Newsflash: Plane crashes into school

[Frikkie]

Newsflash: Plane crashes into school

Three people are still trapped inside a plane which crashed into a primary school fence in Merebank near Durban International Airport.

"Four people on board the plane were critically injured and we are waiting for a helicopter to take them to St Augustine's hospital," said Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha.

A Sapa reporter on the scene said the plane broke into pieces after crashing into the Merebank Secondary School's concrete fence shortly after take-off at around 8am.

A huge team of rescue workers managed to remove one person and were working to remove three people who were still trapped in the front section of the plane which broke on impact.

Debris from the 50-seater plane was scattered on either side of the fence.

Only the four people appeared to have been on board at the time of the crash, about three kilometres from the airport, and nobody from the school was injured as it had been closed due to the public holiday.

A crowd of about 200 people had gathered to observe the rescue operation.

The fire department and EMS are still on the scene.

[Frikkie]

Plane declared emergency shortly after take-off

2009-09-24 14:19

johannesburg - the plane that crashed in merebank south of durban on thursday had declared an emergency shortly after take-off, carrier airlink said.

"the aircraft, a jetstream 41 (29 seats), departed from durban international airport and shortly after take-off declared an emergency, crew reported engine loss and smoke from the rear of the aircraft," said a statement posted on their website.

"the aircraft ditched approx[imately] 400 m off the airport in the fields of the merebank high school on the bluff and broke into three pieces on impact."

the crash occurred after take-off at around 8am while they were en route to pietermaritzburg.

The two pilots sustained critical injuries but were stable.

The flight attendant was seriously injured but also stable.

The captain was airlifted to st augustine hospital at 11am and the crew members were taken to nearby hospitals.

A person on the ground was slightly injured and was treated at the scene and admitted to hospital for surveillance.

There were no passengers on board.

Arrangements had been made for the immediate family of the injured crew to travel to durban.

call for crash probe

kwazulu-natal's transport mec willies mchunu called on aviation authorities to probe the case of the crash.

"we can least afford to have passenger airlines jeopardising the lives of our people. Due to the risk associated with air travel, its safety must be beyond reproach,” a statement from his office said.

Earlier, transport minister sibusiso ndebele sent wishes of a speedy recovery to those injured in the crash.

"we want to wish those injured in the plane crash in merebank this morning a speedy recovery," said ndebele.

"we acknowledge that this is a difficult time for those injured and their families and our thoughts and prayers are with them," his statement continued.

Accident investigators from the civil aviation authority were sent to the scene and an on-site investigation will be carried out from which a report will be prepared to determine the probable cause of the crash.

pilots, hostess and woman on ground injured

a sapa reporter on the scene said paramedics used jaws of life to cut the people free from the plane which broke up after crashing into a fence.

Initially it was thought that only those on board the plane were injured, but it later emerged that a woman who had been on the school's perimeter was also injured.

Abel pillay, whose house is a stone's throw from the crash scene, said he saw the plane flying very low and it looked as though the pilot was trying to land on the sports ground.

"my father said 'look at the plane, it is flying very low'," pillay told sapa.

"you could see that the pilot was trying to land in the school ground."

pillay said there were three people cleaning the street and that one was hit by the plane and fell, but survived.

The plane narrowly missed crashing into houses.

A large group of residents arrived to observe the rescue operation from behind a cordon that had been set up.

[Frikkie]

ACCIDENT - AIRLINK FLIGHT Update

24 September 2009

JOHANNESBURG - Airlink regrets to confirm that its technical positioning flight (ferry flight), SA 8911 positioning from Durban to Pietermaritzburg was involved in an accident at 08h00 today . There were no passengers on board.

The aircraft a Jetstream 41 ( 29 seats ) departed from Durban International Airport and shortly after take-off declared an emergency, crew reported engine loss and smoke from the rear of the aircraft. The aircraft ditched approx 400 m off the Airport in the fields of the Merebank high school on the Bluff and broke into 3 pieces on impact.

We have confirmation that there are no fatalities. The two Pilots are both stable but critically injured. The Flight attendant is seriously injured but also stable. The Captain was airlifted to St Augustine hospital at 11h00.All crew members have been hospitalized in nearby hospitals. We understand that a worker on the ground was slightly injured and was treated at the scene and admitted to hospital for surveillance. Airlink staff are on the scene.

Arrangements have been made for the immediate family of the injured crew to travel to Durban.

Airlink will release further information as soon as it becomes available.

Journalists should call 082 854 1988 for further information.

[Frikkie]

[Frikkie]

Captain : Allister Freeman
Co-pilot : Sonja Bierman
Hostie : Rudele Oosthuizen

Apparently the flight was re-positioning back to PMB to pick up the pax as they could not get into PMB last night.

Unbelievable luck....they say miracles never happen......here is living proof.....school holiday.....pax not picked up...A/C light.

Apparently right hand bearing came off and it was unfeatherable.

A sorry day.

[Frikkie]

CAA to investigate KZN plane crash

Narissa Subramoney | 2009/09/24 01:15:06 PM

Civil Aviation Authority investigators will investigate a plane crash just outside Durban that left four people critically injured.

The SA Airlink plane was flying from Durban to Pietermaritzburg when it crashed in a school field apparently because of engine failure.

Authorities are waiting for engineers to extract fuel from the plane before removing the wreckage.

Crime scene investigators are combing the scene to ensure there are no human remains under the plane.

Civil Aviation Authorities have not arrived yet.

The police’s Thulani Zwane says the plane is highly flammable because the fuel tank is full.

Residents in the area say they are livid.

An environmental watchdog for the Durban south basin said it was grateful the incident happened on a public holiday because the school is closed.

[Frikkie]

Airlink Media bulletin
Issued 24 September 2009

JOHANNESBURG - Airlink regrets to confirm that its positioning flight (ferry flight), SA 8911 from Durban to Pietermaritzburg was involved in an accident at 08h00 today . There were no passengers on board.

We have confirmation that there are no fatalities. Our three crew members and a bystander on the ground are in hospital in Durban receiving medical attention for their injuries.

Flight Attendant Rodelle Oosthuizen sustained facial injuries and a fractured spine. She is stable.

Capt Alistair Freeman sustained multiple injuries including facial fractures, broken ribs and ankle and a suspected punctured lung. He is currently critical and on ventilation.

First Officer Sonja Bierman also sustained multiple injuries. She is in a stable condition. She has broken both her ankles and a hand and has sustained fractures in the pelvic area and chest.

The member of the public bystander, whose name is not yet known, is understood to be receiving medical attention in the intensive care unit.

Airlink executive management is at the hospital to ensure that the best medical care is being rendered and to support the immediate family of the bystander and its injured personnel.

The aircraft a Jetstream 41 (29 seats) departed from Durban International Airport and shortly after take-off declared an emergency. It had been reported on the active Air Traffic Control radio channel by other pilots and air traffic controllers that smoke was seen coming from one of the engines. The crew then reported that they had encountered engine loss of power and they declared an emergency.

The aircraft ditched approx 400 m off the Airport. It appears that the crew was executing a forced emergency landing. They had selected a small open field in the built up area which was clearly not adequate for this purpose. The aircraft impacted a concrete palisade fence and columns and came to rest on the sports field of Merebank High school in the Bluff area.

It is remarkable that the skill and expertise of the pilots was such that in this emergency they were able to pilot their aircraft to avoid contact with members of the public and buildings and that a major catastrophe was averted. Pilots are specifically trained for engine “power loss on takeoff” emergencies, and clearly this training has played its role. As luck would have it, due to it being a public holiday, there were no learners at school at the time.

The Jetstream 41is a reliable aircraft with an impeccable safety record, built by British Aerospace in Prestwick Scotland. There are over 100 examples of the type built, of which 72 remain in active service in 21 airlines around the world. Airlink operates 15 of these aircraft. The crashed aircraft had all maintenance items current, with no known defects. While having been in service with Airlink since 1995, the aircraft was nearing its midlife stage with more than 30,000 hours of service remaining.

SA Airlink will work closely with the South African Civil Aviation authority in its investigation of the accident. The digital flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been retrieved and will be analyzed. The original equipment manufacturer BAE SYSTEMS PLC has dispatched a team of technical experts to assist with the investigation should they be required by the SACAA.

Airlink has taken care of the travel and hotel accommodation arrangements for immediate family to be at the side of their loved ones.

SA Airlink advises that its scheduled air services have not been disrupted . Operations and continue as normal.

[Frikkie]

Accident: SA Airlink JS41 at Durban on Sep 24th 2009, lost height after takeoff and impacted school fence

A South African Airlink Jetstream 41, registration ZS-NRM performing positioning flight SA-8911 from Durban to Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) with 3 crew, lost height after takeoff from runway 06 and impacted a primary school fence at about 08:00 local (06:00Z) outside regular school hours. 4 people, amongst them a woman working on the ground at the school perimeter, have been airlifted to local hospitals, the captain with critical, the other 3 with serious injuries. The captain died on Oct 7th as result of the injuries received during the accident.

Ground path

The crew of a Comair aircraft lining up on runway 06 behind the Airlink tried to warn the Airlink crew of smoke from the engines, but their transmission was overlaid.

The fuselage broke up in two main parts at about the wing spars. Blade damage to both propellers suggests, that the right hand engine was operating under full power, while the left hand engine may have failed without the propeller entering feather position.

Airlink reported, that the crew called Mayday reporting an engine loss and smoke from the rear shortly after liftoff. The crew attempted an emergency landing on the field ahead of the school.

On Sep 25th South Africa's CAA confirmed the possibility of an engine failure as cause of the accident after preliminary investigations were completed. The wreckage has been released to be removed from the accident site. The investigators are on their way back to Johannesburg for further investigations.

SA Airlink reported on Sunday (Sep 27th), that the captain of the flight has undergone a 10 hour surgery and is in stable, however still critical condition due to a punctured lung, broken ribs, leg injuries and facial fractures. The first officer underwent surgeries as well and is now in a stable and no longer critical condition. The flight attendant is recovering well, doctors will pay attention to her spinal injury in the next days. The Durban solid waste employee, who had been clearing ground outside the school and was hit by the wing of the airplane, received multiple leg fractures, underwent surgeries as well and is on the way of recovery. The airplane has been moved to a secure hangar in Johannesburg, where the wreckage will be available to South Africa's accident investigators for further examination.

South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority SACAA reported on Oct 2nd, that Durban's tower controller observed smoke from the right hand engine #2 during the takeoff roll and advised the crew accordingly, however not before the takeoff rotation commenced. The takeoff therefore could no longer be rejected, the takeoff roll lasted for about 18 seconds. The #2 engine failed during takeoff rotation, the #1 engine (left hand) reduced power during climb out at about 450 feet MSL. The total time from start of takeoff roll to contacting ground again was about 50 seconds.

The SACAA did not yet have the opportunity to interview the crew.

The SACAA is especially looking into the cause of the failure of engine #2, but also into the power reduction of engine #1, which will be supported by the analysis of cockpit voice and flight data recorders. The CAA also examines, whether a misidentification of the failed engine may have caused the power loss on the left hand engine, but also strips the engine down to verify whether the engine has been serviceable or not.

SA Airlink reported on Oct 2nd, that the captain remains sedated but responds to treatment, the blood pressure normalized, an infection in the foot has improved, an infection in the chest still raises concerns. He didn't need further surgery. The copilot has been transferred to a high care facility in Johannesburg. The flight attendant was moved the hospital's orthopedic ward. The Durban employee is comfortable and recovering well.

SA Airlink continued (Oct 2nd), that the perimeter wall of the school has been rebuilt and the contaminated soil inside the school perimeter removed, new soil delivered and new grass and seeds been planted.

SA Airlink welcomed the swift first analysis of the black boxes and for the preliminary observations released on Oct 2nd (see above) pledging full support of the SACAA in the ongoing investigation.

The hospital treating the captain reported on Oct 7th, that the captain passed away around 1am on Oct 7th.


Metars:
FADN 240700Z 06012KT 9999 FEW012 21/18 Q1015 NOSIG
FADN 240600Z 06011KT 9999 FEW012 20/18 Q1015 NOSIG
FADN 240500Z 04006KT 9999 FEW012 18/17 Q1015 NOSIG
FADN 240400Z 05006KT 9999 FEW030 18/17 Q1016 NOSIG
FADN 240300Z 06005KT CAVOK 18/17 Q1016 NOSIG

Nose section

Fence and tail section

Point of first touch down

Map

Detail Map

South Africa's CAA is requesting assistance from the public in recovering some engine parts, that could aid the investigation process, but have not been recovered from the accident site. SACAA do not know at what stage of flight the parts separated from the engine, they could as well have been removed inadvertently from the accident site, or fallen off anywhere from the runway to the accident site. Three items are being looked for, photographs below (the cola can is for size comparism only).

The SACAA writes: "It would be greatly appreciated if the person who has located the part could e-mail a photo of the part to Aiidinbox@caa.co.za and also provide details of the exact location where the part was recovered as well as their contact details."

Picture 1

Picture 2

[Frikkie]

Captain Cool just the man for an emergency

If anyone was supposed to be at the helm of the SA Airlink twin-engine aircraft as its engines failed, it was Captain Alistair Freeman because his "logical" and "methodical" character helped avert a major catastrophe.

Of this, the Johannesburg pilot's family and friends have no doubt.

Last night as Freeman, his co-pilot Sonja Bierman, stewardess Rodelle Oosthuizen and street cleaner Abraham Mthethwa, of Duffs Road, underwent life-saving surgery, Freeman's friends revealed how the 40-year-old part-time army officer's calm temperament would have prepared him for the emergency.

Freeman was forced to crash-land the Jetstream J41 aircraft onto an abandoned school sports field - narrowly missing houses in Durban's Merebank on Thursday.

"If anybody was meant to be flying that flight, it was Alistair," Grania van't Hof, wife of his best friend, Diederik, said yesterday.

"He's so logical and methodical. We call him anal," she laughed.

"He's so precise and correct. It's all black and white for him - there's no grey. I know when (the engines failed) ... he was like: 'Ok guys, no problem, just shut up now, I'm taking control (to the two crew)'," she said.

Trapped in the wreckage for three hours, a critically injured Freeman sustained multiple injuries including 14 broken ribs, cracked vertebrae, and a femur broken in three places, a crushed ankle and broken knee. His cheekbone is crushed, his jaw is broken and he has lost most of his teeth.

Bierman broke her ankles, her hand, and pelvis as well as chest fractures. Oosthuizen sustained facial and back injuries. Mthethwa's leg was broken by the wing of the plane as it crash landed.

All had surgery yesterday at St Augustine's Hospital and were last night reported to be stable. Family of the crew were receiving trauma counselling.

"Alistair's wife, Tabitha, is taking an awful amount of strain," said Diederik van't Hof, a major in the part-time Transvaal Scottish Regiment where Freeman is an infantry captain.

Freeman's children, Kaitlin, 7, and Royden, 3, are staying with the Van't Hofs in their home near Fourways, Joburg.

"They are fine. They know about the crash and that mommy has gone to be with daddy," Grania added.

Diederik revealed: "He suffered badly from low blood pressure last night (Thursday). His heart stopped and he had to be put onto a ventilator. His blood pressure is stable now. I know he's going to pull through. He's a tough bugger. I've spent many moons camping under stars with him."

He tells how Freeman chased his dream of flying, "begging and borrowing" for years until he qualified as a pilot. "It has always been his dream to fly. He begged and borrowed to find the money to get his licence up and running.

"He's always had a dream of becoming a commercial pilot but he only realised it five or six years ago. He used to work as an engineer in the plastics industry and eventually got enough money to get his flying career started.

"He loves it. He's the kind of guy who lives on procedures, and sequences and regiments. If you say this is 5cm, he'll say it's 5.3cm. My reading of the situation is that he didn't see a chance back to the airfield, and decided: 'I'll rather sacrifice the plane and myself and put the plane into the field.' That's the way I know him. He made the right decision, no question."

Friends have confirmed he was involved in a crash in 2005 of a light aircraft into a home in Durban North moments before it was due to land at Virginia Airport. No one was seriously hurt

[Frikkie]

Grateful mom praises crash-plane pilot
Sep 26, 2009 11:30 PM | By SANTHAM PILLAY
Sunday Times

Merebank residents are still in shock after witnessing a 29-seater aircraft fall from the sky and crash-land metres away from their homes.

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CLOSE SHAVE: Liz Naidoo says the stricken SAA Air Link plane was coming straight at her when the pilot changed direction Pictures: THEMBINKOSI DWAYISA

The SA Air Link plane crashed into Merebank Secondary School's sports ground after losing altitude.

Four people were injured in the accident, including the pilot, Captain Alistair Freeman, and a municipal worker, Abraham Mthethwa, who was cutting grass.

Liz Naidoo, an interior designer whose home is about 100m from the crash site, said the experience had left her shaken.

"I was in my garden at the time watching the municipal workers sweeping the road. All of a sudden, I saw a plane flying just above the road and coming right at me. I just froze in shock," said Naidoo.

She said although she could not tell what the pilot must have been thinking when the plane was going down, she felt he must have been considering the safety of people in the area.

"I have to applaud the pilot. I don't know whether he saw me standing there, but the plane just changed direction and hit the fence. I ran to the plane screaming. I saw the pilot, he was just staring into space. Then when I saw smoke, I got scared and began screaming for help."

She said she would forever be grateful to Freeman for turning the plane away.

"So many more people could have been hurt. He saved my daughter, my house and me from being crushed under the plane. It hurt me when I saw him in the stretcher afterwards."

Another eyewitness, grandmother Logie Naidoo, was the only person in the street at the time. She was waiting for her son-in-law to drop off her 11-month-old grandchild.

"I just heard a loud noise. I thought the plane was falling straight from the sky onto us, as it was so close. Then I saw it moving and bumping on the vacant plot. I saw a guy being hit, and the plane just took him along as it dragged along the ground."

She did not sleep that night because she could not block out the incident.

"I am suffering from the shock of it still. It keeps playing in my mind all night."

[Frikkie]

Did Airlink crash pilots err?
2009-10-02 08:08

Erika Gibson

Durban - The pilots of SA Airlink Flight 8911, which crashed in Durban last week, only had about 60 seconds to react in a plane with one problematic engine.

Pilots believe there were probably three possible scenarios that could have happened in the cockpit of the Jetstream 41 last Thursday, just before it crash-landed at a school shortly after its take-off from the Durban International Airport.

Regardless of which scenario it was, the pilots were left with very little time to put emergency procedures in motion.

Accident investigators will eventually be able to provide the final answers to these questions, but probably only after several months.

Wrong engine shut down?

One possibility is that the wrong engine - not the faulty one - was shut down.

Pilots can see clearly in the photos of the wreck that the right side (faulty) engine’s propeller blades were bent backward, and the blades on the left side are not bent forward or backward.

“Neutral” blades mean the engine was in the feathered state - in other words, switched off.

In a nutshell, that means that the right side (faulty) engine was still turning, since backwards-bending blades mean there was still forward force.

However, the faulty engine is the one that should have been switched off. Thus the healthy engine might have been switched off by mistake.

According to pilots, it is also possible that the faulty engine could not be switched off. If it were to continue turning, the plane would have been pulled to the right by wind shear, which would make it practically impossible to continue flying with only one engine.

The third option is that - if the engine could not be shut down - the pilot could have come to the conclusion that the plane couldn’t fly any further, and decided to make an emergency landing.

No fire or explosion

By switching off the healthy engine and “gliding into” an emergency landing, the chances of fire or an explosion at landing due to the absence of electrical power in the engine would be significantly reduced.

The plane, indeed, did not burst into flames upon impact, despite the fact that it was filled to capacity with fuel.

It is not clear whether Captain Allister Freeman, 40, or co-pilot Sonja Bierman, 26, was at the controls at the time of the accident.

On a “dead leg” such as this flight, with no passengers on board, the captain may allow the co-pilot to take control and fly the plane.

During emergency procedures it is usually also the task of the steering pilot to handle the emergency situation through to the end. A swop of responsibilities in those few seconds could easily lead to poor decision making or adverse actions, said the pilots.

According to Airlink, the accident probe will determine who was flying, while flight data recorders will provide further information.

A flight accident investigation earlier found that Freeman made a bad decision in 2005 due to lack of experience on a Britten-Norman Islander, a decision that contributed to the plane crashing into a house. He later started flying for Airlink.

According to Airlink, all their pilots undergo strict aptitude tests before they are appointed

[Frikkie]

MEDIA STATEMENT 2 OCTOBER 2009
STATUS REPORT: INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING

A JETSTREAM 41 AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF FROM DURBAN
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON 24 SEPTEMBER 2009


The objective of an accident investigation is to establish the cause (s) of the accident and
to take steps to prevent a further occurrence. As such the objective is not to apportion
blame or liability.
The purpose of this investigation is therefore to ensure that the investigation is conducted
in the most effective and comprehensive way to establish the cause(s). The investigation
team is committed to adhering to the International Provisions defined in Annex 13 to the
Convention on International Civil Aviation, of which South Africa is a signatory.
To date no evidence has been identified that requires the Commissioner for Civil Aviation
(CCA) to implement any action, such as the prohibition of further flight by Jetstream
aircraft, nor to suspend any approvals granted to the operator.
Passengers can continue to make use of South African operators with confidence in that
their safety is being overseen to the best of its ability by the South African Civil Aviation
Authority (SACAA).
The process followed to date and in future is in compliance with internationally accepted
practices. On arrival at the accident scene, the team of accident investigators, commenced
with the onsite investigation which included the photographing and video-taping of the
accident site and wreckage. It should be noted that the first priority following an accident is
to render assistance to injured parties. The investigators will await completion of this
process prior to taking control of the accident site, so as not to interfere with any rescue
operation.
Following completion of the initial assessment and documenting of the accident site, a
decision was made to remove the wreckage to a hanger at Johannesburg, where a more
detailed investigation and strip down of selected components could be made. This had
been done with the support and cooperation of the operator.
SA Civil Aviation Authority
Private Bag X73
Halfway House
1685
Tel: (011) 545 1000
Fax: (011) 545 1201
Website: www.caa.co.za

The South African investigation team has since been joined by an Accredited
Representative (AR) from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United
Kingdom, who is being assisted by Advisors from the AIIB and the aircraft manufacturer.
The National Transportation Board (NTSB) of the United States of America (USA) has
nominated a non-travelling AR, but with an Advisor from the engine manufacturer on site.
Actions taken to date include:
· The aircraft wreckage is being examined in detail for defects and to exclude factors
that are not relevant to the cause of the accident;
· The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) have
been hand carried to the AAIB facilities in the UK and data has been successfully
downloaded. Both recorders were fully functional and data retrieved is of good
quality;
· The Air Traffic Control recordings have been obtained and are being transcribed
and analyzed;
· The engines have been removed from the airframe and will be shipped to the
manufacturer in the USA where they will be stripped down in the presence and
under supervision of the Investigators, accredited representatives, advisors and
observers from the operator;
· Compilation and review of relevant records in respect of the aircraft maintenance,
operational and crew records is ongoing.
Factual information obtained to date can be summarised as follows:
· Aircraft design and certification requirements for a multiple-engine aircraft are that it
should be able to continue take-off once passing the decision speed, climb, fly en
route and continue to a landing, should one engine become inoperative. This is
demonstrated during the aircraft certification process at maximum take-off mass.
· The Jetstream 41 aircraft requires an operating crew of two pilots and meets all of
the required certification criteria for a twin-engined turboprop aircraft, even at its
maximum certificated mass.
· It is a requirement that pilots be trained and competent to take-off, fly, and land such
aircraft with one engine inoperative. Pilots are required to maintain competency and
are assessed a minimum of every six months to ensure that such competency is
maintained.
· Operators define standard operating procedures (SOPs) which pilots are to follow
during the various emergencies that may occur. Such competency is again verified
during an actual flight test or in a simulator.
· Smoke was observed to originate from the no. 2 or right-hand engine during the
take-off roll and ATC advised the crew accordingly. This was only transmitted to the
pilot during take-off rotation, thus excluding the possibility of rejecting the take-off.
Duration of the take-off roll was about 18 seconds.

· The no.2 or right-hand engine failed on rotation and a power reduction occurred on
the no. 1 engine as the aircraft climbed to about 450 ft. above sea level.
· The aircraft was seen to climb and thereafter descend and impact terrain. (Total
time from start of the take-off roll until impact was about 50 seconds);
· Rescue and fire-fighting services responded appropriately;
· The three crew members on board received injuries to various degrees of severity
and a member of the public was also injured at the accident site;
· Investigators have as yet to interview the crew members and the bystander, due to
their medical conditions.
With reference to the above factual information, the aircraft’s mass was such that it should
have been able to have continued to climb and return to land on one engine. It is therefore
necessary to address the following factors that may shed further light as to the cause of the
accident:
· The reason for the power reduction experienced on the no.1 engine, which will
include continued analysis of the DFDR and CVR information;
· Analysis of any human factor aspects, such as whether the power reduction on
engine No. 1 resulted from an incorrect identification of the failed engine, or a
decision to land the aircraft as soon as possible, or other factors unknown at this
time, that necessitated a deviation from standard operating procedures to continue
the flight on one engine;
· Verification that the no.1 engine had in fact been serviceable throughout the flight by
means of a strip-down examination;
· Strip-down of the no 2. engine to establish the cause of this engine’s failure.
The investigation will be ongoing with participation by the accredited parties.
The Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Division (AIID) of the South African Civil
Aviation Authority (SACAA) wishes to acknowledge and thank the above participants and
the operator for their assistance and services rendered to date.
It is trusted that the investigation will lead to the introduction of corrective actions, should
any deficiencies be identified, to ensure the continued safety of passengers transported in
South African airspace and on South African aircraft.

[Frikkie]

AllisterFreeman

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