On 4 October 2019, Ukraine Air Alliance Flight 4050 crashed due to fuel exhaustion on approach to Lviv International Airport, during a flight from Vigo, Spain to Istanbul, Turkey via Lviv, Ukraine, killing five people, and three people were seriously injured. The aircraft was an Antonov An-12. [1]
Aircraft
The accident aircraft was an Antonov An-12 cargo aircraft, powered by four turboprop engines, registered as UR-CAH and built in 1968 with manufacturer serial number 8345064.[1]
Accident
The wreckage of the Antonov at the crash site.
The aircraft departed Vigo-Peinador Airport in Spain, bound for Istanbul Airport in Turkey, with eight people aboard, seven crew and one passenger, which was a cargo escort. Flight 4050 was a cargo flight, carrying 10 t (10 long tons; 11 short tons) of cargo, with the intention to stop-over on Lviv International Airport, in Ukraine for refueling, before continuing to Istanbul.
The aircraft was approaching Runway 31, on heading 310, in difficult weather conditions; although there was little wind, vertical visibility was only 60 metres (197 ft), while visibility near the ground was 250 metres (820 ft) and Runway Visual Range (RVR) was 800 metres (2,625 ft).
The crew declared an emergency and started to perform an emergency landing, but failed to reach the runway. The aircraft impacted the ground at 7:10 a.m. just 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi; 0.81 nmi) before the Runway 31 threshold, close to the village of Sokilnyky. The cockpit section broke off on impact, then the cargo shifted, crushing and killing five occupants. [2]
Emergency response
At 7:29 a.m. the crew member called and reported the aircraft performed an emergency landing. At 7:40 a.m. the wreckage of the aircraft was located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi; 0.81 nmi) from Runway 31. By 9:00 a.m. it was determined there were eight people aboard. Three of them were found seriously injured and they were taken to the hospital. Three bodies were also found, while two were still missing. Later two missing bodies were found, all dead. It was finally determined five people perished in the crash, at least four of them were crew, and the sole passenger, a cargo escort.[2]
Initially it was reported that there were three crew and one passenger, all four killed, but it was eventually corrected by the ministry. The ministry also confirmed that the aircraft was carrying ten tons of cargo.
Lviv's mayor
Lviv's mayor noted that the aircraft performed the emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion.
Investigation
The National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation of Ukraine (NBAAI) opened officially investigation of the accident on 9 October, four days after the crash. The on-site work of the commission took place between October 5 and 7. In this action two black boxes were recovered and were in good condition and able to provide data. The other information, such as air traffic control communication, radar data, weather information, emergency service response and ground based navigation aids at the airport were also collected.
The final report was published by NBAAI on 8 October 2021 concluding that the probable cause was, the collision of the airplane with the ground during the approach in thick fog, caused by the crew's inability to carry out the flight in instrumental conditions due to probable excessive physical fatigue, which led to an unaware descent of the aircraft below the glide path and subsequent impact with the ground.
Contributing to the disaster, was the probable exceeding of the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft during departure from the Vigo Airport, with a consequent increase in fuel consumption. With the remaining fuel the crew was no longer able to make the flight to the alternate Boryspil Airport.
The NBAAI reported that all engines and propellers were running at the time of the crash and that the thrusters responded correctly to crew inputs. At the moment of the crash, the fuel system was functioning and provided the necessary fuel. There were no flaws or technical malfunctions of the aircraft or its systems. During take-off from Vigo Airport, the aircraft's maximum takeoff weight was 11,905 lb (5,400 kg) higher than the maximum allowable weight. The remaining fuel during approach in Lviv did not allow the crew to divert to Kiev. The crew left Vigo without the necessary rest and did not comply with the rules relating to working hours and rest times.
The NBAAI reported that 650 kg of fuel was left on the approach to the crash in Lviv. Approximately 170 liters of fuel were drained from the wreckage's wing tanks, which were not damaged.[2]
Aftermath
The day after the crash Ukraine Air Alliance was banned from operating flights in European Union airspace. On 7 October 2019, State Aviation Administration of Ukraine announced that air operator's certificate of Ukraine Air Alliance was terminated effective 5 October 2019, 00:00 UTC[3] after an accident.[4]
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