Date:	Monday 25 November 2024
Time:	05:28 LT
Type:	Boeing 737-476 (SF)
Owner/operator:	Swiftair, opf DHL
Registration:	EC-MFE
MSN:	24445/2539
Year of manufacture:	1993
Total airframe hrs:	63573 hours
Cycles:	43745 flights
Engine model:	CFMI CFM56-3C1
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	c. 1,3 km N of Vilnius International Airport (VNO/EYVI) -   Lithuania
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Leipzig Airport (LEJ/EDDP)
Destination airport:	Vilnius Airport (VNO/EYVI)
Investigating agency:	TAIID
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
DHL flight QY5960 (callsign BCS18D/Postman 18D), a Boeing 737-476 (SF), EC-MFE, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while on final approach to runway 19 at Vilnius International Airport (VNO/EYVI), Lithuania.
One pilot was killed. The second pilot and two passengers survived with unspecified injuries. A residential building caught fire as well.

At 02:08 UTC the aircraft took-off from Leipzig Halle Airport (LEJ). The takeoff at RWY26L from Leipzig Halle airport (EDDP/LEJ). The co-pilot was the pilot flying.
At 03:06 the crew completed the descent checklist, omitting the landing data step.
Two minutes later the captain switched frequencies from Warsaw ACC and tried to contact Vilnius ACC, but got no response.
After a discussion with the co-pilot about the correct frequency, the captain changed the frequency and radioed Vilnius ACC at 03:10. Vilnius ACC responded and gave the clearance to descent to FL 100.
At 03:17 Vilnius ACC instructed the crew to change frequency to Vilnius Approach on 120.705 MHz.
About that time the the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) recorded that the HYD SYS B ELEC pump and HYD SYS B EDP both went into the OFF position. The HYD SYS ENG R indicated low pressure. The autopilot, which was engaged in CMD B, disconnected and an aural alert was triggered. A master caution light was also triggered but was immediately cancelled by the crew. Two additional attempts were made to re-engage the autopilot B, however they were both unsuccessful. The co-pilot flew the aircraft from this point forward with autopilot disengaged and auto-thrust engaged.
According to the CVR the captain made two attempts to contact Vilnius Approach. The captain switched to the previous frequency of Vilnius ACC and at 03:18:19 hrs asked to confirm 118.705 MHz as frequency of Vilnius Approach. Vilnius ACC corrected the frequency to 120.705 MHz.
At 03:18 the captain established radio contact to Vilnius Approach.
At 03.22 the crew accomplished the approach checklist.
At 03:23 the crew began discussing measures to reduce speed, the captain deployed the speed brakes and advised the co-pilot to raise the nose. At 03:24 the captain called for flaps 5. The CVR recorder an audible several clicks, which were most likely coming from a flap handle movement. FDR data show that the actual flap position remained at flaps zero (flaps up).
At 03:26 the aircraft reached the final approach phase. At the same time the co-pilot asked the captain for gear down and flaps 15. The captain stated that they were still very fast and that the co-pilot has to reduce speed first.
Vilnius Approach then contacted the crew and stated "Postman one eight delta, four miles from touchdown, contact tower, one one eight two zero five". The captain responded to the radio call for change to tower frequency "one one eight zero five, postman one eight delta". The captain made several attempts to contact Vilnius Tower on the incorrect frequency.
At 03:27:42 the captain stated that the runway was in sight and the co-pilot should further reduce speed. This happened simultaneously with the captain recognizing that he selected the wrong frequency.
At 03:27:56 the co-pilot recognized that flaps were still retracted. Immediately after, the stick shaker activated and a “Sink Rate, Pull Up” warning was triggered by the enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS). At 03:28:02 the crew called for a go around. The auto throttle was set to GoAround (GA) mode and the engines accelerated to above 90% N1 when the aircraft impacted terrain.


ADS-B data suggests the aircraft overshot the runway centreline during the right-hand turn to final approach.
It became lined up about 1 nm past the Final Approach Point (FAP) for the ILS runway 19 approach, about 5,4 nm short of the runway threshold.
The aircraft impacted terrain about 0,8 nm short of runway 19.

Weather about the accident time (0328Z):
METAR EYVI 250250Z 17017KT 9999 OVC008 01/M01 Q1020 TEMPO OVC005
METAR EYVI 250320Z 18017KT 9999 OVC007 01/M01 Q1020 TEMPO OVC005
METAR EYVI 250350Z 18015KT 9999 OVC008 01/M00 Q1020 TEMPO OVC005
METAR EYVI 250420Z 18016KT 9999 OVC008 01/M00 Q1020 NOSIG

https://sia.lrv.lt/public/canonical/1743410501/521/2024-12-20%20Boeing%20737-400SF%20EC-MFE%20Interim%20Report.pdf

https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2422090/cargo-plane-crashes-in-vilnius-one-person-killed
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/25/world/europe/dhl-lithuania-plane-crash.html

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=34464a&lat=54.653&lon=25.289&zoom=13.0&showTrace=2024-11-25&trackLabels×tamp=1732505285
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/BCS18D/history/20241125/0217Z/EDDP/EYVI

AIP, ILS Z 19 approach:
https://www.ans.lt/a1/aip/002_13Jun2024/2024-06-13-AIRAC/graphics/eAIP/6364135_EY_AD_2_EYVI_22_IAC_ILSz_RWY19_en.pdf

Ex N245SY, XU-886, N245SY, VH-TJT

EC-MFE at BSL, September 2021. Photo: Olivier CABARET

Figure: TAIID

? #BREAKING . DHL cargo plane crashes near Vilnius airport (Lithuania)

Preliminary reports indicate it crashed near a residential building.

via . Reuters
video . DELFI pic.twitter.com/95UXKAH6BK

— United Alerts (@unitedalerts) November 25, 2024

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Nov-2024 05:53	vasilf	Added
25-Nov-2024 06:05	vasilf	Updated [Operator, ]
25-Nov-2024 06:08	vasilf	Updated [Source, ]
25-Nov-2024 06:38	vasilf	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 06:41	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, ]
25-Nov-2024 07:12	Captain Adam	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 07:24	ASN	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 07:35	ASN	Updated [Location, Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 08:28	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 08:58	Anon.	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 09:04	ASN	Updated [Other fatalities, Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 09:13	ASN	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 09:31	ASN	Updated [Photo, ]
25-Nov-2024 09:33	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 10:17	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 10:20	ASN	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 10:34	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 11:01	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
25-Nov-2024 11:21	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 13:50	Anon.	Updated [Embed code, Category, ]
25-Nov-2024 14:49	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 14:55	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 15:14	Anon.	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 15:44	ASN	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 15:45	ASN	Updated [Embed code, ]
25-Nov-2024 15:46	ASN	Updated
01-Apr-2025 11:27	Justanormalperson	Updated [Source, ]
01-Apr-2025 11:37	ASN	Updated
08-Apr-2025 09:12	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
08-Apr-2025 09:14	ASN	Updated [Photo, ]