Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 14 February 2008
Aircraft Type: Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100ER
Owner/operator: Belavia
Registration Number: EW-101PJ
Location: Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN) – ÿ Armenia
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 21
Component Affected: Aircraft WingAircraft Wing
Category: Accident
A Canadair CRJ100ER passenger jet, operated by Belavia, crashed and burned on takeoff from Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN) in Armenia. All three crew members and eighteen passengers were confirmed to be safe. The aircraft arrived as flight BRU1833 from Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ), Belarus, at 02:05. Following refueling, the pilot initiated a tactile and visual inspection of the wing and tail assembly, and completed the flight planning. The weather conditions at the time of takeoff were: wind 110 degrees at the ground 1 m/sec, visibility 3500 meters, haze, small clouds, vertical visibility of 800 meters, scattered clouds at 3000 m, a temperature of minus 3ø C, dew point minus 4ø C, pressure 1019 hPa. The pilot carried out a takeoff checklist, including a wing inspection and visual inspection of the tail assembly. After refueling, the pilot initiated a left-wing bank and subsequently rolled the right, resulting in a broken wing tip and subsequent fire. The aircraft descended upside down, impacting the ground. The accident was attributed to an asymmetric loss of lift during takeoff, leading to the wing tip contacting the ground and subsequent fire.A Canadair CRJ100ER passenger jet, operated by Belavia, crashed and burned on takeoff from Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN) in Armenia. All three crew members and eighteen passengers were confirmed to be safe. The aircraft arrived as flight BRU1833 from Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ), Belarus, at 02:05. Following refueling, the pilot initiated a tactile and visual inspection of the wing and tail assembly, and completed the flight planning. The weather conditions at the time of takeoff were: wind 110 degrees at the ground 1 m/sec, visibility 3500 meters, haze, small clouds, vertical visibility of 800 meters, scattered clouds at 3000 m, a temperature of minus 3ø C, dew point minus 4ø C, pressure 1019 hPa. The pilot carried out a takeoff checklist, including a wing inspection and visual inspection of the tail assembly. After refueling, the pilot initiated a left-wing bank and subsequently rolled the right, resulting in a broken wing tip and subsequent fire. The aircraft descended upside down, impacting the ground. The accident was attributed to an asymmetric loss of lift during takeoff, leading to the wing tip contacting the ground and subsequent fire.

Description

A Canadair CRJ100ER passenger jet, operated by Belavia, was destroyed when crashed and burned on takeoff from Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN), Armenia. All three crew members and eighteen passengers survived the accident. The airplane arrived as flight BRU1833 from Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ), Belarus at 02:05. Refueling was carried out in preparation for the return flight and the crew conducted the flight planning. After refueling the pilot carried out a tactile and visual inspection of all critical surfaces of the wing and visual inspection of the tail assembly. All the planes were clean and dry. The weather reported for the 04:00 was: wind 110 degrees at the ground 1 m/sec, visibility 3500 meters, haze, small clouds, vertical visibility of 800 meters, scattered clouds at 3000 m, a temperature of minus 3ø C, dew point minus 4ø C, pressure 1019 hPa. At 04:08 both engines were started. The engine air intake heating (cowl anti-ice) was switched on but the wing anti-icing system was not switched on. The crew taxied to runway 27 and were cleared for departure. During takeoff the airplane progressively banked left until the left wing tip contacted runway. The airplane went off the side with the airplane rolling the right. The right hand wing broke off and spilled fuel caught fire. The airplane came to rest upside down. CONCLUSION (translated from Russian): The accident involving aircraft CRJ-100LR registration number EW-101PJ was the result of an asymmetric loss of lift of the wing during take-off, which led to the toppling of the aircraft immediately after liftoff from the runway, the left wing tip contacting the ground, the subsequent destruction and fire. The reason for the loss of lift of the wing at the actual weather conditions, was the formation of frost, which “pollutes” the surface of the wing. The cause of formation of frost, most likely, was the fuel icing, while the aircraft was parked at the airport and during taxiing for the return flight, resulting in a difference in temperature of the surrounding air and cold fuel in the tanks after the flight. The situation could be aggravated when exceeding the values recommended by the operations manual of the angular velocity when lifting the nose wheel during takeoff with “contaminated” wings when it is impossible to monitor this parameter instrumentally. Existing procedural methods of control of the aerodynamic surfaces of the aircraft before departure, along with the inefficiency, during takeoff, the existing system of protection from stalling due to increased sensitivity of the wing, even to a slight contamination of the leading edge, can not fully guarantee the prevention of similar accidents in future. An Airworthiness Directive on the need to include anti-icing systems on the wing in the final stage of taxiing at the actual weather conditions was issued by Transport Canada after the accident. This probably could have prevented the accident.

Primary Cause

Asymmetric loss of lift during takeoff, resulting in a wing tip contact with the ground.Asymmetric loss of lift during takeoff, resulting in a wing tip contact with the ground.

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