Accident Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros G-OTAF,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 89970
 
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Date:Saturday 2 August 2003
Time:14:21
Type:Silhouette image of generic L39 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: G-OTAF
MSN: 23-2337
Year of manufacture:1982
Engine model:Ivchenko AI-25TL
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:3 miles South of Duxford, Cambridgeshire -   United Kingdom
Phase: Landing
Nature:Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:Duxford, Cambridgeshire (EGSU)
Investigating agency: AAIB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
Severely damaged 2 August 2003 due to engine failure on final approach to Duxford. Force landed in a wheat field 3 miles south of the airport. No injuries reported to the pilot (the sole person on board).

According to the summary of the official AAIB report: "During a ‘run and break’ rejoin to the circuit at Duxford, the pilot turned crosswind, reduced the throttle to IDLE and extended the speed brakes. After lowering the landing gear, he increased the throttle but then noticed “a change in the usual sound” of the engine.

As the aircraft was descending below circuit height he added full power but the engine did not spool up. After making a MAYDAY call he considered that the aircraft was too low to attempt an engine restart and that he was also outside the safe ejection envelope. The pilot therefore decided to carry out a forced landing into a field.

The landing was successful but the nose landing gear collapsed during the ground roll. An examination of the engine revealed that the inlet directing body of the high pressure compressor had seized. This could have caused a sub-idle engine surge when the throttle was rapidly retarded to IDLE.

A service bulletin calling for a torque check of the inlet directing body had not been carried out. In addition, there was no record of the engine having been overhauled since its manufacture in 1982. Four safety recommendations were made concerning this service bulletin and engine calendar life limits."

Registration G-OTAF cancelled by UK Civil Aviation Authority on 19 February 2004 as "aircraft destroyed": which would indicate that the aircraft was not repaired after this incident

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AAIB
Report number: EW/C2003/08/09
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422fb8ce5274a13140007f3/G-OTAF.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=OTAF
3. https://www.code1aviation.com//sites/all/docs/ntsb/G-OTAF.pdf
4. http://web.archive.org/web/20170123042506/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/L_39_Albatros_AERO.htm
5. http://l39.com/sites/all/docs/newsletters/200309a.pdf
6. http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/AANDocs/24967/24967000000.pdf

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
09-Feb-2011 14:37 harro Added
04-Nov-2011 10:53 Dr. John Smith Updated [Date, Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Nature, Source, Narrative]
19-May-2013 20:00 Dr. John Smith Updated [Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
02-Dec-2014 19:29 Dr. John Smith Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative]
02-Dec-2014 19:31 Dr. John Smith Updated [Embed code]
27-Jul-2016 23:21 Dr.John Smith Updated [Time, Cn, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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