Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 31 January 2001
Aircraft Type: Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10R
Owner/operator: L¡neas A‚reas Suramericanas
Registration Number: HK-3932X
Location: 7,8 km from El Yopal Airport (EYP) – ÿ Colombia
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 6
Component Affected: Left Main Gear, Hydraulic System, Engine, Flight Controls, Aircraft StructureLeft Main Gear, Hydraulic System, Engine, Flight Controls, Aircraft Structure
Investigating Agency: AerocivilAerocivil
Category: Accident
The Caravelle, a cargo aircraft carrying 14 barrels of gasoline, experienced a catastrophic landing near Mit£ following a failed landing gear strike and subsequent control problems. The aircraft initiated an emergency landing, culminating in a significant fire and complete destruction of the left main gear and engine. The incident was triggered by a combination of factors, including a pilot?s inadequate response to an unfolding emergency, insufficient planning for potential contingencies, and a lapse in communication and operational procedures.The Caravelle, a cargo aircraft carrying 14 barrels of gasoline, experienced a catastrophic landing near Mit£ following a failed landing gear strike and subsequent control problems. The aircraft initiated an emergency landing, culminating in a significant fire and complete destruction of the left main gear and engine. The incident was triggered by a combination of factors, including a pilot?s inadequate response to an unfolding emergency, insufficient planning for potential contingencies, and a lapse in communication and operational procedures.

Description

The Caravelle was operating on a cargo flight from Bogot  to Mit£ via El Yopal. The cargo consisted of a.o. 14 barrels with 55 gallons of gasoline each. The aircraft departed El Yopal at 13:45. While attempting to land at Mit£, the landing gear struck the ground short of the threshold of runway 01. The crew carried out a go around and assessed the situation. The left hand main gear was broken away and a hydraulic leak caused control problems. By switching from the yellow to the blue hydraulic system, the crew were able to regain control. After flying over the control tower at Mit£, they were informed by the controller of the loss of the left main left gear. The flight crew then declared an emergency and informed the tower controller at Mit£ that they would proceed to Bogot . The crew was not able to fully raise the flaps, so a decision was made to divert to El Yopal/ The plane climbed to 10000 feet and proceeded to El Yopal at this altitude. The crew then observed that the left engine oil pressure was dropping and the pilot proceeded to shut down the engine. In these conditions the plane began to lose height and speed. They then established contact with the control tower of El Yopal, informing the them of the emergency. It was decided to perform another flyby of the tower, which confirmed the left main hear had separated. The crew then agreed to burn fuel from the left wing tank to avoid a fire on that side during the emergency landing. The fuel indicators showed unreliable values and calculations were difficult since last part of the flight was performed under irregular circumstances. It was then decided to select the left fuel tank and continue to burn fuel until the low fuel warning appeared. The co-pilot recommended the captain to try to restart the left engine to have both reversers available on landing, but the request was rejected. Flying to the South-West of El Yopal Airport, the pilot ordered the co-pilot to move further away from the runway, while taking his cell phone to communicate with the Director of Operations of the airline. When the low fuel alarm went off, they selected the right tank, and the captain decided to return to land. During the approach the right engine began to fail. The plane lost height quickly until it impacted the ground 4.9 miles from the threshold of runway 05. The aircraft caught fire after the impact and was completely destroyed. PROBABLE CAUSE FIRST IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT IN MITU. Low situational alert by the pilot in command in the final approach phase to land. SECOND IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE YOPAL. Failure of the crew to adequately plan for the foreseeable emergency. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR Passive attitude of the crew, especially by the Commander of the aircraft in handling critical situations. Inappropriate handling of CRM, poor or inadequate communication in the cockpit. Little experience in flight hours as a commander by the pilot in command of the aircraft. Little experience inz total flight hours and in the equipment on the part of the co-pilot.

Primary Cause

Pilot?s inadequate response to an unfolding emergency, insufficient planning for potential contingencies, and a lapse in communication and operational procedures.Pilot?s inadequate response to an unfolding emergency, insufficient planning for potential contingencies, and a lapse in communication and operational procedures.

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