Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 9 May 2015
Aircraft Type: Airbus A400M Atlas
Owner/operator: Airbus Industrie
Registration Number: EC-403
Location: ca 4 km NE of Sevilla Airport (SVQ) – ÿ Spain
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 6
Component Affected: Airbus A400M Atlas engine control software.Airbus A400M Atlas engine control software.
Category: Accident
An Airbus A400M Atlas military transport plane crashed near Sevilla Airport (SVQ) in Spain during a test flight. Two of the six crew members survived the accident. The aircraft, built at the Airbus plant in Sevilla, was intended for the Turkish Air Force and was the maiden flight after assembly. The aircraft experienced a critical issue with its engines, which became stuck at high power after initial attempts to control them. It struck powerlines, impacted a field, and subsequently burned.An Airbus A400M Atlas military transport plane crashed near Sevilla Airport (SVQ) in Spain during a test flight. Two of the six crew members survived the accident. The aircraft, built at the Airbus plant in Sevilla, was intended for the Turkish Air Force and was the maiden flight after assembly. The aircraft experienced a critical issue with its engines, which became stuck at high power after initial attempts to control them. It struck powerlines, impacted a field, and subsequently burned.

Description

An Airbus A400M Atlas military transport plane was destroyed when it crashed near Sevilla Airport (SVQ), Spain during a test flight. Two of the six crew members survived the accident. The aircraft took off from runway 09 at 12:54 hours local time. The pilot, co-pilot, a mechanic and three engineers were conducting a test flight from Sevilla Airport (SVQ). The aircraft was built at the Airbus plant at Sevilla and was intended for the Turkish Air Force. It was the maiden flight after assembly. Shortly after takeoff three of the four engines became stuck at high power. Initially the three engines did not respond to the crew’s attempts to control the power setting in the normal way. Pilots then succeeded in reducing power only after selecting the thrust levers to idle. Then the engines remained stuck at idle. In an attempt to return to the airport, the aircraft struck powerlines, impacted a field and burned. An Airbus official after the accident stated that engine control software was incorrectly installed during final assembly of the aircraft. This led to engine failure and the resulting crash.

Source of Information

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/casa423/#6362876, http://airbusdefenceandspace.com/newsroom/news-and-features/statement-regarding-accident-information-transmission-ait-to-a400m-operators-as-follow-up-to-aot-of-19-may/http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/casa423/#6362876, http://airbusdefenceandspace.com/newsroom/news-and-features/statement-regarding-accident-information-transmission-ait-to-a400m-operators-as-follow-up-to-aot-of-19-may/

Primary Cause

Incorrectly installed engine control software during final assembly led to engine failure and the crash.Incorrectly installed engine control software during final assembly led to engine failure and the crash.

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