Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 24 August 2003
Aircraft Type: Let L-410UVP-E3
Owner/operator: Tropical Airways
Registration Number: HH-PRV
Location: 2 km SW of Cap Haitien Airport (CAP) – ÿ Haiti
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21
Component Affected: Aircraft control system (specifically, VMC).Aircraft control system (specifically, VMC).
Investigating Agency: ONACONAC
Category: Accident
A Tropical Airways Let 410 aircraft experienced a stall during approach to Port-de-Paix, Haiti, resulting in an impact with a sugar cane field. The incident stemmed from a loss of VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) at low altitude, exacerbated by pilot actions including excessive flaps, insufficient altitude, lack of coordination between crew members, possible fatigue, and an opening of the baggage hold door during takeoff.A Tropical Airways Let 410 aircraft experienced a stall during approach to Port-de-Paix, Haiti, resulting in an impact with a sugar cane field. The incident stemmed from a loss of VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) at low altitude, exacerbated by pilot actions including excessive flaps, insufficient altitude, lack of coordination between crew members, possible fatigue, and an opening of the baggage hold door during takeoff.

Description

Tropical Airways flight 1301, a Let 410, took off from runway 05 at Cap Haitien Airport about 04:50 for a flight to Port-de-Paix, Haiti. Shortly after takeoff the pilot requested clearance to return to the airport in order to close the door of the forward baggage hold, which had apparently opened during takeoff. On the right base leg when starting the turn onto final, the aircraft stalled and impacted a sugar cane field. MAIN CAUSE (translated from original French language report): Stall during approach phase while on the downwind leg caused by the loss of VMC at low altitude. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) failure of the crew to manage the approach procedure (Poor CRM) a) use of maximum flaps (42ø) b) insufficient altitude c) lack of coordination between crew members 2) possible state of fatigue of the captain 3) Possible excess weight 4) opening of the baggage hold door, observed during takeoff.

Primary Cause

Loss of VMC during approach phase, resulting in a stall.Loss of VMC during approach phase, resulting in a stall.

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