Air Crash Investigations Lack Of Experience The Crash Of A Maryland State Police Helicopter

On September 27, 2008, about 2358 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale Helicopter (Eurocopter) operated by the Maryland State Police (MSP) encountered instrument meteorological conditions was diverted to Andrews Air Force Base (ADW), Camp Springs, Maryland. About 3.2 miles north of the runway 19R threshold at ADW, during an instrument landing system approach, the helicopter impacted terrain and crashed. The pilot, one flight paramedic, one field provider, and one of two automobile accident patients being transported were killed. The helicopter was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and terrain in Walker Mill Regional Park, District Heights, Maryland. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's lack of experience and lacking support of supporting institutions.

On July 26, 2002, about 0537 eastern daylight time, Federal Express flight 1478, a Boeing 727-232F, on its way from Memphis International Airport to Tallahassee Regional airport, struck trees on short final approach and crashed short of runway 9 at the Tallahassee Regional Airport, Florida. The flight was operating as a scheduled cargo flight from Memphis, to Tallahassee. The captain, first officer, and flight engineer were seriously injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact and resulting fire. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the crew's failure to establish and maintain a proper glidepath during the night visual approach to landing. Contributing to the accident was a combination of the captain's and first officer's fatigue, the crew's failure to monitor the approach, and the first officer's color vision deficiency.

On December 29, 1972 an Eastern Air Lines' Lockheed L-1011, as Flight 401 on its way from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, to Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, crashed at 2342 eastern standard time in the Everglades, approximately 18 miles west northwest of Miami International Airport. The aircraft was destroyed. There were 163 passengers and a crew of 13 aboard the aircraft, 99 people died in the crash. The flight was diverted because of problems with the nose landing gear The aircraft climbed to 2,000 feet while the crew attempted to correct the problem. Surviving passengers and crewmembers stated that the flight was routine and operated normally before impact with the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident, was preoccupation with a malfunction of the nose landing gear position indicating system distracted the crew's attention from the instruments and allowed the descent to go unnoticed.

On 17 July 2007, at 17:19 local time, an Airbus A-320, operated as flight JJ3054 by TAM Linhas Aéreas, was on its way from Porto Alegre, Brazil, for a domestic flight to Congonhas Airport in São Paulo city, São Paulo State, Brazil. During the landing, at 18:54 local time, the aircraft veered to the left, overran the left edge of the runway, collided with a building, and with a fuel service station. All persons on board - six crewmembers, and 181 passengers - perished. The crash also caused 12 fatalities on the ground. The runway had recently been resurfaced, but it did not yet have water-channeling grooves cut into it to reduce the danger of hydroplaning, making landing during rain a dangerous endeavour. Flight Data Recorder information showed that immediately prior to touchdown, both thrust levers were in CL (or "climb") position, with engine power being governed by the flight computer's autothrottle system.

On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737-222, was a scheduled flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C. There were 74 passengers and 5 crewmembers on board. The flight was delayed about 1 hour 45 minutes due to a moderate to heavy snowfall. Shortly after takeoff the aircraft crashed at 1601 e.s.t. into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River and plunged into the ice-covered river, 0.75 nmi from the departure end of runway 36. Four passengers and one crewmember survived the crash. Four persons in the vehicles on the bridge were killed; four were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flightcrew's failure to use engine anti-ice during ground operation and takeoff, and to take off with snow/ice on the airfoil surfaces of the aircraft. Contributing to the accident were the ground delay between de-icing and takeoff clearance.

On 28 November 2008, a Boeing 777-200ER, operated by British Airways as flight BA38, on its way from Beijing, China to London (Heathrow), suffered on approach to Heathrow Airport an in-flight engine rollback. At 720 feet agl, the right engine ceased responding to autothrottle commands for increased power and instead the power reduced to 1.03 Engine Pressure Ratio (EPR). Seven seconds later the left engine power reduced to 1.02 EPR. This reduction led to a loss of airspeed and the aircraft touching down some 330 m short of the paved surface of Runway 27L at London Heathrow. The investigation identified that the reduction in thrust was due to restricted fuel flow to both engines. It was determined that the restriction occurred most probably in the Fuel Oil Heat Exchangers. The investigation identified the forming of ice in the fuel system as probable cause. The aircraft was destroyed, but there were no casualties.

On January 15, 2009, about 1527 eastern standard time, US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus Industrie A320-214, N106US, experienced an almost complete loss of thrust in both engines after encountering a flock of birds and was subsequently ditched on the Hudson River about 8.5 miles from LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City, New York. The flight was en route to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, and had departed LGA about 2 minutes before the in-flight event occurred. The 150 passengers and 5 crewmembers evacuated the airplane via the forward and overwing exits. One flight attendant and four passengers were seriously injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged beyond repair. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the ingestion of large birds into each engine, which resulted in an almost total loss of thrust in both engines and the subsequent ditching on the Hudson River.