Serbian investigators have revealed that the captain of an Embraer 195 pressured the first officer to accept an incorrect take-off calculation after taxiing onto the wrong runway intersection at Belgrade.

The Marathon Airlines aircraft – operating a service for Air Serbia on 18 February last year – subsequently took off from the D5 intersection of runway 30L, with insufficient length to become safely airborne.

It struck its tail on a grass surface during rotation and collided with the localiser antenna, suffering substantial damage before returning to the airport to land.

Marathon accident 2-c-CINS

While Serbian investigation authority CINS had previously disclosed the intersection error – the jet was supposed to depart from D6 – its interim findings into the accident detail an extraordinary interaction between the pilots.

CINS says the captain was “showing a superior attitude” towards the first officer during informal conversations between the two while taxiing.

While progressing on taxiway A, running parallel to runway 30L, the first officer incorrectly assessed that the jet was already at the D6 intersection, and suggested reporting to the tower that they were ready for take-off. The aircraft was still at D5.

The tower cleared the aircraft to enter the runway via D6 but the captain – without checking visually – instead took the D5 turning and taxied onto the runway.

This left the aircraft with just 1,273m take-off distance rather than the 2,349m available from D6.

Marathon accident-c-CINS

Although air traffic control identified the error and suggested a taxi route that would return the aircraft to the D6 intersection, CINS states that the captain refused.

Instead the captain performed a new take-off calculation, entering data with “significant discrepancies” to the entries of the first officer during the original calculation for a D6 departure.

These discrepancies included changing the runway and intersection, from 30L and D6 to the opposite-direction 12R and D5 – giving an available take-off distance of 2,266m. The captain’s entry for the take-off weight, 43.9t, also differed from the figure on the loadsheet.

“Failure to follow standard operating procedures led to different data being entered,” says CINS. “The absence of a standard departure briefing resulted in incorrect data being entered into the aircraft’s [flight-management system].”

Marathon accident 3-c-CINS

The captain was “confident” that the runway was long enough, it states, and opted for a D5 intersection take-off.

CINS adds that he “put pressure” on the first officer to accept that the length was sufficient, and the first officer yielded without double-checking the performance calculation. The crew commenced the take-off without making changes to criteria including the aircraft’s configuration.

Even though the crew noticed, at the 80kt check, that the runway end was approaching, the first officer did not apply full thrust. After the V1 and rotation speed call-outs, the first officer pulled sharply on the control column, causing the jet to pitch 10° nose-up and leading to the tail-strike before the aircraft struck the localiser antenna.

Only after realising that the aircraft was not climbing did the first officer apply additional thrust with trim, enabling it to achieve a stable positive increase in height.





Source link

Posted in
Uncategorized
Related Posts
Limousine Comments are Closed

Plan the perfect NYC Memorial Day weekend

Pack only what you need and avoid overpacking to streamline the check-in and security screening…

News Comments are Closed

LA’s worst traffic areas and how to avoid them

Consider using alternative routes, such as Sepulveda Boulevard, which runs parallel to the 405 in…

E195 collision captain pressured pilot to accept wrong take-off calculation

Serbian investigators have revealed that the captain of an Embraer 195 pressured the first officer…

Accounts for green carrier Ecojet Airlines show continued spending but little progress towards operational launch

Environmentally conscious UK start-up Ecojet Airlines appears no closer to launch despite another year’s trading…

Air Baltic recruits former SAS and Finnair finance head as next chief executive

Air Baltic has named former SAS and Finnair finance head Erno Hilden as its new…

Norse Atlantic sees glimmers of profitability as new strategy takes hold

Norse Atlantic has turned in its first operating profit for the second quarter, a figure…

British Airways turns in profitable full year for Euroflyer short-haul operation

British Airways has revealed its short-haul London Gatwick operation BA Euroflyer turned in a pre-tax…

German aviation association urges tax cut as carriers ‘avoid’ country’s airports

German airline representatives are claiming that point-to-point carriers have not restored their fleets stationed in…

Crew chided for flying A220 despite being told of door damage

Czech investigators have disclosed that the crew of an Airbus A220-300 twice ignored incidents of…

Air France introduces automatic flight-connection priority scheme at Paris hub

Air France is introducing a new initiative to assist connecting passengers at Paris Charles de…

Ukraine International faces unlimited liability over shot-down 737-800

Ukraine International Airlines has lost an appeal against a legal ruling that it failed to…

Post a comment

Your email address will not be published.