts likely exceeded the climb capability of the airplane, which, at a density altitude of 13,000 feet, was about 300 feet per minute.

According to the Medical and Pathological Information section of the NTSB report, Steve Fossett is believed to have died as a result of "multiple traumatic injuries":

On October 29, 2008, law enforcement personnel returned to the area where the pilot's personal effects were found to search for human remains and evidence as to the identity of any remains. They found skeletal fragments, a pair of tennis shoes, clothing, credit cards and the pilot's driver's license.

DNA testing performed by a California Department of Justice laboratory on two of the recovered skeletal fragments determined that they were from the pilot.

A postmortem examination of the skeletal fragments was performed under the auspices of the Madera County Sheriff's Department. The cause of death was determined to be multiple traumatic injuries.

Here are the links to the NTSB synopsis and full narrative report on the investigation of this accident.

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Interim report on the crash of Air France Flight 447 released by French BEA

The French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) released an interim report today concerning the crash of Air France Flight 44. The Airbus A330-200 (registraion F-GZCP) was lost over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009 while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. There were three pilots, nine cabin crew, and 216 passengers on board. All perished in the accident.

Perhaps the most striking detail among the initial findings presented in this report was the statement that "visual examination showed that the airplane was not destroyed in flight; it appears to have struck the surface of the sea in a straight line with high vertical acceleration."

Prior to the release of today's report, there had been wide speculation that the aircraft broke up while still aloft.

Here is the summary of initial findings, quoted directly from the English language version of the report (pp. 68-69). [See below for links to the report.]

On the basis of the first factual elements gathered in the course of the investigation, the following facts have been established:

• The crew possessed the licenses and ratings required to undertake the flight
• The airplane possessed a valid Certificate of Airworthiness, and had been maintained in accordance with the regulations,
• the airplane had taken off from Rio de Janeiro without any known technical problems, except on one of the three radio handling panels,
• no problems were indicated by the crew to Air France or during contacts with the Brazilian controllers,
• no distress messages were received by the control centres or by other airplanes,
• there were no satellite telephone communications between the airplane and the ground,
• the last radio exchange between the crew and Brazilian ATC occurred at 1 h 35 min 15 s. The airplane arrived at the edge of radar range of the Brazilian control centres,
• at 2 h 01, the crew tried, without success for the third time, to connect to the Dakar ATC ADS-C system,
• up to the last automatic position point, received at 2 h 10 min 35 s, the flight had followed the route indicated in the flight plan,
• the meteorological situation was typical of that encountered in the month of June in the inter-tropical convergence zone,
• there were powerful cumulonimbus clusters on the route of AF447. Some of them could have been the centre of some notable turbulence,
• several airplanes that were flying before and after AF 447, at about the same altitude, altered their routes in order to avoid cloud masses,
• twenty-four automatic maintenance messages were received between 2 h 10 and 2 h 15 via the ACARS system. These messages show inconsistency between the measured speeds as well as the associated consequences,
• before 2 h 10, no maintenance messages had been received from AF 447, with the exception of two messages relating to the configuration of the toilets,
• the operator’s and the manufacturer’s procedures mention actions to be undertaken by the crew when they have doubts as to the speed indications,
• the last ACARS message was received towards 2 h 14 min 28 s,
• the flight was not transferred between the Brazilian and Senegalese control centres,
• between 8 h and 8 h 30, the first emergency alert messages were sent by the Madrid and Brest control centres,
• the first bodies and airplane parts were found on 6 June,
• the elements identified came from all areas of the airplane,
• visual examination showed that the airplane was not destroyed in flight ; it appears to have struck the surface of the sea in a straight line with high vertical acceleration.

The BEA notes that some of the points covered "may evolve with time," and that the contents of the Interim report should not "be interpreted as an indication of the orientation or conclusions of the investigation" of this accident.

The aircraft's Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder have not been recovered, but efforts to find them are still underway. The investigation is expected to continue for quite some time.

Here are the links to the BEA Interim Report on Air France 447:

• in French (128-page 'PDF' file)
• in English (72-page PDF file)

Note: If the BEA web site is busy or the documents fail to load, here is an alternative source for both the French and English versions of the BEA Interim report.

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Yemenia Airbus A310-300 crashes into the Indian Ocean

An Airbus A310-300 aircraft operated by Yemenia Air, the national air carrier of Yemen, has been lost in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros Islands. The aircraft, operating as Yemenia Flight IY626, had been en route from Sana'a, Yemen to Moroni, Comoros Islands. It was reported overdue at its destination, and is believed to have crashed into the ocean.

News reports say there were about 150 people on board the flight. At this time it is not known if there are any survivors.

UPDATE: The following message has been posted on the Yemenia web site:

Yemenia regrets to announce the missing of its flight No. IY626 from Sana’a to Moroni with 142 passengers and 11 crew onboard for more information contact the call center at 00967 1250800 or the emergency No 00967 1 250833 or call center 00967 1 250800

UPDATE 2: News media are reporting that in the early morning hours of of Tuesday, June 30, 2009, searchers located wreckage believed to be from Yemenia Flight IY626. The debris was discovered in the ocean, just off the coast of Grande Comore, and was said to be not far from shore. Some human remains also have been recovered, but no survivors have been found so far.

Reuters news agency quoted Mohammad al-Sumairi, deputy general manager for Yemenia operations, who said, "We still do not have information about the reason behind the crash or survivors."

"The weather conditions were rough; strong wind and high seas. The wind speed recorded on land at the airport was 61 km an hour. There could be other factors," he said.

Airbus, the manufacturer of the accident aircraft, has issued a statement with information about the plane. The statement, which is posted on the Airbus web site, notes the time of the accident as 01:50 local time (Comoro Islands) on June 30, 2009.

Airbus gives these details about the aircraft:

The aircraft involved in the accident, registered under the number 70-ADJ was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 535. It was first delivered from the production line in 1990 and has been operated by Yemenia since October 1999. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 51,900 flight hours in some 17,300 flights. It was powered by Pratt and Whitney engines PW4152. At this time no further factual information is available.

In line with the ICAO Annex 13 international convention, Airbus will provide full technical assistance to the French BEA as well as to the authorities who will be responsible for the accident investigation. A team of specialists from Airbus is being dispatched to the Comoro Islands.

The A310-300 is a twin engine widebody seating 220 passengers in a standard two class configuration. The first A310-300 entered service in December 1985. By the end of May 2009, 214 A310s were in service with 41 operators. To date, the entire fleet has accumulated some 11.7 million flight hours in some 4.5 million flights.

UPDATE June 30, 2009: News media are reporting that at least one survivor, described as a child, has been rescued. Reports vary about the age and gender of the child.

UPDATE July 6, 2009: News media reported yesterday that a French submarine searching in the area where the Yemenia crash occurred has detected 'pings' from the aircraft's 'black boxes' (i.e., Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder).

Also of interest, Tim Vasquez of WeatherGraphics.com has published a thorough analysis of the meteorological conditions in the area at the time of the Yemenia accident. See: Yemenia Flight 626: A detailed meteorological analysis

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NTSB investigating two recent Airbus A330 'speed and altitude indication anomalies'

The afternoon, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an advisory announcing the investigation of "two recent incidents in which airspeed and altitude indications in the cockpits of Airbus A-330 aircraft may have malfunctioned."

The NTSB advisory describes the incidents as follows:

The first incident occurred May 21, 2009, when TAM Airlines flight 8091 (Brazilian registration PT-MVB) flying from Miami, Florida to Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while in cruise flight. Initial reports indicate that the flight crew noted an abrupt drop in indicated outside air temperature, followed by the loss of the Air Data Reference System and disconnections of the autopilot and autothrust, along with the loss of speed and altitude information. The flight crew used backup instruments and primary data was restored in about 5 minutes. The flight landed at Sao Paulo with no further incident and there were no injuries and damage.

The Safety Board has become aware of another possibly similar incident that occurred on June 23 on a Northwest Airlines A-330 (registration unknown) flying between Hong Kong and Tokyo. The aircraft landed safely in Tokyo; no injuries or damage was reported. Data recorder information, Aircraft Condition Monitoring System messages, crew statements and weather information are being collected by NTSB investigators.

Further information on both incidents will be released when it becomes available.

For what it's worth, a chilling story about a Delta (i.e., Northwest) A330-300 incident has appeared on several aviation message boards over the past day or two. I tend to view undocumented stories on message boards with some skepticism, and as regular readers of Aircrew Buzz know, I am not inclined to report rumors. But I must admit that when today's NTSB advisory showed up in my email inbox my first response was to revisit one of the message boards where I had seen the Delta A330 story to see if my memory of what I had read was correct.

The story described a marked drop in indicated outside air temperature, the loss of airspeed and altitude information, and the sudden disengagement of the autopilot and autothrust. The failure was said to have lasted about three minutes. The details of the story (aircraft type, carrier, route, date) did indeed match those in the above NTSB advisory. The source of the message board story is purported to be a crew member from the flight in question.

Fortunately that story had a favorable outcome, as did the TAM flight mentioned in the NTSB advisory. One cannot help but wonder if indeed something similar happened to Air France Flight 447, but with a different and hugely tragic outcome.

Let's hope that the NTSB, the French BEA, and other agencies will be able to get to the bottom of these apparently similar incidents before we have another occurrence that is irrecoverable.

Low-fare carrier SkyEurope Airlines files for reorganization

Low fare carrier SkyEurope Airlines announced today that it had voluntarily filed to reorganize under 'creditor protection'. The airline is the operating subsidiary of SkyEurope Holding AG, headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia.

A SkyEurope press release about the filing explained:

During the reorganisation, existing supplier agreements must be honoured by suppliers and by SkyEurope. Suppliers will be paid for goods and services received during reorganisation, but the company is protected from action by creditors to enforce payment of pre-existing debts. The objective is for SkyEurope to emerge from the period of creditor protection a stronger and financially stable business.

The airline intends to continue to flying its scheduled and charter routes during reorganization.

Jason Bitter, Chief Executive Officer of SkyEurope, said, “This is a good step for SkyEurope because it means we will be able to operate without any disruption while we implement our reorganisation. It is good for our customers who may have full confidence in flying SkyEurope for holidays, city breaks, business travel, and friend and family visits. It is good for our suppliers who will be fully paid for goods and services provided during the reorganisation. And it is good for our employees because it allows us to preserve and protect jobs.”

Several injured during Qantas Airbus A330-300 severe turbulence incident

A number of people on a Qantas flight were injured last night during what has been described as severe turbulence. The Airbus A330-300 aircraft, operating as Qantas Flight QF 68, was en route from Hong Kong to Perth. At the time of the incident, which happened about four hours after departure from Hong Kong, the aircraft was in cruise at 38,000 feet over Borneo.

There were 13 crew members and 206 passengers on board Flight QF 68. Following the incident, the aircraft continued on to Perth, where it landed safely.

Qantas has issued a statement about the incident, saying that the injured included six passengers and one cabin crew member. According to the airline, the seven inured were taken to hospitals after the aircraft landed in Perth, and have since been released.

News reports about the incident, quoting passengers, said the aircraft dropped suddenly causing those who were not restrained to be thrown from their seats. Some passengers reportedly hit their heads on overhead compartments with enough force to crack the plastic. News media described back and neck injuries, and indicated that some of the injured were children.

Mr. David Epstein, speaking to the press on behalf of Qantas, said:

"The aircraft most likely encountered what is known as convective turbulence, which led to it rapidly gaining around 800 feet in altitude before returning to its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet.

"This convective turbulence is not normally visible to weather radar. At top of descent into Perth, the Captain explained this to passengers and also referred to the radar being designed to detect moisture but not ice crystals.

"The flight crew responded quickly to this incident in line with procedure and based on their regular simulator training.

"Some media reports have suggested the aircraft was travelling through thunderstorms at the time of the incident. There may have been thunderstorms in the vicinity, but there is nothing to suggest the aircraft was actually flying through any storm activity."

The incident has been reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

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Continental Airlines pilot who died during international flight is identified

A Continental Airlines captain died today during a flight from Brussels to Newark. Capt. Craig Alan Lenell, 60, was in command of Continental Flight 61, a Boeing 777, when he passed away about halfway through the trans-Atlantic crossing. The two other pilots on board completed the flight, landing safely at Newark.

Capt. Lenell's wife, Lynda, told Houston TV station KHOU that the first officer on Flight 61 "thought her husband had fallen asleep during the flight, but they couldn’t wake him up. That’s when they realized something was wrong and called for a doctor."

A cardiologist who was a passenger on the flight responded to a call for assistance by the crew. The cardiologist, identified in several news reports as Dr. Julien Struyven of Belgium, reportedly used a defibrillator to try to resuscitate Capt. Lenell, but was unsuccessful.

Mrs. Lenell said that her husband "was in perfect health" and had no known heart condition. His most recent physical exam had been in March of this year.

Capt. Lenell, who was based in Newark, had worked for Continental Airlines for 32 years. He was a former Air Force pilot who had served in Vietnam. He lived with his wife in Flynn, TX. They had been married since 1973, and had several children and grandchildren.

"Flying was his life," Mrs. Lenell said. "He died doing what made him happiest."

Sincere condolences to Capt. Lenell's family, flying partners and friends.

British Airways asks staff to volunteer for unpaid leave or unpaid work

About a month ago, British Airways (BA) reported a record annual loss of £401 million. Now the airline's CEO, Willie Walsh -- claiming that BA "is in a fight for survival" -- is asking more than 40,000 employees to volunteer by the end of this month for unpaid leave or unpaid work for periods of one week to one month.

In order to set an example, Mr. Walsh has said he will work for free for the month of July, forgoing his usual monthly salary of £61,000. The Financial Times reports that Keith Williams, chief financial officer at British Airways, also has volunteered to waive his hefty salary for July.

Union officials representing several work groups at British Airways were quick to point out that most of their members earned between £13,000 and £18,000 a year.

From the Financial Times article:

Mick Rix, national officer for civil aviation at the GMB, said his members could not take the proposal seriously.

"Most workers may consider this request if and when the company's executives take permanent and radical action to reduce their own remuneration packages," he said

Unite, BA's biggest union, said: "Willie Walsh can afford to work a month for free. Our members can't."

A Times Online article about the work-for-free scheme quoted a flight attendant who said, "We are treating it like a joke. It’s all very well for Willie Walsh, but my basic is £11,000 a year."

ATSB investigating Jetstar Airbus A330-200 in-flight cockpit fire

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating an in-flight cockpit fire on a Jetstar A330-200 aircraft (registration VH-EBF). At the time of the incident, Jetstar Flight JQ20 was over the Pacific en route from Osaka, Japan to Coolangatta (Gold Coast), Australia. The aircraft diverted to Guam, where it made a safe emergency landing at about 02:20 local time today. There were four pilots, nine cabin crew, and 186 passengers on board, none of whom were injured.

News reports have stated that the fire began near the base of the first officer's windscreen. According to FlightGlobal.com, Jetstar said the fire was caused "by the electrical connector part of a cockpit window heater."

An article about the Jetstar incident in the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Jetstar's chief executive, Bruce Buchanan, who said the aircraft's computer system had detected a fault with the cockpit's windscreen heater "but whether it's an electrical problem I'm not sure".

"As far as we can tell it's just a freak accident. It looks like something has gone wrong with the wiring, but it's too early to say whether … it's the primary cause," Buchanan said.

In any case, it was reported that the crew quickly contained the fire and managed to extinguish it well before the aircraft landed at Guam.

The ATSB sent a team of investigators including operations, electrical engineer and licensed aircraft maintenance engineer to Guam to commence the investigation. The ATSB also said it has notified the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the French Bureau dEnquêtes et dAnalyses pour la sécurité de laviation civile (BEA).