Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 18 November 1964
Aircraft Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-4A Caribou
Owner/operator: Royal Australian Air Force – RAAF
Registration Number: A4-185
Location: A Ro – ÿ Vietnam
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Component Affected: Aircraft undercarriageAircraft undercarriage
Investigating Agency: Dept of AirDept of Air
Category: Accident
A Caribou aircraft dispatched to deliver a load to a severely compromised military outpost at Ro. Arriving over the airstrip, the pilot was unable to release the cargo load via the pendulum release mechanism. The outpost suggested landing, prompting a missed approach assessment. The pilot subsequently deployed reverse thrust due to ineffective wheel brakes, resulting in mud spray obscuring the windscreen and subsequent damage to the aircraft’s right undercarriage. The accident occurred when the aircraft ran over a ditch, causing the undercarriage to collapse.A Caribou aircraft dispatched to deliver a load to a severely compromised military outpost at Ro. Arriving over the airstrip, the pilot was unable to release the cargo load via the pendulum release mechanism. The outpost suggested landing, prompting a missed approach assessment. The pilot subsequently deployed reverse thrust due to ineffective wheel brakes, resulting in mud spray obscuring the windscreen and subsequent damage to the aircraft’s right undercarriage. The accident occurred when the aircraft ran over a ditch, causing the undercarriage to collapse.

Description

The Caribou was dispatched to delivered a load to a beleaguered military outpost at A Ro. Arriving over A Ro, the pilot could not operate the pendulum release mechanism to drop the cargo load. The outpost suggested that the pilot land with his load, so he checked the field dimensions and carried out a missed approach to assess the nature of the strip. The pilot considered the airfield adequate and attempted to land. Once on the ground the pilot was committed to the use of reverse thrust, due to the ineffectiveness of wheel brakes on the moist runway. Mud spray thrown onto the windscreen, blinding the crew. They aircraft then ran over a ditch, causing the right-hand undercarriage to collapse. The basic cause of this accident is pilot error, in that the decision to land in the particular circumstances was incorrect. A contributory factorwas the sustained use of reverse which resulted in the pilot being blinded by mud spray thrown onto the windscreen as the IAS decreased during the landing roll (faulty technique).

Source of Information

http://www.adf-serials.com, http://www.dhc4and5.org/http://www.adf-serials.com, http://www.dhc4and5.org/

Primary Cause

Pilot error ? incorrect decision to land in the specific circumstances, particularly the use of reverse thrust, which led to reduced airspeed and obscured vision due to mud spray.Pilot error ? incorrect decision to land in the specific circumstances, particularly the use of reverse thrust, which led to reduced airspeed and obscured vision due to mud spray.

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