Accident description
languages:
| Status: | Final |
| Date: | 14 FEB 2008 |
| Time: | 04:19 |
| Type: | Canadair CRJ100ER (CL-600-2B19) |
| Operator: | Belavia |
| Registration: | EW-101PJ |
| C/n / msn: | 7316 |
| First flight: | 1999 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 15563 |
| Cycles: | 14352 |
| Engines: | 2 General Electric CF34-3A1 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 18 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 21 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN) (Armenia)
 |
| Phase: | Takeoff (TOF) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN/UDYZ), Armenia |
| Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ/UMMS), Belarus | |
| Flightnumber: | 1834 |
A Canadair CRJ100ER passenger jet, operated by Belavia, was destroyed when crashed and burned on takeoff from Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN), Armenia. All three crew members and eighteen passengers survived the accident.
The airplane arrived as flight BRU1833 from Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ), Belarus at 02:05.
Refueling was carried out in preparation for the return flight and the crew conducted the flight planning. After refueling the pilot carried out a tactile and visual inspection of all critical surfaces of the wing and visual inspection of the tail assembly. All the planes were clean and dry.
The weather reported for the 04:00 was: wind 110 degrees at the ground 1 m/sec, visibility 3500 meters, haze, small clouds, vertical visibility of 800 meters, scattered clouds at 3000 m, a temperature of minus 3° C, dew point minus 4° C, pressure 1019 hPa.
At 04:08 both engines were started. The engine air intake heating (cowl anti-ice) was switched on but the wing anti-icing system was not switched on. The crew taxied to runway 27 and were cleared for departure.
During takeoff the airplane progressively banked left until the left wing tip contacted runway. The airplane went off the side with the airplane rolling the the right. The right hand wing broke off and spilled fuel caught fire. The airplane came to rest upside down.
CONCLUSION (translated from Russian):
The accident involving aircraft CRJ-100LR registration number EW-101PJ was the result of an asymmetric loss of lift of the wing during take-off, which led to the toppling of the aircraft immediately after liftoff from the runway, the left wing tip contacting the ground, the subsequent destruction and fire.
The reason for the loss of lift of the wing at the actual weather conditions, was the formation of frost, which "pollutes" the surface of the wing. The cause of formation of frost, most likely, was the fuel icing, while the aircraft was parked at the airport and during taxiing for the return flight, resulting in a difference in temperature of the surrounding air and cold fuel in the tanks after the flight.
The situation could be aggravated when exceeding the values recommended by the operations manual of the angular velocity when lifting the nose wheel during takeoff with "contaminated" wings when it is impossible to monitor this parameter instrumentally.
Existing procedural methods of control of the aerodynamic surfaces of the aircraft before departure, along with the inefficiency, during takeoff, the existing system of protection from stalling due to increased sensitivity of the wing, even to a slight contamination of the leading edge, can not fully guarantee the prevention of similar accidents in future.
An Airworthiness Directive on the need to include anti-icing systems on the wing in the final stage of taxiing at the actual weather conditions was issued by Transport Canada after the accident. This probably could have prevented the accident. Follow-up / safety actions:
Transport Canada issued Airworthiness Directive CF-2008-15 on 7 March 2008. The directive mandated the introduction of additional limitations and procedures to the airplane flight manual (AFM) and required that any operator’s Pilot’s Checklist fully reflects these procedures. In order not to compromise the takeoff operational safety margin, strict adherence to all the AFM procedures and limitations was required.
A revised AD was issued on 3 September 2008, additionaly requiring specific pilot training on or before 1 November 2008 with regard to enhanced take-off procedures and winter operations.
Events:
Sources:
» MAK Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC)
» Reuters
» Belavia press release
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN/UDYZ) to Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ/UMMS) as the crow flies is 1945 km (1215 miles).
Distance from Yerevan-Zvartnots Airport (EVN/UDYZ) to Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ/UMMS) as the crow flies is 1945 km (1215 miles).
