Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 14 November 1998
Aircraft Type: Boeing 707-355C
Owner/operator: IAT Cargo
Registration Number: 5N-VRG
Location: Oostende Airport (OST) – ÿ Belgium
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: Engine #3’s inner mid spar fitting.Engine #3’s inner mid spar fitting.
Category: Accident
A cargo flight, RCN302, experienced turbulence over Chimay, Belgium, resulting in engine detachment, fuel holding, hydraulic problems, and an emergency landing at Oostende. The detached engine caused a runway excursion, leading to a near-ground collision. Fatigue cracking in the engine fitting of engine #3, a product of non-compliance with AD 93-11-02, compromised the aircraft’s airworthiness.A cargo flight, RCN302, experienced turbulence over Chimay, Belgium, resulting in engine detachment, fuel holding, hydraulic problems, and an emergency landing at Oostende. The detached engine caused a runway excursion, leading to a near-ground collision. Fatigue cracking in the engine fitting of engine #3, a product of non-compliance with AD 93-11-02, compromised the aircraft’s airworthiness.

Description

Flight RCN302 took off from Oostende (OST), Belgium at 03:28 with a cargo of 35 tons of electronics. Heading south over Chimay, Belgium while at FL240 the aircraft encountered turbulence. The no. 3 engine detached, forcing the crew to return to Oostende. A holding pattern was flown to burn up fuel. While holding the airplane also suffered hydraulical problems. Finally an emergency landing was carried out at Oostende at 05:44. The plane overshot runway 26 by 100 m and came to rest just next to the localizer antenna. Laboratory analyses revealed the presence of a fatigue crack on the inner mid spar fitting of engine #3. The crack has been present for a reasonable time. The Airworthiness Directive 93-11-02 asks the replacement of the fittings by improved model at least for July 97. The fittings of engine #3 were from the old design. Due to the non application of AD 93-11-02, the aircraft was in a non-airworthy condition.

Primary Cause

Non-compliance with Airworthiness Directive 93-11-02 regarding engine fitting replacement, leading to a compromised aircraft state.Non-compliance with Airworthiness Directive 93-11-02 regarding engine fitting replacement, leading to a compromised aircraft state.

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