ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 323756
| Date: | Thursday 22 April 1999 |
| Time: | 17:45 |
| Type: |  Boeing 727-23 |
| Owner/operator: | Zimbabwe Express Airlines |
| Registration: | ZS-IJE |
| MSN: | 18443/111 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 66 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Johannesburg -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Harare Airport (HRE/FVHA) |
| Johannesburg International Airport (JNB/FAJS) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was on a flight from Harare to Johannesburg International Airport, cruising at FL350 when the aircraft was cleared inbound to HBV for landing on runway 03 at Johannesburg. The aircraft then started to descend approximately 90nm from JSV when the radar indicated two small cells in the vicinity of HBV. The pilot reduced the IAS to 250 knots and maneuvered the aircraft to the east of track to avoid these cells when he experienced light turbulence as the aircraft passed abeam the cells. Approximately 10 nm after passing the cells, the pilot experienced a severe updraft with the aircraft climbing between 1500 to
2000 feet/min at FL200 an IAS of 230 knots. During the updraft however, the pilot encountered severe turbulence followed by very large hailstones for approximately 30 seconds. The aircraft then flew into VMC conditions after approximately 1 minute. According to the pilot, the Radar showed no returns to indicate any hail. The aircraft landed safely at Johannesburg without any further incident. No injuries were sustained to the crew or passengers. The aircraft was damaged beyond economical repair due to hail damage.
The Flight Engineer of the aircraft added "due to poor unreliable equipment, being the radar, no returns were painted and we penetrated what appeared to be an embedded cell.".
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Aircraft encountered severe turbulence and was subjected to severe hail damage during descent for landing at FAJS."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
Neil Lawrence
Scramble 243
Images:
photo (c) Taiichiro Narusawa; Johannesburg International Airport (JNB); 09 March 1999
photo (c) Werner Fischdick; Johannesburg International Airport (JNB); 10 October 1998
Revision history:
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