28 plane crashes in year 2000

One minute after the take-off, the airplane failed to climb and started an uncontrolled turn to the left. Witnesses observed smoke around the plane. The Antonov AN-24 crashed and exploded on impact. All the 40 people onboard were killed, and 1 person on ground died.

The Cameroon Airlines Boeing 747-200 landed on runway 09R at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in rainy conditions. After touchdown, the aircraft did not decelerate as expected and began to deviate to the right. It left the runway and came to rest on soft ground. All occupants were able to evacuate, although the aircraft was severely damaged.

On October 31, 2000, Singapore Airlines (SIA) Flight SQ006, a Boeing 747-400 aircraft, bearing Singapore registration No. 9V-SPK, crashed on a partially closed runway during takeoff. Heavy rain and strong winds from typhoon “Xangsane” prevailed at the time of the accident. SQ006 was on a scheduled passenger flight from Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport (CKS Airport), Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC) to Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, USA. The flight departed with 3 pilots, 17 cabin crewmembers, and 159 passengers aboard. The aircraft was destroyed by its collision with construction equipment and runway construction pits on Runway 05R, and by post impact fire. There were 83 fatalities, including 4 cabin crewmembers and 79 passengers, 39 seriously injured, including 4 cabin crewmembers and 35 passengers, and 32 minor injuries, including 1 flight crewmember, 9 cabin crewmembers and 22 passengers. In the investigation report stated that the probable causes are: The flight crew did not review the taxiing route, despite having all the relevant charts, and as a result did not know the aircraft had entered the wrong runway (the aircraft entered runway 05R instead of runway 05L). Upon entering the wrong runway, the flight crew had neglected to check the Para Visual Display (PVD) and the Primary Flight Display (PFD) as it would have supposedly told them that the aircraft was lined up on the wrong runway. Due to the Typhoon Xangsane's imminent arrival and the poor ambient conditions, the flight crew lost situational awareness and attempted to take off from the wrong runway. The following element may or may not have contributed to the accident The first series of taxiway lights leading to 05L were damaged. CVR transcriptions The following are selected excerpts from SQ006's CVR prior to the accident. All times are in UTC.

The Antonov An-26 operated by ACA-Ancargo had departed Saurimo, Angola. About twenty minutes after takeoff, contact with the aircraft was lost. The aircraft crashed and there were no survivors.

The Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-18 was approaching Batumi, Georgia, in an area affected by heavy rain and thunderstorms. The crew advised air traffic control that it intended to alter the flight path to avoid the most active weather cells.

The Aeroméxico McDonnell Douglas DC-9 was landing at Reynosa, Mexico, while very heavy rain associated with Tropical Storm Keith affected the airport. After touchdown, the crew was unable to stop the aircraft on the wet runway.

The aircraft was conducting a normal approach to runway 12 at Bahrain International Airport with autopilot/flight director disconnected upon visual contact with the runway. Approximately 1 NM from touchdown, at about 600 feet AMSL and at an airspeed of 185 kts, the crew requested a left-hand orbit (360° turn) because they were too high and fast on the approach. During the tight (36° bank angle) left hand turn the flaps were fully extended and the landing checklist completed. When the aircraft crossed the extended runway centerline the crew reported they wanted to abort the landing. A controller gave the crew clearance to climb to 2,500 feet at a 300° heading to prepare for another approach. The plane's speed began increasing to 185 kts as it began to climb to 1000 ft in a 5° nose-up attitude. During the go-around at approximately 1,000 ft, the aircraft entered a rapid descent, 15° nose down. As the GPWS sounded, the captain ordered the flaps to be raised and moved the sidestick back. The A320 impacted the sea at a 6.5° nose down angle, about 1NM north of the airport. The plane's last recorded airspeed was about 280 knots. All the 143 people onboard were killed. Investigations concluded that the causes of the crash are: The captain did not adhere to a number of SOPs; such as: significantly higher than standard aircraft speeds during the descent and the first approach; not stabilising the approach on the correct approach path; performing an orbit, a non-standard manoeuvre, close to the runway at low altitude; not performing the correct go-around procedure; etc. In spite of a number of deviations from the standard flight parameters and profile, the first officer (PNF) did not call them out, or draw the attention of the captain to them, as required by SOP’s. A perceptual study indicated that during the go-around after the orbit, it appears that the flight crew experienced spatial disorientation, which could have caused the captain to perceive (falsely) that the aircraft was ‘pitching up’. He responded by making a ‘nose-down’ input, and as a result, the aircraft descended and flew into the shallow sea. Neither the captain nor the first officer perceived, or effectively responded to, the threat of increasing proximity to the ground, in spite of repeated hard GPWS warnings. Moreover, Operator non-compliance with some critical regulatory Requirements and operator organisations have been identified as contributing factors.

On Tuesday 25th July, 2000, the Concorde F-BTSC operated by Air-France is ready to take off from Paris Charles de Gaulle for the passenger flight AFR 4590 to New York. 100 passengers and 9 crew members (3 PNT, 6 PNC) are onboard. During take-off from runway 26 right at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, shortly before rotation, the front right tyre (tyre No 2) of the left landing gear ran over a strip of metal, which has fallen from another aircraft and was damaged. Debris was thrown against the wing structure leading to a rupture of the fuel tank 5. A major fire, fuelled by the leak, broke out almost immediately under the left wing. Problems appeared shortly afterwards on engine 2, and for a brief period on engine 1. The aircraft took off. The crew shut down engine 2, then only operating at idle power, following an engine fire alarm. They noticed that the landing gear would not retract. The aircraft flew for around 1 minute at a speed of about 200 kts, and a radio-altitude of about 200 feet, but was unable to gain height or speed. Engine 1 then lost thrust, the aircraft’s angle of attack and bank increased sharply. The thrust on engine 3 and 4 fell suddenly. The aircraft crashed onto a hotel. All 109 people onboard are killed, as well as 4 people on ground. 6 other people on ground are injured.

The Alliance Air Boeing 737-200 was operating Flight 7412 from Calcutta to Delhi, with planned stops at Patna and Lucknow. On approach to Patna, the crew found the aircraft too high relative to the normal approach profile. The pilots requested a 360-degree turn to lose altitude before rejoining final approach to runway 25.

Shortly after the aircraft departed Chania, Greece, for a passenger flight to Hanover, Germany, the flight crew realized that the landing gear could not be retracted. The decision was made to continue the flight to Hanover at a lower altitude and airspeed with the landing gear extended. As the aircraft neared the mid-point of its journey, the crew realized that the remaining fuel would be insufficient to continue the flight to Hanover, so a landing was planning at Vienna, Austria. As the aircraft descended through 10,000 feet, the left engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. By utilizing crossfeed fuel pumps, the crew was able to keep the right engine running, but was unable to restart the left. As the aircraft turned a six-mile final, the right engine also failed due to fuel exhaustion. The plane touched down 600 feet short of runway 34, collapsing the main landing gear, and seriously damaging the left wing and engine. None of the 150 people onboard received serious injuries.

The Curtiss C-46 operating in Colombia had just taken off when an engine problem was reported. The crew attempted to return to the airport for an emergency landing.

The British Aerospace Jetstream 32 operated by Aerocaribe was performing a domestic flight in Mexico. While the aircraft was flying in an area affected by poor weather, the crew advised air traffic control that they would deviate from the planned route to avoid weather ahead.

The Wuhan Airlines Xian Y-7 was arriving at Wuhan while a severe thunderstorm affected the area. The aircraft held for about thirty minutes before beginning its approach when conditions appeared to allow the flight to continue.

The Ghana Airlink Fokker F27 was arriving at Accra in deteriorated weather, with heavy rain and reduced visibility. During landing, the aircraft contacted the runway abnormally, with a heavy load on the nose landing gear.

The British Aerospace Jetstream 31 operated by Executive Airlines was performing a charter flight to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania. A first ILS approach was discontinued because of the weather. While holding before another attempt, the crew reported difficulties affecting both engines.

The DAS Air Cargo McDonnell Douglas DC-10 freighter was arriving at Entebbe, Uganda, after a flight from London. Heavy rain had affected the airport shortly before arrival and runway 35 was very wet. The aircraft touched down well along the runway and continued its landing roll without being able to stop before the end.

The Air Philippines Boeing 737-200 was operating a passenger flight to Davao, Philippines. The crew had been cleared for an approach to runway 23. After reporting about 7 NM from the runway, the aircraft continued descending in an area where rising terrain lies close to the approach path.

The Antonov An-26 operated for the Sri Lanka Air Force was carrying personnel when a problem was reported in flight. The crew reported an engine-related abnormality and began diverting in order to land as soon as possible.

The Antonov An-32 operating a passenger flight in Angola was accelerating for takeoff when the crew encountered difficulty controlling the aircraft on the ground. Available information indicates a braking-system problem while the pilots were also attempting to avoid major defects in the runway surface.

The plane was on a passenger flight from Las Vegas, NV to Burbank, CA. Arriving in Burbank, the crew was told to expect the visual approach to runway 08. Approximately 10 NM from the field, while descending to 3000 feet, the crew was instructed to maintain 230 knots until further advised. One minute later, the crew was cleared for the visual approach to runway 08, with an instruction to maintain 3,000 feet until passing the Van Nuys VOR (approx 6 NM from the runway). But the flight crew passed the VOR and failed to start their descent from 3000 feet. 3.9 NM from the runway threshold, at an airspeed of 230 knots and an altitude of 3000 feet, the crew began their descent to land. Due to the steep nature of the descent (nearly 7°, instead of the standard 3°), the crew received two "sink rate" warnings at approximately 400 ft AGL (Above Ground Level), and a "pull up" warning at 190 ft AGL. The aircraft touched down 2800 ft down the 6032 ft runway with a groundspeed of 181 knots. Despite using max reverse thrust, spoilers, and brakes, the crew was unable to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway. The plane broke through a blast fence at approximately 40 knots, skidded across Hollywood Way, and came to rest 38 ft from a gasoline station. The aircraft was evacuated via the escape slides. There is no fatality among the 142 people onboard.

The Transbrasil Boeing 737 was arriving at Porto Alegre's Salgado Filho Airport while a severe thunderstorm affected the area. The aircraft landed on runway 29, whose surface was wet.

The EgyptAir Boeing 767 was operating a passenger flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Harare, Zimbabwe. The arrival took place in a severe thunderstorm, with heavy precipitation and gusty winds. During the landing, the aircraft made a hard runway contact and the right engine struck the surface.

The Emery Worldwide Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71F had just departed Sacramento Mather Airport, California, on a cargo flight to Dayton, Ohio. Shortly after takeoff, the crew reported serious pitch-control difficulties and requested an immediate return to the airport.

The Air Afrique Airbus A300 was preparing to depart Dakar-Yoff Airport for a passenger flight to Paris. During taxi before takeoff, a warning indicated that the left main landing gear was not properly locked. The crew discontinued the departure and began taxiing back toward the parking area.

The aircraft was departed Khartoum for a flight to Mwanza, Tanzania, where it was supposed to pick up a cargo of 38 tonnes of fish fillet for delivery in Europe. Approaching Mwanza, the crew contacted Mwanza tower and were being advised that there was no power at the airport and that efforts were being made to use a standby generator. Further information passed on the crew reportedly included VOR, DME and NDB beacons all unserviceable, weather: wind calm, 8km visibility, temperature 25deg C and QNH 1015. After holding for 10 minutes, the airport generator came on and the runway lights went on. The first officer, who was pilot flying, started a visual approach on runway 12. When well established on finals with full landing configuration, the captain told the f/o that he was too low, and a few seconds later he told the f/o he was too high. Both the captain and the flight engineer then told the f/o to go around. The f/o overshot and climbed to 5500 feet on the downwind leg. Turning on the left base the captain remarked that the turn was too tight. The captain thus took over control and started a right turn at 4400 feet. Just before completing the turn, the f/o said: "do not go down anymore, the altimeter is reading 4100 feet". Almost aligned with the runway, the f/o took over control again. During landing the aircraft bounced 2 or 3 times yawing to the left and came down to a halt in the middle of the lake.

The aircraft was on a passenger flight from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco, California, when the crew reported that they were encountering problems with the stabilizer trim. At 28,000 feet, the crew reported that they were unable to control the pitch of the aircraft. Descending through 23,000 feet, the crew reported that they had regained control, declared an emergency, and received vectors to land at Los Angeles International Airport. The last radio contact with the crew came as the aircraft passed 17,000 feet at an unusually slow speed of 119 knots. A park ranger, along with the pilots of a nearby aircraft, reported seeing the aircraft plummet into the Pacific Ocean in an inverted flight attitude. The probable cause is the loss of airplane pitch control resulting from the in-flight failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew assembly's acme nut threads. The thread failure was caused by excessive wear resulting from Alaska Airlines' insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly.

The A310 was on a passenger flight, and departed from Abidjan. The aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Abidjan. Numerous eyewitnesses who saw the airplane takeoff reported that it failed to gain altitude and struck the water around a mile from the runway. 10 survivors were pulled from the water by rescue boats. 169 people died. The Commission of Inquiry concluded that the cause of the accident to flight KQ 431 on 30 January 2000 was a collision with the sea that resulted from the pilot flying applying one part of the procedure, by pushing forward on the control column to stop the stick shaker, following the initiation of a stall warning on rotation, while the airplane was not in a true stall situation. In fact, the FCOM used by the airline states that whenever a stall warning is encountered at low altitude (stick shaker activation), it should be considered as an immediate threat to the maintenance of a safe flight path. It specifies that at the first sign of an imminent stall or at the time of a stick shaker activation, the following actions must be undertaken simultaneously: thrust levers in TOGA position, reduction of pitch attitude, wings level, check that speed brakes are retracted. The investigation showed that the pilot flying reduced the pitch attitude but did not apply TOGA thrust on the engines. The investigation was unable to determine if the crew performed the other two actions: leveling the wings and checking that the speed brakes were retracted. The following elements contributed to the accident: the pilot flying's action on the control column put the airplane into a descent without the crew realizing it, despite the radio altimeter callouts; the GPWS warnings that could have alerted the crew to an imminent contact with the sea were masked by the priority stall and overspeed warnings, in accordance with the rules on the prioritization of warnings; the conditions for a takeoff performed towards the sea and at night provided no external visual references that would have allowed the crew to be aware of the direct proximity of the sea.