Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 13 January 2000
Aircraft Type: Shorts 360-300
Owner/operator: Sirte Oil Company, lsf Avisto
Registration Number: HB-AAM
Location: 5 km off Marsa el-Brega – ÿ Libya
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 22 / Occupants: 41
Component Affected: Aircraft enginesAircraft engines
Investigating Agency: CAA LibyaCAA Libya
Category: Accident
A Shorts 360 aircraft, leased to Sirte Oil Co., experienced a catastrophic failure during a flight between Tripoli and Marsa el-Brega, Libya. The aircraft began experiencing fuel imbalances and subsequently lost power, culminating in engine failure and a sinking incident. The crew, preoccupied with a discussion unrelated to flight operations, failed to activate the anti-icing system, leading to engine flooding and subsequent flameout. The lack of lifejackets and subsequent drowning of passengers and crew due to seat cushions resulted in a significant loss of life.A Shorts 360 aircraft, leased to Sirte Oil Co., experienced a catastrophic failure during a flight between Tripoli and Marsa el-Brega, Libya. The aircraft began experiencing fuel imbalances and subsequently lost power, culminating in engine failure and a sinking incident. The crew, preoccupied with a discussion unrelated to flight operations, failed to activate the anti-icing system, leading to engine flooding and subsequent flameout. The lack of lifejackets and subsequent drowning of passengers and crew due to seat cushions resulted in a significant loss of life.

Description

The Shorts 360 plane had been leased to Sirte Oil Co in Libya to transport workers between its headquarters and various oil fields. The aircraft departed Tripoli at 12:29. En route to Marsa el-Brega the crew noted a fuel imbalance and did a cross feed until fuel was balanced again at 14:17. The descent from FL70 was started at 14:25. Eleven minutes later both engines flamed out. The aircraft was ditched off the Libyan coast in a 10deg nose up attitude. The tail broke off and the wreckage sank inverted to a depth of 38 m, about 3 miles from the coast. According to the Libyan investigation report, the first officer and co-pilot, who both survived, were so busy talking about how to fly the Fokker F-28 aircraft that they failed to switch on the anti-icing system for the engines as weather conditions deteriorated. As the aircraft came in to land, ice that had been allowed to build up melted, flooding the engines and cutting off the power. A device that might have restarted the engines was not switched on. There were no lifejackets on board and many of the dead drowned because they were unaware that their seat cushions doubled as floats. PROBABLE CAUSES: – “melting of ice formed at engines intake resulted in ware ingestion and both engine flame out. – flight crew failed to operate engine anti-icing system. – flight crew were busy with a discussion not relevant to their flight or the a/c.”

Source of Information

http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/SH36,_vicinity_Marsa_Brega_Libya,_2000_(WX_HF_LOC)http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/SH36,_vicinity_Marsa_Brega_Libya,_2000_(WX_HF_LOC)

Primary Cause

Flight crew failure to operate engine anti-icing system and lack of awareness of weather conditions.Flight crew failure to operate engine anti-icing system and lack of awareness of weather conditions.

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