AAIU Reports

SYNOPSIS

The pilot was carrying out circuit training onto a grass landing strip within a ploughed field. Following a normal circuit and approach the aircraft wheels touched down at a point at the beginning of the grass threshold of Runway 28, struck a frozen sod probably thrown up during the ploughing, and came to a sudden stop.  The undercarriage was effectively severed from the aircraft and the propellor struck the ground. There was no fire and both occupants exited the aircraft safely. The pilot’s assessment of the cause of the accident was that he was blinded by the strong low setting winter sun and in touching on struck an unseen frozen sod, with the resultant damage.

SYNOPSIS

As the aircraft taxied onto the active runway in preparation for take-off, the right hand axle of the nose undercarriage leg failed, causing the wheel and axle to separate from the aircraft.  There were no injuries or other damage.

SYNOPSIS

While flying from Dublin to Sligo, the engine failed. In the subsequent forced landing the aircraft was extensively damaged. Examination of the engine showed that the crankshaft had failed due to fatigue. An unapproved repair was found to have reduced the fatigue resistance of the crankshaft.

SYNOPSIS

During its landing rollout on RWY 28 at EIDW, the MD 11, registered N803DE (Delta 129) started to initially drift towards the right and then slowly to the left-hand side of the runway.  Efforts by the Captain, the pilot-flying (PF), to counteract this drift through the application of full right rudder and right tiller failed, and the aircraft departed the paved surface into the prepared graded ground, which was rain soaked.  The Captain chose not to evacuate the passengers and crew through the emergency escape slides, preferring instead to wait for outside assistance and disembarkation by mobile stairs.  After approximately two hours, passengers and crew commenced disembarkation through the forward right-side (R2) cabin door and down the mobile stairs where they were immediately bussed to the terminal building.  There were no reported injuries.

SYNOPSIS

With the passengers on board, the pilot took off to a hover and air taxied his aircraft backwards in order to maximise the length of his take off run.  During this manoeuvre the four main rotors struck near the top of a large conifer tree, approximately 15 feet high.  The tail rotor was undamaged as it went abeam  the tree and did not touch it.  The pilot, who felt vibrations through his controls, landed immediately and shut down the aircraft.  Both he and his passengers exited the aircraft without delay.  The pilot said that he did not see the tree which was to the left rear of his aircraft.  He occupied the right hand seat.

SYNOPSIS

The cargo aircraft was in a descent to Shannon and was about 10 minutes out when the yellow smoke caution and the Captains “master caution” light illuminated in the cockpit.  The No.2 pneumatic manifold failure light then illuminated quickly followed by a cargo area fire warning light and Captains master fire warning light.  The Captain declared an emergency and ATC notified the Airport Fire Services.  As the aircraft came to a halt on Runway 24 (RWY 24) it was met by sections of this Service.  Immediate evacuation of the crew of the aircraft and two passengers was made using a crash rescue ladder and exiting through the front LH door.  When the smoke cleared it was found that the air bleed duct of the No.2 engine had ruptured and the impinging hot air charred the insulation, generating the smoke in the process.  There were no injuries.

SYNOPSIS

The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Toronto when it diverted to Shannon due to an acrid burning smell in the cabin of the aircraft.

SYNOPSIS

This incident, involving the above aircraft and a push-back tug, was notified to the Chief Inspector of Accidents, Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) by the Aer Rianta Apron Manager at Dublin Airport at 10.30 hours on the morning of the incident. The aircraft was being pushed back from Stand 12 at Dublin Airport and the towbar and tug were about to be disconnected from the aircraft. The ground engineer removed the towing pin connecting the tug to the towbar but it was let slip back in again just as the tug moved. The aircraft parking brake was on at the time and as a consequence the nose undercarriage was damaged.   Fittings on the lower aircraft skin, adjacent to the undercarriage, were also damagedThe aircraft was being pushed back from Stand 12 at Dublin Airport and the towbar and tug were about to be disconnected from the aircraft. The ground engineer removed the towing pin connecting the tug to the towbar but it was let slip back in again just as the tug moved. The aircraft parking brake was on at the time and as a consequence the nose undercarriage was damaged.   Fittings on the lower aircraft skin, adjacent to the undercarriage, were also damaged.

SYNOPSIS

Having taken off from Abbeyshrule, 40 nm away, the pilot and his passenger joined the circuit for landing at Weston Aerodrome.  During base leg the pilot called out “three greens” to his passenger in the rear seat, indicating that he had selected the undercarriage down.  After touchdown, however, the undercarriage appeared to collapse.  The aircraft continued along the runway and eventually ran on to the grass and stopped.  

SYNOPSIS

The aircraft took off from Coonagh Airfield at 13.30 hours.  The pilot had his father and young son on board as passengers and this was planned to be a sightseeing flight.  The intended flight was outside controlled airspace and no flight plan had been filed with Shannon ATC.  The pilot intended to fly NE across country along the east side of Lough Derg on the river Shannon as far as Garrykennedy and to return to Coonagh.  Whilst over Killaloe in a descent inbound for Coonagh, the engine spluttered, the RPM decayed and after the propeller wind-milling for some time, it stopped rotating.  The pilot then picked out a landing field, turned through 270º and commenced his forced landing.  As the aircraft flared the belly of the fuselage caught a boulder in the field’s perimeter hedge and the aircraft came to rest close to the hedge.  All the occupants exited the aircraft unaided.  There was no fire.