Crash: LAM E190 over Botswana/Namibia on Nov 29th 2013, captain intentionally crashed aircraft By Simon Hradecky, created Monday, Dec 8th 2014 16:00Z, last updated Monday, Dec 8th 2014 16:05Z Namibias Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigations (DAAI) released an interim report reporting that the aircraft was enroute at FL380 shortly after the mandatory reporting point EXEDU, when the aircraft began a rapid descent. The Investigation re-iterated the preliminary report of 2013, that the autopilots target altitude was selected down in three different steps (first FL380 to 4,288 feet, then 1,888 feet and final 592 feet) to below ground elevation, the autothrust systems target airspeed was adjusted several times to remain close to Mmo/Vmo, there were overspeed warnings several times during the descent, the cabin air conditioning system number 2 was manually deactivated, the speed brakes were manually deployed (and remained in that position until end of flight data recordings), the vertical speed reached a maximum rate of descent of 10,560 feet per minute and stating: During all this actions there was audible low and high chimes as well as repeated banging an indication for call to enter the cockpit. During the last 2500 feet AGL the EGPWS issued several caution and warnings including Terrain, Pull Up!. According to radar data the aircraft was lost from radar when it descended through 6600 feet MSL, by that time it had travelled 87.4km/47.2nm in 6 minutes 43 seconds since the aircraft left FL380. The Investigation reported that there had been no distress call by the crew nor had there been a signal from the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) after impact with the ground at 3,390 feet MSL. The captain (49, ATPL, 9,053 hour total, 2,520 hours on type) was pilot flying at the time the aircraft left FL380, the first officer (24, CPL, 1,183 hours total, no hours on type provided except 101 hours on type in the last 90 days) had left the cockpit prior to the aircraft leaving FL380. The data were successfully downloaded off both flight data and cockpit voice recorder. The investigation performed a simulator test at Azuls simulator base in Brazil to verify whether pilot inputs as recorded by the flight data recorder would result in an aircraft performance as recorded by the flight data recorder. The last 12 minutes of flight were replicated, the test results match the flight data recordings.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 23:59:53 +0000
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