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1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 42°35′53.78″N 18°15′7.14″E / 42.5982722°N 18.2519833°E / 42.5982722; 18.2519833
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On April 3, 1996, '''[[United States Air Force]] Flight IFO-21''', a [[United States Air Force]] [[T-43 Bobcat|Boeing CT-43A Bobcat]] crashed on approach to [[Dubrovnik]], [[Croatia]] while on an official trade mission. The aircraft, a [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-253]] built as a [[T-43 Bobcat|Boeing CT-43A Bobcat]] navigational trainer, was carrying [[United States Secretary of Commerce]] [[Ron Brown (U.S. politician)|Ron Brown]] and 34 other people, including ''[[The New York Times]]'' [[Frankfurt]] Bureau chief Nathaniel C. Nash. While attempting an [[instrument approach]] to [[Dubrovnik Airport]], the airplane crashed into a mountainside killing everyone on board. Air Force [[Tech. Sgt]] Shelly Kelly initially survived the impact of the crash with minor injuries, but died from injury sustained after the crash hours later in an ambulance. The injury that killed her was sustained three hours after her other injuries.<ref>http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/najpotresnije-zrakoplovne-nesrece-u-hrvatskoj-povijesti/399333.aspx</ref>
On April 3, 1996, '''[[United States Air Force]] Flight IFO-21''', a [[United States Air Force]] [[T-43 Bobcat|Boeing CT-43A Bobcat]] crashed on approach to [[Dubrovnik]], [[Croatia]] while on an official trade mission. The aircraft, a [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-253]] built as a [[T-43 Bobcat|Boeing CT-43A Bobcat]] navigational trainer, was carrying [[United States Secretary of Commerce]] [[Ron Brown (U.S. politician)|Ron Brown]] and 34 other people, including ''[[The New York Times]]'' [[Frankfurt]] Bureau chief Nathaniel C. Nash. While attempting an [[instrument approach]] to [[Dubrovnik Airport]], the airplane crashed into a mountainside killing everyone on board. Air Force [[TSgt]] Shelly Kelly initially survived the impact of the crash with minor injuries, but died from injury sustained after the crash hours later in an ambulance. The injury that killed her was sustained three hours after her other injuries.<ref>http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/najpotresnije-zrakoplovne-nesrece-u-hrvatskoj-povijesti/399333.aspx</ref>


The aircraft was operated by the [[86th Airlift Wing]], based at [[Ramstein Air Base]] in [[Germany]]. Unlike civilian 737s, the military CT-43A version was equipped with neither a [[flight data recorder]] nor a [[cockpit voice recorder]].<ref name=awst960408/>
The aircraft was operated by the [[86th Airlift Wing]], based at [[Ramstein Air Base]] in [[Germany]]. Unlike civilian 737s, the military CT-43A version was equipped with neither a [[flight data recorder]] nor a [[cockpit voice recorder]].<ref name=awst960408/>

Revision as of 04:49, 31 July 2013

United States Air Force Flight Implementation Force-21 (IFO-21)
USAF MH-53J Pave Low helicopter near the tail wreckage of United States Air Force Flight IFO-21, approximately 3 kilometers north of the Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia, April 4, 1996. Note the tail has the American flag above the aircraft registration number, which reads "31149". The full tail number is 73-1149, as mentioned below.
Accident
DateApril 3, 1996
SummaryPilot error, badly designed instrument approach, controlled flight into terrain
Site3 kilometers north of Dubrovnik Airport, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Aircraft typeBoeing CT-43A (a modified version of the Boeing 737-200)
OperatorUnited States Air Force
Registration73-1149[1]
Flight originZagreb International Airport, Zagreb, Croatia
Last stopoverTuzla International Airport, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina
DestinationDubrovnik Airport, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Passengers30
Crew5
Fatalities35 (all)
Survivors0 (1 initially)

On April 3, 1996, United States Air Force Flight IFO-21, a United States Air Force Boeing CT-43A Bobcat crashed on approach to Dubrovnik, Croatia while on an official trade mission. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-253 built as a Boeing CT-43A Bobcat navigational trainer, was carrying United States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and 34 other people, including The New York Times Frankfurt Bureau chief Nathaniel C. Nash. While attempting an instrument approach to Dubrovnik Airport, the airplane crashed into a mountainside killing everyone on board. Air Force TSgt Shelly Kelly initially survived the impact of the crash with minor injuries, but died from injury sustained after the crash hours later in an ambulance. The injury that killed her was sustained three hours after her other injuries.[2]

The aircraft was operated by the 86th Airlift Wing, based at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Unlike civilian 737s, the military CT-43A version was equipped with neither a flight data recorder nor a cockpit voice recorder.[3]

Crash details

1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash is located in Croatia
Zagreb Pleso Airport
Zagreb Pleso Airport
Tuzla Airport
Tuzla Airport
Dubrovnik Čilipi Airport
Dubrovnik Čilipi Airport
Crash Site St John's Hill
Crash Site St John's Hill
class=notpageimage|
Location of crash site and departure and destination airports
Summary of the NDB approach to runway 12 from the USAF accident report

The official Air Force accident investigation board report[4] noted several reasons that led the Boeing CT-43A Bobcat, callsign IFO-21 (short for Implementation Force),[5] to crash. Chief among the findings was a "failure of command, aircrew error and an improperly designed instrument approach procedure". Notably the inclement weather[6] was not deemed a substantial contributing factor in the crash.

The Boeing CT-43A Bobcat used for this flight had formerly been a training aircraft that had been converted for distinguished visitor travel. The flight had been on an IFR NDB approach, which is a non-precision type of instrument approach, to Runway 12 when it strayed off course. Non-precision approaches are those that do not incorporate vertical guidance.[7] While NDB approaches are essentially obsolete in the U.S. they are still used widely in other parts of the world. Because of their infrequent use in the U.S. many American pilots are not fully proficient in performing them (a NASA survey showed that 60% of U.S. transport-rated pilots had not flown an NDB approach in the last year).[3] The investigation board determined that the approach used was not approved for Department of Defense aircraft, and should not have been used by the aircraft crew.[8] The board determined that the particular NDB approach used required two operating ADF, the instrument used to fly such an approach, on board the aircraft, but this aircraft only had one. One was required to track the outbound course of 119° from the Kolocep NDB (KLP). Another was required to observe when the aircraft had flown beyond the Cavtat NDB (CV) which marked the missed approach point. Further, the board noted that the approach was rushed, with the aircraft flying at 80 knots (150 km/h) above the proper final approach speed, and had not received the proper landing clearance from the control tower.[8]

The crash site, on a 2,300 ft (701 m) hill, was 1.6 miles (2.6 km) northeast of where the aircraft should have been on the inbound course to the NDB. The published NDB approach brings the inbound aircraft down a valley, and has a minimum descent height of 2,150 feet (655 m) at the missed approach point (where they should have climbed and turned to the right if the runway was not in view), which is below the elevation of the hills to the north. The runway is at 510 feet (155.4 m) MSL. Five other aircraft had landed prior to the CT-43A and had not experienced any problems with the navigational aids. There was no emergency call from the pilots, and they did not initiate a missed approach, even though they were beyond the missed approach point when they hit the hill at 2:57 PM local time.[3][5]

The area of the crash site is identified by a large (10 meter tall) stainless steel cross on Stražišće peak. Hikers can reach the peak via the Ronald Brown path which is named in commemoration of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce who died in the crash.[9]

Head of navigation on Cilipi Airport, Niko Jerkuić, was found dead three days after the accident with a bullet wound in his chest. [10]

The crash is featured in episode 10 of the 4th season of the air-crash investigation television show Mayday, entitled Fog of War.

References

  1. ^ Boeing737.org T-43A page. Retrieved: 29 November 2008
  2. ^ http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/najpotresnije-zrakoplovne-nesrece-u-hrvatskoj-povijesti/399333.aspx
  3. ^ a b c Hughes, David "USAF, NTSB, Croatia Probe 737 Crash", Aviation Week & Space Technology, 8 April 1996
  4. ^ Walters, James M.; Sumwalt, Robert L. III (2000). Aircraft Accident Analysis: Final Reports. McGraw Hill.
  5. ^ a b Transcript of US Department of Defense News briefing held on 7 June 2006 "Results of the Accident Investigation Report of the CT-43 Accident". Retrieved: 29 November 2008
  6. ^ "The weather at the time of the approach was reported as 400 feet broken, 2,000 feet overcast, 8 km or about 5 miles visibility, rain, surface winds for 120, 12 knots, because of the weather, the crew is required to fly an instrument approach procedure into Dubrovnik." Transcript of US Department of Defense News briefing held on 7 June 2006 "Results of the Accident Investigation Report of the CT-43 Accident". Retrieved: 29 November 2008
  7. ^ FSF ALAR Briefing Note 7.2 - Constant Angle Nonprecision Approach Flight Safety Foundation
  8. ^ a b DoD news release Archived 2010-05-30 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Dubrovnik Online website Retrieved: 17 October 2009
  10. ^ http://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/Spektar/tabid/94/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/20301/Default.aspx

42°35′53.78″N 18°15′7.14″E / 42.5982722°N 18.2519833°E / 42.5982722; 18.2519833

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