Date: | Wednesday 30 June 1999 |
Time: | 04:41 |
Type: | Beechcraft 99 Airliner |
Owner/operator: | Nightexpress |
Registration: | D-IBEX |
MSN: | U- 45 |
Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Seraing -
Belgium
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Cargo |
Departure airport: | London-Luton Airport (LTN/EGGW) |
Destination airport: | Frankfurt International Airport (FRA/EDDF) |
Investigating agency: | BFU |
Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:Nightexpress Flight 114, a Beechcraft 99, departed Luton Airport at 01:25 UTC for a flight to Frankfurt. The aircraft carried 733 kg cargo. Failure of both engines caused the pilot at 02:34 UTC to request radar guidance to the nearest airport. The crew were told to maintain a course of 60 degrees and was cleared to descend to FL60. The crew switched to ATC Brussels Approach and were cleared to descend further. Liège runway 23L was available for landing and Brussels Approach told the crew to maintain 4000 feet. The Beech 99 crew replied that this was not possible because both engines were not operating and they asked for a direct course to Liège. Brussels Approach directed the flight to head 320 degrees. Last radio contact was at 02:40:40 UTC when the crew reported descending through 1700 feet and asked their distance to the runway, which was 5nm. The aircraft crashed into the woods a few hundred meters from a residential area and caught fire.
The failure of both engines was caused by a lack of maintenance. The crew did not follow company regulations and a misunderstanding between the crew and ATC contributed to the accident, as did the darkness.
Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: | BFU |
Report number: | BFU 4X019-0/99 |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 2 years and 7 months |
Download report: | Final report |
|
Sources:
Dirk Leismann
Jeroen Lapidaire (Verzekeringmaatschappij De Nederlandse Luchtvaartpool N.V.)
Olivier Chalvet
Location
Images:
photo (c) Harro Ranter; Maastricht/Aachen Airport (MST); 06 August 1991; (CC:by-nc-nd)
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |