Narrative:
An Embraer 120ER Brasilia turboprop plane, registered VH-ANB, was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Darwin Airport, NT (DRW), Australia. Both pilots were killed.
The EMB-120 prepared to take off from the taxiway E2 intersection of runway 29. The flight was a training flight to revalidate the captain's command instrument rating. The supervisory pilot/training captain advised the aerodrome controller that the departure would incorporate asymmetric flight (a simulated engine failure), and was approved by the controller to perform the manoeuvre.
Witnesses reported that the takeoff appeared 'normal' until a few moments after becoming airborne, when the aircraft rolled and diverged left from its takeoff path. They watched as the aircraft continued rolling left, and entered a steep nose-down attitude. The airplane impacted the ground in a right wing-low, nose-down attitude of about 65 degrees. A high intensity, fuel-fed fire that followed the collision with the ground destroyed most of the fuselage and cabin and right wing.
CONTRIBUTING SAFETY FACTORS:
- The pilot in command initiated a simulated left engine failure just after becoming airborne and at a speed that did not allow adequate margin for error.
- The pilot in command simulated a failure of the left engine by selecting flight idle instead of zero thrust, thereby simulating a simultaneous failure of the left engine and its propeller autofeather system, instead of a failure of the engine alone.
- The pilot under check operated the aircraft at a speed and attitude (bank angle) that when uncorrected, resulted in a loss of control.
- The pilot under check increased his workload by increasing torque on the right engine and selecting the yaw damper.
- The pilot in command probably became preoccupied and did not abandon the simulated engine failure after the heading and speed tolerance for the manoeuvre were exceeded and before control of the aircraft was lost.
Loss of control
» ATSB Report AO-2010-019
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 22 March 2010 |
| Time: | 10:09 |
| Type: |  Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia |
| Operator: | Airnorth |
| Registration: | VH-ANB |
| MSN: | 120116 |
| First flight: | 1988 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 32799 |
| Cycles: | 33700 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Darwin Airport, NT (DRW) ( Australia)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 31 m (102 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN), Australia |
| Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN), Australia |
An Embraer 120ER Brasilia turboprop plane, registered VH-ANB, was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Darwin Airport, NT (DRW), Australia. Both pilots were killed.
The EMB-120 prepared to take off from the taxiway E2 intersection of runway 29. The flight was a training flight to revalidate the captain's command instrument rating. The supervisory pilot/training captain advised the aerodrome controller that the departure would incorporate asymmetric flight (a simulated engine failure), and was approved by the controller to perform the manoeuvre.
Witnesses reported that the takeoff appeared 'normal' until a few moments after becoming airborne, when the aircraft rolled and diverged left from its takeoff path. They watched as the aircraft continued rolling left, and entered a steep nose-down attitude. The airplane impacted the ground in a right wing-low, nose-down attitude of about 65 degrees. A high intensity, fuel-fed fire that followed the collision with the ground destroyed most of the fuselage and cabin and right wing.
Probable Cause:
CONTRIBUTING SAFETY FACTORS:
- The pilot in command initiated a simulated left engine failure just after becoming airborne and at a speed that did not allow adequate margin for error.
- The pilot in command simulated a failure of the left engine by selecting flight idle instead of zero thrust, thereby simulating a simultaneous failure of the left engine and its propeller autofeather system, instead of a failure of the engine alone.
- The pilot under check operated the aircraft at a speed and attitude (bank angle) that when uncorrected, resulted in a loss of control.
- The pilot under check increased his workload by increasing torque on the right engine and selecting the yaw damper.
- The pilot in command probably became preoccupied and did not abandon the simulated engine failure after the heading and speed tolerance for the manoeuvre were exceeded and before control of the aircraft was lost.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Simulated engine failureLoss of control
Sources:
» Two pilots killed in Darwin plane crash (Nationwide News, 22-3-2010)» ATSB Report AO-2010-019
Photos
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
accident date: 22-03-2010
type: Embraer 120ER Brasilia
registration: VH-ANB
Video, social media
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEC 1988 | PT-SNE | Embraer | manufactured |
| 14 MAR 1989 | G-EXEL | Air Exel | delivered |
| 23 MAR 1990 | G-EXEL | CSE Air | leased |
| JUL 1990 | G-EXEL | Air Exel | returned from lease |
| 01 AUG 1990 | G-EXEL | Luxair | leased |
| AUG 1991 | G-EXEL | Air Exel | returned from lease |
| 1993 | converted from EMB-120RT to EMB-120ER | ||
| JUN 1993 | VH-XFX | Flight West Airlines | bought |
| 23 APR 2001 | VH-XFX | Flight West Airlines | Suffered a loss of engine power during cruise flight; engine shut down and prop feathered. Retured to Brisbane. The hydro-mechanical unit (HMU) on the right engine had malfunctioned and was replaced. |
| JUN 2001 | VH-XFX | Flight West Airlines | withdrawn from use; stored |
| JUL 2002 | VH-XFX | Capiteq Ltd | bought |
| JUL 2002 | VH-XFX | Airnorth | leased |
| 31 JAN 2003 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | new registration |
| 10 JUL 2003 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Landing gear hydraulic leak at Dili-Comoro Airport (DIL/WPDL) |
| 23 FEB 2004 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Suffered birstrike at Kununurra Airport, WA (KNX/YPKU) |
| 29 MAR 2004 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Suffered birstrike at Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN) |
| 08 APR 2004 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Gear-unsafe indication at Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN) |
| 22 JUN 2004 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Suffered birstrike at Gove-Nhulunbuy Airport, NT (GOV/YPGV) |
| 25 JUN 2004 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Engine duct leak discovered at Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN) |
| 20 DEC 2004 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * GPWS warning near Kununurra Airport, WA (KNX/YPKU) |
| 08 MAR 2005 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Suffered lightning strike near Pine Creek |
| 18 JUN 2005 | VH-ANB | Airnorth | * Suffered birstrike on landing at Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN) |
| [*] = Minor occurrences reported to ATSB |
Map
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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