Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander III-1 in Hale

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1987 at 0906 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-OCME
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Liverpool – Douglas
MSN:
262
YOM:
1971
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1800
Captain / Total hours on type:
130.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged upon a contracted freight (mail) flight, from Liverpool to the Isle of Man, U.K, and was planned to depart Liverpool at 07:29 hrs. Prior to departure the fuel gauges indicated between 80 and 85 Imperial Gallons (IG). As the required fuel for the planned flight was 82 IG, the aircraft was not refuelled. After an uneventful flight, made a radar approach to runway 09 at the Ronaldsway-Isle of Man Airport. Having failed to see the runway by decision height, 460 feet, the commander carried out a go-around procedure and returned to the VOR approach beacon before departing on course to the selected diversion. Considering the wind, the pilot made a return to Liverpool (86 nm) instead of the planned diversion airfield of to Valley RAF Station (51 nm). When abeam the Wallasey VOR, 15 nm from Liverpool airport, the aircraft was positioned, by radar, downwind for an approach to runway 27. As the aircraft turned onto the final approach path, the right engine lost power but. The pilot did not feather the propeller, in the belief that the engine was still producing some power. As the rate of descent increased, he applied full throttle to all three engines but, despite this and the selection of the speed necessary to achieve the optimum climb rate, the aircraft continued to descend at a rate which made a landing considerably short of the runway inevitable. The commander made a truncated MAYDAY call and firmly placed the aircraft in a convenient open field below and slightly to the north of the normal approach path. The accident site was a low lying field of winter crop that was subject to tidal flooding. Approximately halfway across the field there was a 2.4 metre wide by 2.4 metre deep drainage ditch, which ran at 45 degrees to the direction of travel of the aircraft. The initial touchdown was some 76 metres to the east of the ditch, on a heading of 270 degrees magnetic. Just after initial touchdown, the right main landing gear failed rearwards and the aircraft continued on its nose and left landing gear, until a collision with an embankment bordering the ditch caused the remaining landing gears to collapse. The aircraft finally came to rest with its fuselage in the drainage ditch, supported by the wings which were resting on the embankments either side.
Probable cause:
Examination of the flight profile, and associated flight times, showed that all the fuel aboard the aircraft would have been consumed and, therefore, the likely reason for the lack of response to full throttle, when the right engine failed, was a previous or simultaneous failure of the centre engine due to fuel starvation.
Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander III-2 off Port-de-Paix

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1986
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
VQ-TAJ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kingston - Cockburn Town
MSN:
1009
YOM:
1975
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Kingston, Jamaica, to Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, the three engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in the sea off Port-de-Paix, Haiti. All occupants were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander III-2 in Amsterdam: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1986 at 0310 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-BDTP
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stansted - Amsterdam
MSN:
1028
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
KND201
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
7100
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a night cargo flight from Stansted to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport. He was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 06 at 0253LT. Six minutes later, he initiated a go-around procedure as he was too high on the glide. He was then cleared to start an approach to runway 19R and climbed to the altitude of 2,000 feet before turning to base. At a distance of 3 nm from runway threshold at a height of 750 feet, the aircraft made a right turn then descended, turned left and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. The only occupant was killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control on final approach was the consequence of windshear at an altitude of 750 feet. In few seconds, wind changed from 210° to 100°. The lack of pilot experience was considered as a contributing factor as he overcorrected the movement of the aircraft caused by windshear and was unable to regain control when the aircraft entered a dive as a result of the over correction.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander III-2 in Mexico

Date & Time: May 15, 1984 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-KOQ
MSN:
1045
YOM:
1977
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered an accident somewhere in Mexico in May 1984. The exact date remains unknown.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-2 Trislander III in Foya Kamala

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EL-AIC
Flight Phase:
MSN:
1014
YOM:
1975
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances. Occupant's fate unknown.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander Mk.III-2 near Tumut: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1980
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
VH-EGU
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Bankstown - Melbourne
MSN:
1030
YOM:
1976
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While flying over the Snowy Mountains on a cargo flight from Bankstown to Melbourne, the pilot reported icing conditions. Shortly later, the three engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a wooded area. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed. It was later reported that a cold front was coming across the area with low temperatures and icing conditions.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of an excessive accumulation of ice on airframe as well as on carburetors.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander III in Annanberg: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1980
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
VH-BSG
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
279
YOM:
1971
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After liftoff from Annanberg Airfield, the three engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, stalled and crashed in the Ramu River. Four passengers were drowned while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The aircraft was overloaded for such takeoff configuration, terrain and airfield.