Crash of a Lockheed L-382G-51C Hercules in Piacenza: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 2006 at 2015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VHG
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Algiers - Frankfurt
MSN:
4880
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
AH2208
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
8200
Copilot / Total flying hours:
22800
Aircraft flight hours:
31889
Aircraft flight cycles:
13173
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft departed Algiers-Houari Boumédiène Airport at 1705LT on a cargo flight to Frankfurt with a crew of three on board. While cruising at an altitude of 25,000 feet over north Italy, the copilot informed ATC about the failure of the automatic pilot system. Less than a minute later, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent during which the overspeed alarm sounded in the cockpit. In a nose down angle of 45-50° and at a speed of 850/900 km/h, the aircraft crashed in an open field located southwest of Piacenza. The aircraft totally disintegrated on impact and all three crew members were killed. A large crater was found at the point of impact and debris were found till 800 metres around.
Probable cause:
The very high state of fragmentation of the wreck and the substantial absence/utilisation of FDR data made the safety investigation very difficult and therefore could not acquire some indisputable certainties on certain aspects. The indications resulting from the examination of the acquired evidence and from the many technical analyses carried out lead to believe that the accident occurred because of the loss sudden control of the aircraft, induced, reasonably speaking, by a technical problem in the flight control system, which the pilots were unable to counter/manage and which the safety investigation could not detect with absolute certainty.
Final Report:

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy 222 in Piacenza

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1965 at 2023 LT
Operator:
Registration:
G-ASXL
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
London – Milan
MSN:
6800
YOM:
1964
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
9823
Captain / Total hours on type:
778.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3144
Copilot / Total hours on type:
101
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from London Airport (Heathrow) at 1627 hours GMT on a scheduled international freight flight to Milan-Linate Airport, Italy, and the flight proceeded normally as far as the boundary of Milan TMA (Monteceneri NDB). Control of the aircraft was transferred to Milan ACC from Zurich ACC at FL 170, and after the first air- ground communication the aircraft was cleared to Linate Airport via Saronno and Linate NDB at 1844: 30 hours GMT. Before reaching Saronno VOR the pilot asked for and was given permission to make a slight diversion to the south-west in order to avoid a considerable thunderstorm formation which, as forecast, arrived over the area of Milan CTR at 1952 hours. At the pilot's request, the ATC cleared the descent with a clearance limit of 6 000 ft, confirming the previous clearance for descent. The pilot confirmed that he had received the clearance and reported that he was south-west of Saronno on a heading of 1800. At 1855 hours, the pilot reported that he was still maintaining a heading of 180° to avoid the thunderstorm area; the estimate for Linate NDB was however 1904-1905 hours. Following this communication, the control at Milan ACC amended the previous descent clearance, limiting it to FL 130 in order to safeguard other air traffic south of the CTR. At 1903 hours, the pilot unexpectedly reported that he was heading for Voghera VOR, without having been cleared for this by Control. After a few seconds he reported that he was over Voghera VOR at FL 130 and asked far further descent clearance which he was not given, in view of the unexpected and unorthodox position reported. He was asked to maintain FL 130 until he reached Linate NDB. At 1909 hours, the pilot reported that he was close to Linate NDB at FL 130-135 in a severe thunderstorm. After 30 seconds he reported his position over Linate NDB with certainty and was therefore cleared to descend to holding pattern down to 6 000 ft. At 1911 hours, Approach control gave clearance for the descent to be continued down to 2 000 f t, the minimum safe altitude over Linate NDB. At 1917 hours the pilot, speaking in a slightly agitated manner and sometimes with words which were incomprehensible, said repeatedly that he was not in fast certain of his actual position in relation to Linate NDB, that he was aligned with Linate ILS but that ha was not able to establish his exact position in relation to the radio beacon, the Latter being subject to considerable interference from the heavy electrical discharges due to the thunderstorm. The pilot also stated that he could not hear the ILS Outer Marker. At 1919 hours, the pilot confirmed his uncertainty regarding his position and asked to maintain 4 000 ft for another holding pattern; he was again given the QFE and at 1922 hours reported that he had come down to 2 000 ft, that he was inbound and that he would call over the Outer Marker. After he had been given the clearance, there were no further communications and no reply to the repeated calls from Milan Approach Control. It was subsequently found that the aircraft, which was aligned with the ILS localizer, struck the top of a hill at an altitude of 675 m, 35 NM from the threshold of runway 36, between 1923 and 1925 hours. A crew member was injured while the second was killed.
Probable cause:
The Commission considered that the cause of the accident was a navigational error arising from the following omissions:
- The failure to take the necessary bearings for a reliable determination of the aircraft's position in view of the particularly unfavourable weather conditions,
- The failure to make the fullest possible use of the services of the copilot.
Final Report: