Incident Overview

Description
The Carvair was making a visual approach to Rotterdam in conditions of snow (visibility 1460 m). During the final approach the landing gear struck a 6 feet high dyke, 800 feet short of the runway threshold. The plane bounced and struck the ground heavily 200 feet further on. The right wing became partially detached from the fuselage and the aircraft rolled rapidly to the right. The Carvair came to rest after sliding inverted for some 700 feet. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The accident was due to the fact that the commander carried out the final stage of approach below the normal glide path with insufficient engine power, as a result of which the speed of descent was too high in relation to the horizontal distance still to be covered to the beginning of the runway. Consequently, the aircraft, at a high vertical speed, hit a dyke, after facing the direction of approach. The Board is of the opinion that even if there had been no dyke, and it was not an obstruction of any significant height, the aircraft would still have hit the ground a considerable distance short of the runway threshold, although possibly with less fatal consequences than in the present instance.”
Primary Cause
Insufficient engine power during the final approach stage resulted in excessive descent speed relative to the runway distance, causing the aircraft to hit the dyke.Insufficient engine power during the final approach stage resulted in excessive descent speed relative to the runway distance, causing the aircraft to hit the dyke.Share on: