Incident Boeing 767-383ER ET-AQW,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 162783
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Wednesday 18 December 2013
Time:12:48
Type:Silhouette image of generic B763 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing 767-383ER
Owner/operator:Ethiopian Airlines
Registration: ET-AQW
MSN: 24476/274
Year of manufacture:1989
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 223
Aircraft damage: Minor
Location:Arusha Airport (ARK/HTAR) -   Tanzania
Phase: Landing
Nature:Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD/HAAB)
Destination airport:Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
Ethiopian Airlines flight ET-815 from Addis Ababa-Bole Airport (ADD) to Mombasa via Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) inadvertently landed at Arusha Airport (ARK).
Whilst descending to FL 240 the pilot made the first contact with the Kilimanjaro International Airport. He reported that he had been cleared by the Dar es Salaam Area Control Centre to descend to FL 240 estimating the reporting point LOSIN 09:37 hours, and touchdown at Kilimanjaro at 09:50 hours.
At 09:29 hours the pilot was informed by the Kilimanjaro Approach that runway 09 (the runway with instrument arrival) was not available due to a disabled aircraft at the approach end. He was advised to use the reciprocal runway (runway 27) which had 3,300 metres available for the landing. This runway was not equipped with instrument landing system. The pilot acknowledged the clearance at 09:31 hours. He was cleared to FL 120 EVATO 1A arrival, and was advised to report on breaking visual for runway 27.
At 09:43 hours the pilot reported to have airport in sight and advised that he would be joining left downwind runway 27. The controller instructed Flight ETH-815 to report left base runway 27. The pilot acknowledged.
At 09:45 hours the pilot requested the position of the disabled Caravan 1. The reply indicated 300 metres from the threshold of runway 09 and the available landing distance of 3,300 meters for runway 27. At 09:46 hours the pilot reported left base. He was given the surface wind 080/02 and cleared to land.
When the controller failed to see to the aircraft, he tried to raise it on the Kilimanjaro frequency but there was no reply. It was during the repeated calls that he received a telephone call from the Arusha tower informing him that ET-AQW had landed at Arusha airport.
The aircraft made a safe landing on runway 27 of Arusha airport and stopped within the length of the runway (1631 m). During an attempted 180 degrees turn, the nose and main landing gear wheels exited the runway and were stuck in soft soil. There was no damage to the aircraft. There were also no injuries to the 223 persons on board.
The aircraft was later towed back to the runway and made a successful takeoff without passengers for Kilimanjaro International airport on 20 December 2013.

It appears that, during the descent the pilot saw an airport and prematurely abandoned the given arrival procedure (EVATO 1A) which would have taken him to position TESOV, and subsequently to the Kilimanjaro runway axis.
He subsequently joined left downwind for runway 27 Arusha Airport while believing that he was proceeding to land at Kilimanjaro. His downwind position report was not challenged by the Kilimanjaro controller, who should have had him in sight in that position.

Weather about the time of the accident (10:15 UTC / 13:15 LT):
HTAR 181000Z 33015KT 9999 FEW026CB BKN026 26/15 Q1017
HTAR 181100Z 33010KT 9999 FEW026 FEW027CB 26/15 Q1016


Sources:

https://atcnews.org/2013/12/18/ethiopian-b767-in-unscheduled-landing-at-arusha-airport/_
http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/26070-pilot-mistook-arusha-for-kia

Images:





Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
18-Dec-2013 11:04 harro Added
18-Dec-2013 11:40 harro Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Embed code, Narrative]
18-Dec-2013 11:42 harro Updated [Registration, Other fatalities]
18-Dec-2013 12:41 gerard57 Updated [Source]
18-Dec-2013 12:52 Anon. Updated [Photo, ]
18-Dec-2013 13:28 Jahn Updated [Photo, ]
18-Dec-2013 13:29 Jahn Updated [Photo, ]
18-Dec-2013 13:29 Anon. Updated [Photo, ]
18-Dec-2013 13:40 harro Updated [Embed code, Damage, Narrative]
18-Dec-2013 15:09 Anon. Updated [Narrative]
18-Dec-2013 17:28 harro Updated [Narrative]
21-Dec-2013 18:56 harro Updated [Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
15-Jan-2014 07:50 harro Updated [Time, Total occupants, Destination airport, Narrative]
28-May-2017 13:36 harro Updated [Source]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org