Training manoeuvre caused fatal crash

YANNA SMITH

A licence-renewal training flight in a Cessna 425 on 29 January last year crashed after stalling at low altitude during training for an engine failure during approach for landing at Hosea Kutako International Airport. This is the finding of the report by the Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigations.

There were three pilots on board the aircraft, V5 – MJW, for the purpose of the renewal of their commercial pilot’s licences and instrument ratings by an instructor.

The aircraft, owned by Eros Air (Ohlthaver & List Group), carried Eros Air’s chief corporate pilot Uwe Herbert, 63, accompanied by pilots Fritz Alpers, 41, and Ole Friede, 43. Alpers, holding an airline transport licence, was the designated examiner.

All the licensing requirements of the pilot were met save for the rating of Alpers on the Cessna 425.

“According to the Civil Aviation Authority’s records, the C425 ratings were valid only until 20 July 2015. Records indicate that the pilot’s last flight on a Cessna 425 was on 13 January 2015 and only an hour was recorded as pilot in charge,” the report stated.

The aircraft left Eros Airport around 07:45 on 29 January 2016 for Hosea Kutako International Airport to perform go-around manoeuvres. The pilots requested from the air traffic control at Hosea Kutako a procedure for an instrument landing system approach. They were cleared and told to report back when at nine miles inbound. At this time, Alpers requested a VOR approach, which is a non-precision approach where the aircraft uses signals from radio beacons on the ground to receive their position and stay on course. In other words, it is flying without visuals and on instruments only. Alpers also requested an early right-hand turnout on final approach. That was granted too.

In go-around manoeuvres training takes place for engine failures during take-off and landing, causing a go-around. When “engine out” manoeuvres are carried out, engine failure must be simulated on the aircraft.

According to the findings of the investigation, that is exactly what the pilots did and at too low an altitude, the aircraft stalled and the pilots were not able to recover her, crashing into the ground.

The aircraft was immediately engulfed in flames and all three pilots died.

Several other problems were highlighted in the report.

According to the directorate, the number of air traffic controllers on duty in the tower was not in accordance with regulations and although medically fit and correctly rated, the controller was under duress and pushed an old emergency button which was not operational, at the time of seeing the smoke plume. That delayed the despatching of the emergency services.

It was also found that several modifications were made to the aircraft including avionics upgrades involving the conversion of the instrumentation from analogue to digital but none of these were included in the airworthiness file for the aircraft at the civil aviation authority.

In its recommendations, the directorate suggests that simulating an engine failure during final approach is very risky and should possibly be restricted to either training in a simulator or at higher altitudes. It was recommended that the Namibian Civil Aviation Authority review the practice and procedures. Furthermore, it was recommended that flight examiners and/or instructors should attend conferences and workshops to share and devise corrective action plans to mitigate reoccurring safety deficiencies.

Finally, it was found that Ole Friede, during earlier skills tests, under-performed on instrument flying. At the time it was recommended that Friede undergo an hour of simulator time monthly.

The investigators found that “his licence was renewed twice in the consecutive years without proof of compliance of the recommendations”. The civil aviation authority was urged to take safety action to address the issue.