Birgenair Flight 301
Encyclopedia
Birgenair Flight 301 was a flight chartered by Turkish
-managed Birgenair
partner Alas Nacionales
("National Wings") from Puerto Plata
in the Dominican Republic
to Frankfurt
, Germany
via Gander
, Canada
and Berlin
, Germany. On 6 February 1996, the Boeing 757-225
operating the route crashed shortly after take-off from Puerto Plata's Gregorio Luperón International Airport
.
s with Öger Tours; Birgenair held 10% of Öger Tours. In terms of passenger deaths, Flight 301 has the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving a Boeing 757.
television episode "Mixed Signals (The Plane That Wouldn't Talk)".
During takeoff roll at 11:42 p.m, the captain found that his air speed indicator
(ASI) was not working properly, but chose not to abort takeoff. The co-pilot's ASI was functional.
While the plane was climbing to 4700 feet (1,432.6 m), the captain's ASI indicated 350 knots, which triggered a reaction from the autopilot
, which was taking its air speed information from the same equipment that was providing faulty readings to the captain's ASI. The autopilot increased the pitch-up attitude and reduced power, both moves used to lower the plane's airspeed. The co-pilot's ASI read 200 knots and was decreasing, yet the airplane started to give multiple warnings that it was flying too fast, including rudder ratio
, Mach airspeed
and overspeed lights and sounds.
The autopilot had reached the limits of its programming, and disengaged. The crew checked the breakers for the warning lights and sounds, then pulled back on the thrust to lower the speed. The airplane instantly provided a stick-shaker warning, telling the pilots that the airplane was flying dangerously slow only seconds after it was warning them that the speed was too high, confusing the pilots. The captain then tried to recover from the approaching stall by increasing the plane's thrust to full, but the plane was still in a nose up attitude, causing the engines to not receive adequate airflow to match the increase in thrust. The left engine suffered an engine stall, causing the still-operating right engine to throw the airplane into a spin; soon afterwards, the plane inverted. At 11:47 p.m., the Ground Proximity Warning System
sounded an audio warning, and eight seconds later the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean
. All 13 crew members and 176 passengers died.
Investigations later showed that the plane was actually travelling at 220 knots at the time. The investigation concluded that one of three pitot tube
s, used to measure airspeed, was blocked.
No tubes were recovered so investigators were unable to determine for certain what caused the blockage. Investigators suspected that some kind of insect could have created a nest inside the pitot tube. The prime suspect is a species called the black and yellow mud dauber
wasp, well-known by pilots flying in the Dominican Republic. The aircraft had not flown in 25 days during which time the pitot tubes were not covered, giving the wasps an opportunity to build nests in the tubes.
The pilot's choice to go against protocol and execute takeoff despite his ASI clearly disagreeing with the co-pilot's ASI has resulted in protocols and training being further reinforced following this incident.
After the flight voice recorder revealed that the co-pilot and a third pilot on the flight deck had made relatively subtle suggestions to the pilot - once the stick-shaker warning commenced - that he must deal with the fact that the plane was still in a speed-draining nose-up attitude, protocols and training were reinforced to establish a greater willingness of junior flight-deck staff to be more forceful in similar situations. (In the Birgenair crash, it had even been revealed that the co-pilot chose not to use his own, active, stick to counter the pilot and try to bring the nose down.)
Later the same year (1996), Aeroperú Flight 603
, also involving a 757, suffered from a similar but far more difficult situation (static ports blocked by tape, rendering all airspeed indicators and pressure altimeters unusable) and crashed in the ocean off Peru
.
In 1996 Birgenair went bankrupt.
by Marco Gröning and Ladkin
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
-managed Birgenair
Birgenair
Birgenair was a Turkish charter airline company established in 1988 with headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey.-History:Owned by the Turkish businessman Mehmet Birgen, Birgenair operated charter flights from Western Europe to several Turkish holiday destinations, initially with DC-8 aircraft...
partner Alas Nacionales
Alas Nacionales
Alas Nacionales was a Dominican Republic-based carrier that operated flights between Dominican Republic and Europe and United States. This airline had it hub in Las Américas International Airport of Santo Domingo, and had some operations to Europe from Puerto Plata...
("National Wings") from Puerto Plata
San Felipe de Puerto Plata
San Felipe de Puerto Plata, often referred to as simply Puerto Plata, is the capital of the Dominican province Puerto Plata.The city is famous for resorts such as Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada, located east of San Felipe de Puerto Plata. There are a total of 100,000 hotel beds in the city.The only...
in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
via Gander
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany. On 6 February 1996, the Boeing 757-225
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
operating the route crashed shortly after take-off from Puerto Plata's Gregorio Luperón International Airport
Gregorio Luperón International Airport
- Cargo carriers :- External links :*...
.
Passengers
The crew consisted of 11 Turks and 2 Dominicans. The passengers consisted mainly of Germans, along with a few Poles. Most passengers had booked Caribbean package holidayPackage holiday
A package holiday or package tour consists of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided like a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country...
s with Öger Tours; Birgenair held 10% of Öger Tours. In terms of passenger deaths, Flight 301 has the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving a Boeing 757.
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 167 | 0 | 167 | |
| 9 | 0 | 9 | |
| 0 | 11 | 11 | |
| 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 176 | 13 | 189 |
Crash
Details of the crash have been revealed in the report of the Dominican Republic government's Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil report and the MaydayMayday (TV series)
Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation in the United Kingdom, Australia and Asia and Air Emergency and Air Disasters in the United States, is a Canadian documentary television programme produced by Cineflix investigating air crashes, near-crashes and other disasters...
television episode "Mixed Signals (The Plane That Wouldn't Talk)".
During takeoff roll at 11:42 p.m, the captain found that his air speed indicator
Airspeed indicator
The airspeed indicator or airspeed gauge is an instrument used in an aircraft to display the craft's airspeed, typically in knots, to the pilot.- Use :...
(ASI) was not working properly, but chose not to abort takeoff. The co-pilot's ASI was functional.
While the plane was climbing to 4700 feet (1,432.6 m), the captain's ASI indicated 350 knots, which triggered a reaction from the autopilot
Autopilot
An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
, which was taking its air speed information from the same equipment that was providing faulty readings to the captain's ASI. The autopilot increased the pitch-up attitude and reduced power, both moves used to lower the plane's airspeed. The co-pilot's ASI read 200 knots and was decreasing, yet the airplane started to give multiple warnings that it was flying too fast, including rudder ratio
Rudder ratio
Rudder ratio refers to a value that is monitored by the computerized flight control systems in modern aircraft. The ratio relates the aircraft airspeed to the rudder deflection setting that's in effect at the time. As an aircraft accelerates the deflection of the rudder needs to be reduced...
, Mach airspeed
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
and overspeed lights and sounds.
The autopilot had reached the limits of its programming, and disengaged. The crew checked the breakers for the warning lights and sounds, then pulled back on the thrust to lower the speed. The airplane instantly provided a stick-shaker warning, telling the pilots that the airplane was flying dangerously slow only seconds after it was warning them that the speed was too high, confusing the pilots. The captain then tried to recover from the approaching stall by increasing the plane's thrust to full, but the plane was still in a nose up attitude, causing the engines to not receive adequate airflow to match the increase in thrust. The left engine suffered an engine stall, causing the still-operating right engine to throw the airplane into a spin; soon afterwards, the plane inverted. At 11:47 p.m., the Ground Proximity Warning System
Ground Proximity Warning System
A ground proximity warning system is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines GPWS as a type of terrain awareness warning system...
sounded an audio warning, and eight seconds later the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. All 13 crew members and 176 passengers died.
Investigation and final report
The Dominican Republic government's Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) investigated the accident and determined the following probable cause for the accident:"The crew's failure to recognize the activation of the stick shaker as a warning of imminent entrance to the stall, and the failure of the crew to execute the procedures for recovery from the onset of loss of control."
Investigations later showed that the plane was actually travelling at 220 knots at the time. The investigation concluded that one of three pitot tube
Pitot tube
A pitot tube is a pressure measurement instrument used to measure fluid flow velocity. The pitot tube was invented by the French engineer Henri Pitot Ulo in the early 18th century and was modified to its modern form in the mid-19th century by French scientist Henry Darcy...
s, used to measure airspeed, was blocked.
No tubes were recovered so investigators were unable to determine for certain what caused the blockage. Investigators suspected that some kind of insect could have created a nest inside the pitot tube. The prime suspect is a species called the black and yellow mud dauber
Black and yellow mud dauber
Black and yellow mud dauber is a common name for the sphecid wasp species Sceliphron caementarium. They are solitary insects that build nests out of mud, in sheltered locations, frequently on man-made structure such as bridges, barns, open porches or under the eaves of houses...
wasp, well-known by pilots flying in the Dominican Republic. The aircraft had not flown in 25 days during which time the pitot tubes were not covered, giving the wasps an opportunity to build nests in the tubes.
Aftermath
While the crash was attributed to the failure of the crew to execute the procedures for recovery, there were a number of incidental lessons learned.The pilot's choice to go against protocol and execute takeoff despite his ASI clearly disagreeing with the co-pilot's ASI has resulted in protocols and training being further reinforced following this incident.
After the flight voice recorder revealed that the co-pilot and a third pilot on the flight deck had made relatively subtle suggestions to the pilot - once the stick-shaker warning commenced - that he must deal with the fact that the plane was still in a speed-draining nose-up attitude, protocols and training were reinforced to establish a greater willingness of junior flight-deck staff to be more forceful in similar situations. (In the Birgenair crash, it had even been revealed that the co-pilot chose not to use his own, active, stick to counter the pilot and try to bring the nose down.)
Later the same year (1996), Aeroperú Flight 603
AeroPeru Flight 603
Aeroperú Flight 603 was a scheduled flight from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru , to Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile , which crashed on October 2, 1996....
, also involving a 757, suffered from a similar but far more difficult situation (static ports blocked by tape, rendering all airspeed indicators and pressure altimeters unusable) and crashed in the ocean off Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
In 1996 Birgenair went bankrupt.
See also
- Lists of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners
- Pitot-static systemPitot-static systemA pitot-static system is a system of pressure-sensitive instruments that is most often used in aviation to determine an aircraft's airspeed, Mach number, altitude, and altitude trend. A pitot-static system generally consists of a pitot tube, a static port, and the pitot-static instruments...
- Aeroperú Flight 603AeroPeru Flight 603Aeroperú Flight 603 was a scheduled flight from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru , to Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile , which crashed on October 2, 1996....
- MaydayMayday (TV series)Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation in the United Kingdom, Australia and Asia and Air Emergency and Air Disasters in the United States, is a Canadian documentary television programme produced by Cineflix investigating air crashes, near-crashes and other disasters...
(Air Crash Investigation, Air Emergency) - Air France Flight 447Air France Flight 447Air France Flight 447 was a scheduled airline flight from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Paris-Roissy involving an Airbus A330-200 aircraft that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on 1 June 2009, killing all 216 passengers and 12 aircrew. The investigation is still ongoing, and the cause of the...
External links
"Bericht der Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil der Dominikanischen Republik über die Untersuchung des Unfalles mit dem Flugzeug Boeing B-757 am 06. Februar 1996 bei Puerto Plata." (Draft Final Report) - Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil - Prof. Peter B. Ladkin, Ph.D. obtained a copy from the Deutsche Luftfahrtbundesamt - His group digitized a copy sent by Karsten Munsky, a EUCARE Member in Berlin - Document prepared for the World Wide WebWorld Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
by Marco Gröning and Ladkin
- CVR Transcript
- "German tourist plane crashes; 189 feared dead", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Accident synopsis at Airdisaster.comAirdisaster.comAirDisaster.com is a website devoted to accidents and incidents on commercial airliners. It includes voice recordings, accident videos, reports and articles about a number of airliner crashes. It also includes crash statistics by company, plane model and year...
- Views of the memorial and list of victims' names