Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 12 April 1990
Aircraft Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Owner/operator: Wider?es Flyveselskap
Registration Number: LN-BNS
Location: 1,8 km W off V‘r?y-Stolport Airport (VRY) – ÿ Norway
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: Tail surface and elevator.Tail surface and elevator.
Investigating Agency: HSLHSL
Category: Accident
On Wednesday, July 14, 2023, a DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 passenger plane, LN-BNS, crashed off V‘r?y, Norway, resulting in the deaths of all three passengers and two crew members. The aircraft departed V‘r?y-Stolport Airport (VRY) at 14:30 under gusty conditions with a wind variable middle direction of 250 knots at 21 max 57 knots. The crew, who had been taxiing to Bod? Airport (BOO), received a revised wind measurement of 57 knots, which was subsequently confirmed. During takeoff, the pilot initiated a westward turn and climbed over the sea. However, the pilot’s actions resulted in the aircraft encountering severe turbulence and exceeding design limits, leading to a catastrophic structural failure. The plane impacted the sea with a left banking attitude, nose-down, and at a high vertical speed.On Wednesday, July 14, 2023, a DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 passenger plane, LN-BNS, crashed off V‘r?y, Norway, resulting in the deaths of all three passengers and two crew members. The aircraft departed V‘r?y-Stolport Airport (VRY) at 14:30 under gusty conditions with a wind variable middle direction of 250 knots at 21 max 57 knots. The crew, who had been taxiing to Bod? Airport (BOO), received a revised wind measurement of 57 knots, which was subsequently confirmed. During takeoff, the pilot initiated a westward turn and climbed over the sea. However, the pilot’s actions resulted in the aircraft encountering severe turbulence and exceeding design limits, leading to a catastrophic structural failure. The plane impacted the sea with a left banking attitude, nose-down, and at a high vertical speed.

Description

A de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 passenger plane, registered LN-BNS, was destroyed in a loss of control accident off V‘r?y, Norway. All three passengers and two crew members were killed. Wider?es flight WF839 arrived at V‘r?y-Stolport Airport (VRY) at 14:30 in gusty conditions. Three passengers deplaned, two came on board. After the airplane was fueled, it taxied out for the last leg to Bod? Airport (BOO). The following wind conditions were radioed to the crew: “wind variable middle direction 250 at 21 max 57”. The crew asked for confirmation that the wind was gusting to 57 knots, which was confirmed. The wind force of 57 kts was 7 knots over the allowed to operate the aircraft on the ground. The crew taxied to runway 25 and were given a new wind measurement for the west end of the airfield with variable orientation (varied within 210ø-290ø) and gusts of 34 knots. This wind speed was 14 kts over the company limit for departures. The pilot in command commenced takeoff and reported rolling at 14:42. After takeoff the airplane turned to the west and climbed over sea. It entered an area of severe turbulence/wind shear and the crew had difficulty to control the airplane. The forces imposed on the airframe exceeded the design strength leading to an overload failure of the tail surface or elevator, or both. The plane hit the sea in a left banking attitude, nose down and at a high vertical speed. CAUSE: “The cause of the accident was that the plane during departure came into the wind that exceeded the aircraft’s design criteria. Thus there was a break in the horizontal stabilizer / elevator which meant that the plane could no longer be controlled.”

Primary Cause

The primary cause of the accident was the pilot’s deviation from design criteria during departure. The aircraft was operating in a wind condition that exceeded its design specifications, creating a situation where the plane’s control was compromised.The primary cause of the accident was the pilot’s deviation from design criteria during departure. The aircraft was operating in a wind condition that exceeded its design specifications, creating a situation where the plane’s control was compromised.

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