Date:	Tuesday 10 June 2008
Time:	20:26
Type:	Airbus A310-324
Owner/operator:	Sudan Airways
Registration:	ST-ATN
MSN:	548
Year of manufacture:	1990
Total airframe hrs:	53233 hours
Cycles:	21524 flights
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney PW4152
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 214
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Khartoum-Civil Airport (KRT) -   Sudan
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Damascus International Airport (DAM/OSDI)
Destination airport:	Khartoum-Civil Airport (KRT/HSSS)
Investigating agency:	AAICD
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
An Airbus A310-324 passenger plane, registered ST-ATN, was destroyed in an accident at Khartoum-Civil Airport, Sudan. There were 203 passengers and 11 crew members on board. One crew member and 29 passengers were killed.
The aircraft was operated with a deactivated no. 1 engine reverser as per Minimum Equipment List (MEL) procedures, being a carry forward defect. This was accepted by the pilot who operated the return flight from Khartoum to Amman.
Sudan Airways Flight 109 was the return leg from Amman, Jordan to Khartoum, Sudan with an en route stop at Damascus, Syria. The airplane diverted to Port Sudan due to inclement weather at Khartoum. After staying on ground at Port Sudan for about 1:15 hour, and being informed that the weather was getting better, the captain decided to continue to Khartoum.
Weather was poor with CB clouds and a thunderstorm as the Airbus approached Khartoum. The flight was cleared to land on runway 36 with wind information given as 320 degrees at 7 knots. In reality however, there was a 15 knot tail wind. The runway was reported being wet.
The Airbus touched down 900 metres past the runway threshold and the captain selected both thrust reversers to maximum reverse. Reverser no. 2 deployed normally and no. 1 remained stowed. Because of asymmetrical reverse, the airplane skidded to the right. Ten seconds after touch down both reversers were stowed and thrust levers were set to idle. The captain put the aircraft back to the centre line by using differential braking. The captain then switched the anti-skid off and applied full braking on both pedals, causing the wheels to lock. The aircraft longitudinally overran the runway and came to a stop 215 meters after the runway end. Then it caught fire on its right side.
Fire services arrived late at the scene of the accident due to acute shortage in fire fighting personnel, and the fact that there was no means of communication between the fire station and the vehicles.

Cause of the accident:
"The accident was due to a long flaring distance (900 meters from R/W threshold) on a wet slippery runway without selecting Auto brake and with one deactivated engine reverse in such rainy conditions. The remaining available landing distance turned out to be too short to allow the captain to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway.
Contributing factors:
The wind information was not appropriate as it was tail wind at time of landing. The crew was not aware about the aircraft ground speed and the tail wind."

14:30 UTC / 17:30 local time:
HSSS 101430Z 12013KT 3000 M TS/RA FEW050CB SCT056 BKN140 Q1011 NO SIG=

17:00 UTC / 20:00 local time:
HSSS 101700Z 27002KT 9/9 TS RA OV ST FEW050 SCT056 BKN140 26/26 Q1013 NO SIG=

18:30 UTC / 21:30 local time:
HSSS 101830Z 15010KT 9/9 FEW050 CB TS TO E SCT 056 Q1010=

19:00 UTC / 22:00 local time:
HSSS 101900Z 14007KT 9/9 FEW050 CB TS TOE SCT056 30/19 Q1010 NO SIG=

SKYbrary 
AFP

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

7 March 1994	9V-STU	Singapore Airlines	0	Perth Airport, WA (PER/YPPH)		min
Collision with Ground support equipment

photo (c) orbawe; Khartoum-Civil Airport (KRT/HSSS); 11 June 2008

photo (c) Werner Fischdick; Singapore-Changi International Airport (SIN/WSSS); 24 December 2005

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