Flash Airlines Boeing 737-3Q8 plane crash

On January 3rd 2004, at 02:45:06 UTC, 04:45:06 local time, the Flash Airlines Boeing 737-300 registered SU-ZCF in Egypt crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) (Egypt, southern Sinai). This passenger flight, operating as FSH604, was a charter flight bound for Charles de Gaulle Airport, with a stop in Cairo to refuel. The aircraft departed Sharm el-Sheikh Airport with 2 pilots (captain and first officer), 1 observer, 4 cabin crew members, 6 off-duty crew members and 135 passengers. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact with the Red Sea. There were no survivors.

The circumstances of the accident were established: shortly after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh Airport, the aircraft initiated a left turn. The aircraft therefore began banking to the left. But the autopilot was quickly disengaged and the aircraft began banking the other way (to the right), which caused it to enter a right turn. This right turn was not part of the airport departure procedure.

For 52 seconds, the aircraft’s bank angle continued to increase without any intervention from the crew. The bank angle became so great that the aircraft began to pitch down and lose altitude. When the crew attempted to recover the aircraft, the bank angle was slightly greater than 90° (the aircraft was on its side). Although the crew performed the appropriate recovery manoeuvre, the aircraft’s attitude, altitude and speed did not allow the accident to be avoided.

The reasons why the aircraft entered this right turn when it should have continued turning left are not very clear.

Possible causes of the accident include:

• Trim / Feel Unit failure (aileron trim runaway)
• Temporary failure of a spoiler cable in the wings (spoiler position offset)
• Temporary failure of the first officer’s control wheel (spoiler position offset)
• Failure of the autopilot engagement system

An aggravating factor was crew distraction, which led to spatial disorientation until the first officer announced “The aircraft is turning right” and the captain noticed it.
The BEA final report is available at the following address:
http://www.bea-fr.org/docspa/2004/su-f040103a/pdf/su-f040103a.pdf