NTSB Accident And Incident Investigations

Air Safety Week, April 15, 2002

DATE & SITE: Jan. 3 - Houston, Texas
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing 747-200, French FGCBG
CIRCUMSTANCES: MLG collapse. Rt Wing gear Trunnion appeared through top wing
surface after runway exit
DEATHS & INJURIES: 3 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: FTW02LA061 Note prior accident F-GCBE (747) Houston-IAH on
14 Jan 2001
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Dissimilar failure to 23 Apr 00 MLG strut collapse of
Qantas 747 in Rome (lateral loading in a turn). Possible corrosion/heavy
landing combo.

DATE & SITE: Jan. 1 - Miami, Fla.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: McDonnell-Douglas MD-83, Trinidad  9Y-THQ
CIRCUMSTANCES: Runway overrun after landing midfield
DEATHS & INJURIES: 125 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: MIA02IA047
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Failure to go around off misjudged approach -
apparently compounded by slow response of captain to F/O's
critical handling errors.

DATE & SITE: Jan. 2 - Greenville, SC
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing 727-200, N262FE
CIRCUMSTANCES: Push-back tug and airframe interaction on an icy ramp at night
DEATHS & INJURIES: 3 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: ATL02LA029
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Black ice on ramp cancelled tug braking action.
Possible failure to anticipate and act to cope with marginal environmentals.

DATE & SITE: Jan. 17 - El Tigre, Colombia
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Fairchild FH-227, Ecuadorian HC-AYM
CIRCUMSTANCES: Daytime CFIT on approach in mountainous terrain 50nm short of
dest.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 26 - Fatal
NTSB ID#: WAS02RA025
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Scenario is typical of an ill-equipped flt-planned day
VFR flight encountering IMC

DATE & SITE: Jan. 20 - Dulles, Va.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, N837AT
CIRCUMSTANCES: Substantial damage due to push-back tug and airframe
interaction on an icy ramp -day
DEATHS & INJURIES: 66 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: NYC02LA056
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Tug lost traction on icy ramp. A/C brakes not set
in time to avoid collision on black ice. Poor English (tug-driver) and no
chains fitted.

DATE & SITE: Jan. 24 - Indianapolis, Ind.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41, N754NW
CIRCUMSTANCES: Pax evac due to stbd eng tail-pipe fire on re-start at holding
point - day
DEATHS & INJURIES: 1 - Serious, 74 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: CHI02LA069
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Assume motoring the engine then failed to extinguish
fire and crew were then prudent at cost of one pax broken arm.

DATE & SITE: Jan.25 - Anchorage, AK
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Airbus Industrie A-340-300, B-18805 (China
Airlines Taiwan)
CIRCUMSTANCES: ATC noticed (but did not alert) cleared a/c rolling at
high-speed for an inadvertent 240?  taxiway departure. Nil damage - but tyre
marks on snow-berm at the end attests to the hazard-level. Wx good vis
10k+
DEATHS & INJURIES: 252 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: ANC02IA011
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Taxiway lighting notwithstanding,  failure to check
runway 32 hdg against compass allowed crew at holding pt to fall for the
seductive allure of a nice line-up on a lengthy 6,000 ft. straightaway.

DATE & SITE: Jan. 28 - Ipiales, Colombia
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing 727-134, HC-BLF
CIRCUMSTANCES: After missed approach in poor vis, aircraft impacted high
terrain in vicinity (12nm NW Ipiales)..30nm NW of FH227 crash site.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 92 - Fatal
NTSB ID#: DCA02WA019
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: TAME's 11th hull loss. Wreckage located 100m
below summit of 1018m(4700m asl) Cumbal volcano. Last TAME 727
CFIT  20 Apr 98.

DATE & SITE: Jan. 31 - Boston, Mass.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Embraer EMB-145, N265SK
CIRCUMSTANCES: Pitch-trim failure after T/O. Stabilizer jam required full
nose-down control.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 24 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: DCA02IA021
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Possibly related to AD 2001-17-04 ("severing
of the bonding jumpers that connect the vertical stab to the horizontal stab,
which could result in reduced elevator control capability")

DATE & SITE: Feb. 3 - Dublin, Ireland
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: MD-11, N803DE (Delta Air Lines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: A/C departed r/way near end to SW side after landing on very
wet r/way 28 in strong gusting [>30kts] southerly winds
DEATHS & INJURIES: 181 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: DCA02WA022
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: MD-11 is a known handful in gusty crosswind
conditions - captain's final pre-retirement flight.

DATE & SITE: Feb. 11 - Montevideo  Uruguay
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing 737-2A3, Uruguay  CX-BOO (Pluna Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: A/C minor damage and one pax seriously injured in severe
turbulence encounter in cruise flight
DEATHS & INJURIES: 1 - Serious
NTSB ID#: MIA02WA065
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Operational hazard in transit across mountainous
terrain from Santiago to Montevideo.

DATE & SITE: Feb. 14 - Kotzebue, AK
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing 727-100, N190AJ
CIRCUMSTANCES: Right wing-tip touched ground during very late line-up
manoeuvring. Repairable.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 4 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: ANC02LA015
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Visual approach. Overshot turn to centre-line from
base..and persisted with unstabilized approach.

DATE & SITE: Feb. 19 - Beaumont, Texas
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing 737-724, N24736
CIRCUMSTANCES: Flight attendant broke ankle in sudden turbulence encounter in
climb
DEATHS & INJURIES: 1 - Serious, 74 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: NYC02LA065
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Sudden single jolt penetrating Cu tops (nil Wx Radar
ahead returns evident in climb attitude).

DATE & SITE: Feb. 27 - Appleton, Wis.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Canadair CL-600-2B19 (Comair)
CIRCUMSTANCES: Flight aborted just after dept following vibration and
shutdown of #2.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 36 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: CHI02IA083
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: A section of #2 engine, aft of the high pressure
turbine, had separated from the airplane

DATE & SITE: March 1 - Boise, Idaho
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Bombardier DHC-8-401, N410QX (Horizon Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: #2 hyd system failure in cruise flight
DEATHS & INJURIES: 73 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: SEA02IA044
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: nil

DATE & SITE: March 2 - Seattle, Wash.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing 757-200, N589UA (United Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: Impacted by boom of de-icing truck. Substantial damage.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 90 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: SEA02LA049
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Ramp rash due to poor ramp supervision

DATE & SITE: March 2 - Dallas, Texas
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Fokker F-100, N1425A (American Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: APU uncontained failure due to ingestion of flammable de-icing
fluid. Fragments penetrated fuselage.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 34 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: FTW02LA088
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Overspeed-actuated  fuel cut-off fails to shut down an
APU that's ingesting de-icing fluid. NTSB has proposed nil APU
operation during de-icing.

DATE & SITE: March 9 - Dulles, Va.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Bombardier CL-600-2B19, N622BR (Atlantic Coast
Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: A/c struck by 2 wild turkeys on T/O and aborted below V1.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 53 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: DCA02MA026
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Operational hazard (birdstrike). Contains quotable
quote: "This area is where the turkey entered the cockpit"

DATE & SITE: March 14 - Tulsa, Okla.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Canadair CL-600-2B19, N960CA (Comair)
CIRCUMSTANCES: After two inflight aborts, maint replaced horiz. stab trim
actuator motor.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 45 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: FTW02IA097
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: First abort was for "flt control
problem", 2nd was for horiz. stab trim failure. Perhaps, after
AK261, stab is a primary flt ctrl
problem.

DATE & SITE: March 17 - Anchorage, Alaska
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: McDonnell Douglas MD-82, N935AS
(Alaska Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: Collided with taxiing MD-11 on push-back in reduced visibility
conditions, heavy snow and despite ATC alerting.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 149 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: ANC02FA023A
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Tug-driver for MD-83 lost control in heavy
snow deposits.  MD-11 winglet nil; damage, MD-83 tail substantial damage.

DATE & SITE: March 17 - Anchorage, Alaska
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: McDonnell Douglas MD-11, B16106 (Eva Air)
CIRCUMSTANCES: See above. Similar to accident at O'Hare (UnitedA320 vs
Cont 757 also on 17 Jan 02)
DEATHS & INJURIES: 149 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: ANC02FA023B
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Just as MD-11 F/O stood up to review wing-tip
separation from MD-83 (under push-back)

DATE & SITE: March 18 - Belo Horizonte, Brazil
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Varig B-727-30C, PP-VLV
CIRCUMSTANCES: Cargo a/c departed runway on night landing. Extensively
damaged.
DEATHS & INJURIES: Unavailable
NTSB ID#: DCA02WA028
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Last Varig 727 runway departure was at Recife on
11.09.74. ( PP-VLH long landing in poor visibility - with similar damage
to PP-VLV  being repaired)

DATE & SITE: March 22 - Int'l waters
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Boeing DC-10, N234NW (Northwest Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES:
DEATHS & INJURIES:
NTSB ID#:
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2:

DATE & SITE:
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Severe turbulence encountered during cruise
(one F/A with fractured  vertebrae and broken  ribs)
CIRCUMSTANCES: 1 - Serious
DEATHS & INJURIES: DCA02MA029
NTSB ID#: NTSB examining DFDR
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2:

DATE & SITE: March 25 - Anderson, Ind.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Mitsubishi MU-300, N617BG (Corporate Flight
Management, Inc.)
CIRCUMSTANCES: Substantially damaged in overrun of 500 ft long grooved
asphalt runway.
DEATHS & INJURIES: 6 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: CHI02LA097
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Prior MU300 icy runway accident
(Gary, Ind. on 23 Feb 90)
NTSB ID  CHI90LA088

DATE & SITE: March 26 - Chester, Mass.
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: Embraer EMB-145LR, N290SK (Chautauqua Airlines)
CIRCUMSTANCES: Post flt inspection found two (of four)  elevator cables had
been severed by lightning strike in desc (plus basesball sized hole in port
elevator)
DEATHS & INJURIES: 17 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: NYC02IA076
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Gust-lock u/s and elevator stuck in mid-position
during roll-out. Likely that incorrect /flawed airframe bonding permitted
lightning damage to occur.

DATE & SITE: March 31 - Charlotte, NC
AIRCRAFT & REGISTRATION: McDonnell Douglas MD-11-11, N809DE
CIRCUMSTANCES: Four pax seriously injured in evac and 13 hospitalised -  but
rejoined aircraft (later departed for sked flt).
DEATHS & INJURIES: 4 - Serious, 241 - Uninjured
NTSB ID#: MIA02FA075
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS2: Persistent #2 tail eng fire-warning caused emerg
landing and pax evac

1 U.S. air carrier incidents or accidents, or other accidents involving
serious or fatal injuries, investigated by the National Transportation
Safety Board.
2DISCLAIMER: The information obtained from the NTSB is preliminary, possibly
incomplete, and may be supplemented by new findings of fact as the inquiry
progresses. These assessments, based on a reading of initial reports, are not
intended to assert probable cause or liability, but rather are intended to
provide insight pending publication of a final report of investigation. 3
Visual meteorological conditions.  4 Instrument meteorological conditions.
5 D=Day; N=Night. - Data compiled from National Transportation Safety Board
documents.  Preliminary analysis by John Sampson, Director of Aircraft,
Engineering & Technical Operations, International Aviation Safety
Association (IASA).