ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan 8R-GAB Matthews Ridge Airport (MWJ)

Home » Database » 2015

Status:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:	Friday 9 January 2015
Time:	08:28
Type:	Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Operator:	Trans Guyana Airways
Registration:	8R-GAB
MSN:	208B1070
First flight:	2004
Total airframe hrs:	13488
Engines:	1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A
Crew:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 14
Total:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 15
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Aircraft fate:	Repaired
Location:	Matthews Ridge Airport (MWJ) ( Guyana)
Phase:	Landing (LDG)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Georgetown-Ogle International Airport (OGL/SYGO), Guyana
Destination airport:	Matthews Ridge Airport (MWJ/SYMR), Guyana
Flightnumber:	TGA103A

Narrative:
Trans Guyana Airways flight 103A, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft, departed Ogle International Airport at 12:35 UTC for Matthews Ridge Airstrip, with one crew and twelve passengers and two infants on board. The flight to Matthews Ridge was uneventful until the final approach to land. The aircraft approached the runway from the left and had to make a steep bank in an attempt to establish on the runway centerline. The aircraft was slow in the turn and was possibly further slowed by the steep bank causing the aircraft to exhibit the characteristics of an imminent accelerated stall. This forced the aircraft's rate of sink to increase and the pilot was unable to stabilize the aircraft's approach. The aircraft's port wing touched the ground first, followed by
the port undercarriage. There were no injuries or fatalities.

Probable Cause:

Cause:
The probable cause of the accident was that the aircraft was slow and close to the threshold on left base of RWY29. The pilot executed and maintained a steep left turn which resulted in the
aircraft experiencing an incipient accelerated stall.

Contributory Causes:
1. The approach to landing was not properly configured, which resulted in an unsafe and unstable approach.
2. Although he felt the aircraft buffeting, the pilot did not recognize that there was an impending accelerated stall and did not react in a timely manner to correct it.
3. The weather was not conducive to VFR operations.
4. Given the prevailing weather conditions, the pilot should not have descended below the MSA of 3000ft.
5. It is believed that the pilot may have established a mindset to land because another pilot had landed four minutes earlier.

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency:	GCAA-AIT
Status:	Investigation completed
Duration:	1 year and 3 months
Accident number:	GCAA: 2/5/1/78
Download report:	Final report

Classification:

Landing after unstabilized approach
Runway mishap

Follow-up / safety actions

GCAA-AIT issued 8 Safety Recommendations

Issued: --	To:	8R-GAB(1)
The Pilot must be retrained in the following areas for the amount of time indicated:- a) Aviation Weather in general; contents and interpretation of aviation weather reports and forecasts. at least 10hrs. b) Cockpit Resource Management, with emphasis on single crew operations. at least 5hrs. c) Decision making in a single crew environment, including the importance of selfdiscipline. Developing a sense of Situational Awareness in order to recognize hazards early and actions to be taken to avoid or mitigate these. at least 5hrs. d) Recognizing impending stalls and how to correct these. This must include recognition of the Stall Warning Horn. at least 5hrs. e) Review and retraining in all aspects of aircraft operations, especially approach and landing procedures to re-enforce the need to stabilize the aircraft on final before attempting to land. at least 5hrs. f) Flight planning must include an alternate course of action in event an unplanned situation develops. This Plan B? must include a plan to proceed to an alternate airstrip or back to base. There must be no pre-determined mindset to complete the mission. at least 5hrs. g) These activities must be completed satisfactorily and the pilot must fly for at least six months with training captains. Part of this training must be conducted during two rainy seasons. After completion of the flight training, he must be checked by the Chief pilot or Director of Operations before being released as pilot in command.
Issued: --	To: Trans Guyana Airways	8R-GAB(2)
The operator must:- a) Provide training in weather observation and reporting to its agents at all destinations. This training must include the necessity for accurate reports including all essential elements of a weather report and the effects on aircraft operations. b) Provide training to the operations Staff who receive weather reports on the contents of weather reports and the proper recording of same. c) Encourage pilots and operations staff to use the services provided by the National Weather Watch Center.
Issued: --	To: Trans Guyana Airways	8R-GAB(3)
The operator must introduce and maintain a system that ensures that its pilots and other technical staff remain current in all areas of flight operations. Apart from briefs during skills tests, this can be done by means of regular group sessions, seminars, and guest lectures, etc. and by setting periodic oral and written examinations. This will encourage pilots to continue reading after ground school in order to keep their knowledge current.
Issued: --	To: Trans Guyana Airways	8R-GAB(4)
In view of the normally difficult terrain and the heavy work load of single crew operations in the Cessna Caravan, the operator may wish to consider moving to two crew operations on some of the more difficult routes and aerodromes.
Issued: --	To: Guyana CAA	8R-GAB(5)
The GCAA must advise the aerodrome owner to maintain and make available the full length of the runway for use by pilots.
Issued: --	To: Guyana CAA	8R-GAB(6)
The GCAA must update the AIP to show that the aerodrome orientation is 10/28 and publish the corrected information as required.
Issued: --	To: Guyana CAA	8R-GAB(7)
The GCAA should consider a system for assessment and approval for foreign flight schools that will be acceptable for persons desirous of flying in Guyana.
Issued: --	To: Guyana CAA	8R-GAB(8)
Bearing in mind the generally challenging operating conditions for aircraft operating in Guyana, the Authority may consider a requirement for two crew operations for certain single crew aircraft/operations.

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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 Georgetown-Ogle International Airport to Matthews Ridge Airport as the crow flies is 240 km (150 miles).

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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