Date:	Friday 20 February 2009
Time:	04:18
Type:	Antonov An-12B
Owner/operator:	Aerolift Company
Registration:	S9-SVN
MSN:	6344310
Year of manufacture:	1966
Engine model:	Ivchenko AI-20M
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Luxor Airport (LXR) -   Egypt
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Luxor Airport (LXR/HELX)
Destination airport:	Nikolaev Airport (NLV/UKON)
Investigating agency:	ECAA
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Antonov An-12 cargo plane, registered S9-SVN, crashed on takeoff from Luxor Airport, Egypt, killing all five crew members.
The aircraft was previously owned by the Moldovian operator Aeriantur-M Airlines as ER-AXI. The airline ceased operations in January 2007 following an accident with one of its aircraft. It was subsequently sold to a private person and underwent C-check maintenance in the United Arab Emirates between March and May 2007. Meanwhile, in April. the Certificate of Airworthiness expired. There was information that the aircraft kept on flying in D.R. Congo.
In 2008 Antonov was contacted to perform additional maintenance on the aircraft, which resulted in an agreement and a planned ferry flight in 2009. The aircraft certificate of temporary register in the state of Sao Tome as S9-SVN valid from 21 January 2009 until 20 February. A special flight permit was issued for a ferry flight valid till 20 February between Kisangani Airport, D.R. Congo Nikolaev Airport, Ukraine. The permit and the registration were for Aerolift Company Limited.
The aircraft departed Kisangani and proceeded to Entebbe Airport, Uganda, and Luxor Airport in Egypt.
After refuelling, the engines were started and the flight was cleared to taxi to runway 02 for departure. At 04:18 local time the aircraft began the takeoff roll. The aircraft failed to become airborne and continued rolling past the end of the runway into the sand. It crossed a service road and crashed into buildings in a military zone 500 meters from the runway end.

After the accident numerous safety violations were discovered. The service life of the aircraft had expired and the Sao Tome authorities did not inspect the aircraft prior to issuing a temporary Certificate of Airworthiness and ferry permit.
The engines and propellers had reprinted numbers plates without documentation to confirm their service life or airworthiness. Additionally, the engines on the aircraft were of different types (AI-20M and AI-20K).
The crew did not have enough time for rest. The decision of the crew to fly was influenced by the fact that the temporary certificate of airworthiness expired on 20 February, 2009.

PROBABLE CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT:
- Lack of available thrust which corresponded to the power of only two engines running during take off run
- Lack of authorized maintenance of the aircraft.
- The uncoordinated crew actions in the critical situation (both pilots had previously flown as captains). The lack of coordination is confirmed by the braking trails left by the main landing gear at the end of RWY -02, based on FCOM instructions, and in case of rejected takeoff attempt, the crew had to set the throttles to idle, lower the nose gear to reach the runway and then use the propellers for braking (releasing them from the stops). Also, to reduce the roll and to maintain the direction they were to use the nose wheel steering and wheel brakes as well as emergency braking if needed.
Actually the crew did neither of the above procedures, except using the main wheel brakes.

02:00 UTC / 04:00 local time:
HELX 200200Z 17002KT CAVOK 14/01 Q1014 NOSIG=
Wind 170 degrees, 2 kts, Ceiling unlimited, Sky clear, Temperature 14°C, Dewpoint 1°C

Reuters
ukranews.com
ITAR-TASS

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