Country
code

Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-8-106 in Nuuk

Date & Time: Mar 4, 2011 at 1609 LT
Operator:
Registration:
TF-JMB
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Reykjavik - Kulusuk - Nuuk
MSN:
337
YOM:
1992
Flight number:
FXI223
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
31
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
8163
Captain / Total hours on type:
44.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
4567
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1130
Aircraft flight hours:
32336
Aircraft flight cycles:
35300
Circumstances:
The flight crew got visual contact with the runway at BGGH and decided to deviate to the right (west) of the offset localizer (LLZ) to runway 23. The flight continued towards the runway from a position right of the extended runway centerline. As the aircraft approached runway 23, it was still in the final right turn over the landing threshold. The aircraft touched down on runway 23 between the runway threshold and the touchdown zone and to the left of the runway centerline. The right main landing gear (MLG) shock strut fuse pin sheared leading to a right MLG collapse. The aircraft skidded down the runway and departed the runway to the right. Neither passengers nor crew suffered any injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The accident occurred in daylight under visual meteorological conditions (VMC).
Probable cause:
Findings:
- The licenses and qualifications held by the flight crew, flight and duty times, the documented technical status of the aircraft and the aircraft mass and balance had no influence on the sequence of events
- The flight crew planned the flight from BGKK to BGGH with the destination alternate BGSF
- The latest BGGH TAF before departure from BGKK indicated marginal weather conditions (strong winds, low visibility and low cloud base) for a successful approach and landing at BGGH
- The forecasted weather conditions at the expected approach time at BGGH were below preplanning minima (use of two destination alternate aerodromes)
- The actual weather conditions at BGGH and enroute weather briefings were equivalent to the forecasted weather conditions
- With reference to the operator’s aerodrome and procedure briefing and the latest reported wind conditions from Nuuk AFIS before landing, a landing was prohibited
- Strong winds and moderate to severe orographic turbulence from the surrounding mountainous terrain increased the flight crew load
- On approach, the flight crew had difficulties of maintaining stabilized approach parameters
- The flight crew most likely suffered from task saturation and information overload
- No flight crew call outs on divergence from the operator’s stabilized approach policy were made
- An optimum crew resource management was not present
- Important low altitude stabilized approach parameters like airspeed, bank angle and runway alignment were not sufficiently corrected
- The flight crew was solely focused on landing and task saturation mentally blocked a decision of going around
- A divergence from the operator’s stabilized approach policy caused an unstabilized approach and a hard landing leading to an excess load of the right MLG at touchdown
- The right MLG fuse pin sheared as a result of overload
Factors:
- A divergence from the operator’s stabilized approach policy caused an unstabilized approach and a hard landing leading to an excess load of the right MLG at touchdown
- The right MLG fuse pin sheared as a result of stress
Summary:
Adverse wind and turbulence conditions at BGGH led to flight crew task saturation on final approach and a breakdown of optimum cockpit resource management (CRM) resulting in a divergence from the operator’s stabilized approach policy.
The divergence from the operator’s stabilized approach policy caused an unstabilized approach and a hard landing leading to an excess load of the right MLG at touchdown. According to its design, the right MLG fuse pin sheared as a result of stress.
Final Report:

Crash of a Dornier DO.28D Skyservant in Nuuk

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1994 at 1223 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-IDNG
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Reykjavik - Goose Bay
MSN:
4112
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was on a delivery flight from Germany to Colombia via Iceland and Canada, carrying one passenger and one pilot. On the leg from Reykjavik to Goose Bay, about 20 minutes into the flight, the right engine failed. As the pilot was unable to restart it, he decided to divert to Nuuk for an emergency landing. On short final, at a height of about 100 metres, the aircraft entered a right turn and struck the ground. Upon impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the aircraft came to rest against an embankment. Both occupants were slightly injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the engine failure could not be determined. Except the fact that a hinge pin was missing in the injector air heating system, no technical malfunction was found. It was reported that the pilot was not certified to perform such flight and the passenger was not allowed to take part to such mission according to the provisional airworthiness certificate that was valid till the day of the occurrence. The possible presence of windshear on final approach was not ruled out and it was also reported that the approach was completed with a speed that was approximately 10 to 15 knots below the prescribed approach speed.

Crash of a Beechcraft A65-8200 Queen Air near Angmagssalik: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1978 at 2215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N8431N
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Washington D.C. – Sondreströmfjord – Reykjavik – Liverpool
MSN:
LC-307
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a ferry flight from Washington DC to Liverpool, UK, with intermediate stops in Sondreströmfjord and Reykjavik. On the leg between Greenland and Iceland, the crew encountered icing conditions and declared an emergency after the right engine failed. He was vectored to Kulusuk Airport which is a VFR Airfield located on the southeast coast of Greenland, near the city of Angmagssalik (Tasiilaq) and open to traffic by day only. An hour later, the crew started the descent but due to a limited visibility caused by night and clouds, he was unable to locate the runway and initiated a go-around. About 45 minutes later, while descending to an altitude of 1,700 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located near Angmagssalik. The airplane was destroyed upon impact and both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain while attempting an approach below weather minimums. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was descending to an altitude of 1,700 feet while the minimum safe altitude for that area was 3,500 feet.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-20-DK in Kulusuk

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1972
Operator:
Registration:
F-WSGU
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
15420/26865
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a delivery flight from Europe to the US, the aircraft crashed on approach to Kulusuk Airport. There were no casualties and the aircraft was abandoned on site.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130D Hercules in Dye 3: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 1972 at 0655 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
57-0495
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Thule - Dye 3
MSN:
3202
YOM:
1958
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
6258
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a supply mission from Thule Airbase to Dye 3 Airstrip located about 320 km east of Sondreströmfjord, Greenland. On final approach, the airplane lost height and struck the ground. On impact, the landing gear, skis, outboard fuel tanks, and the number one engine were torn off as well as 12 feet from the left wing tip and six feet of the right wing tip. The airplane came to rest in flames in the snow. Seven occupants were slightly injured while the eighth one, a Danish citizen, was killed when a propeller blade detached and penetrated the fuselage.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the approach speed was too low, causing the airplane to stall during the last segment.

Crash of a Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Canso off Nuuk: 15 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1962 at 1055 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CF-IHA
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sondreströmfjord - Nuuk
MSN:
CV-365
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Captain / Total flying hours:
4000
Captain / Total hours on type:
151.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1300
Copilot / Total hours on type:
650
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Sondreströmfjord, the crew started the descent to Nuuk and the landing was made on a water area that had not been patrolled. This was contrary to current safety rules. Both pilots considered the touchdown was normal. However, after a run of a few seconds the aircraft swerved abruptly to starboard assuming an increasingly nose-down attitude. A steadily progressing but very quick deceleration took place. The seaplane plunged into water and came to rest, partially submerged. While all three crew members and three passengers were rescued, 15 passengers were drowned.
Probable cause:
As a result of the technical investigation, it was considered most probable that, because of a mechanical malfunctioning the nose wheel doors were not closed and locked and that there was an aperture of 70 mm when the landing took place. The gaping doors were torn off when the aircraft having landed at rather high speed sank deeply into the water. The extremely great water pressure in the nose wheel well forced the aft bulkhead of the well inwards resulting in severe damage to the front cabin.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune on Kronborg Glacier: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1962
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
131521
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Thule - Thule
MSN:
426-5402
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a routine survey flight over Greenland and its coasts when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances onto the Kronborg Glacier. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 12 crew members from the Thule AFB contingent were killed.

Crash of a Sikorsky S-38B off Angmagssalik

Date & Time: Sep 13, 1932
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
NC159H
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
New York – London
MSN:
114-19
YOM:
1929
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Owned by the American Lt Colonel George R. Hutchinson, the seaplane was on its way from New York to London on a private and nonstop transatlantic flight with seven passengers and a crew of two on board. En route, the crew encountered snow falls and the aircraft was too heavy due to snow accumulation. The pilot attempted an emergency landing off the Greenland coast but after landing, the airplane struck an iceberg and was seriously damaged. Several distress calls were sent but the aircraft moved on rough seas. The aircraft was eventually localized by the crew of the British fishing trawler named 'Lord Talbot' on September 18, five days after the accident, some 40 miles southwest of Angmagssalik (Tasiilaq). All nine occupants were rescued and repatriated to Europe. Lt Colonel Hutchinson was travelling with his wife Blanche and his two girls, Kathryn (8) and Janet Lee (6). The aircraft was lost and abandoned as a wing was torn off.
Crew:
Lt Colonel George R. Hutchinson +1.
Passengers:
Blanche Hutchinson,
Kathryn Hutchinson,
Janet Lee Hutchinson,
Peter Redpath,
Joseph Ruff,
Gerald Altfilisch,
Norman Alley, American filmmaker.