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AT43, vicinity Stansted UK, 2007
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Summary |
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On 18 January 2007 an ATR 42-300 freighter developed a control difficulty just after a night take off from Stansted UK, which led the flight crew to declare an emergency and undertake an immediate return to land. The landing was uneventful but the approach flown was unstable, with EGPWS warnings, and the origin of the handling difficulty was considered to be, in part, due to inappropriate control inputs by one of the pilots. |
Event Details | |
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When | January 2007 |
Actual or Potential Event Type |
Human Factors, Loss of Control |
Day/Night | Night |
Flight Conditions | On Ground - Normal Visibility |
Flight Details | |
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Aircraft | ATR ATR-42-300/320 |
Operator | Not Recorded |
Type of Flight | Public Transport (Cargo) |
Origin | London Stansted Airport |
Intended Destination | Dublin Airport |
Actual Destination | London Stansted Airport |
Take off Commenced | Yes |
Flight Airborne | Yes |
Flight Completed | Yes |
Flight Phase | Climb |
ICL / ENR |
Location - Airport | |
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Airport vicinity | London Stansted Airport |
General | |
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Tag(s) | Approach not stabilised |
HF | |
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Tag(s) | Ineffective Monitoring, Manual Handling, Inappropriate crew response (automatics) |
LOC | |
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Tag(s) | Flight Control Error"Flight Control Error" is not in the list (Airframe Structural Failure, Significant Systems or Systems Control Failure, Degraded flight instrument display, Uncommanded AP disconnect, AP Status Awareness, Non-normal FBW flight control status, Loss of Engine Power, Flight Management Error, Environmental Factors, Bird or Animal Strike, ...) of allowed values for the "LOC" property., Temporary Control Loss, Extreme Bank, Take off Trim Setting |
EPR | |
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Tag(s) | “Emergency” declaration |
Safety Net Mitigations | |
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Malfunction of Relevant Safety Net | No |
GPWS | Partially effective |
Outcome | |
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Damage or injury | No |
Causal Factor Group(s) | |
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Group(s) | Aircraft Operation |
Safety Recommendation(s) | |
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Group(s) | Aircraft Airworthiness |
Investigation Type | |
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Type | Independent |
Description
On 18 January 2007 an ATR 42-300 freighter developed a control difficulty just after a night take off from Stansted UK, which led the flight crew to declare an emergency and undertake an immediate return to land. The landing was uneventful but the approach flown was unstable, with Terrain Avoidance and Warning System (TAWS) warnings, and the origin of the handling difficulty was considered to be, in part, due to inappropriate control inputs by one of the pilots.
Synopsis
This is an extract from the report published by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (UK) (AAIB), UK:
"Soon after takeoff from London Stansted Airport the aircraft developed a yawing motion which persisted as a yawing/rolling motion of varying severity. The yaw damper could not be engaged. An emergency was declared and the aircraft returned to Stansted. No mechanical fault was found which would have caused the motion, although an undetected and intermittent fault affecting components within the rudder control system could have degraded the aircraft’s handling characteristics with the yaw damper not engaged, as could a takeoff with the rudder control system incorrectly configured. The nature of the motion and observed control deflections were such that an inadvertent and inappropriate rudder input by a pilot would have been required for the oscillations to persist.
Four Safety Recommendations were made, concerning operational advice to flight crews and ongoing serviceability checks for Flight Data Recorders (FDRs)."
Related Articles
LOC
Further Reading
For further information see the full report published by the AAIB (UK).