ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A300B4-203 (F) EI-EAC Bratislava-M. R. Stefánik Airport (BTS)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 16 November 2012
Time:05:25
Type:Silhouette image of generic A30B model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Airbus A300B4-203 (F)
Operating for:DHL Aviation
Leased from:Air Contractors
Registration: EI-EAC
MSN: 250
First flight: 1983-05-31 (29 years 6 months)
Engines: 2 General Electric CF6-50C2
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Bratislava-M. R. Stefánik Airport (BTS) (   Slovakia)
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:Cargo
Departure airport:Leipzig Airport (LEJ/EDDP), Germany
Destination airport:Bratislava-M. R. Štefánik Airport (BTS/LZIB), Slovakia
Flightnumber:6321
Narrative:
A Airbus A300B4-203F cargo plane sustained damage in a landing accident at Bratislava-M. R. Stefánik Airport (BTS), Slovakia. The three crew members were not injured.
The crew took off from Leipzig Airport (LEJ), Germany at 04:38 bound for Bratislava. The flight of around 45 minutes took place without incident and the crew was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 22. The captain was pilot flying.
During the descent, the controller informed the crew that the wind was from 120° at 7 kt. The ILS 22 approach was stable.
At 05:25, the main landing gear touched down about 700 metres from the threshold of runway 22. After about 360 metres of the landing run, the crew felt some violent vibrations, which increased as the speed decreased. The airplane veered off to the left. The crew applied heavy braking and tried in vain to use the nosewheel steering.
At less than 45 kt, the airplane exited the runway to the left about 800 metres after nosewheel touchdown. The nose gear struck a recessed concrete inspection pit and collapsed. The airplane slid for a few dozen metres before coming to a stop. The crew evacuated the aeroplane.

Probable Cause:

Conclusion:
Incorrect installation of one or more washers on the nose gear torque link centre hinge made it impossible to lock the hinge shaft nut effectively. The unscrewing and the detachment of the latter in service caused the loss of nose gear steering. Free on its axle, the nose gear bogie began to shimmy, which made the aeroplane veer to the left. The aeroplane exited the runway and the nose gear collapsed during the collision with a concrete inspection pit for access to the runway lighting electric cables.
The runway excursion was due to the incorrect and undetected re-assembly of the nose gear torque links.
Despite the presence of a detailed diagram, the absence of clear and detailed instructions in the text of the manufacturer’s AMM, allowing the operator to ensure that the assembly was correct, contributed to the incorrect assembly.
The failure of the nose gear was due to the collision with an obstacle in the runway strip.
The absence of any regulation requiring that equipment in the immediate vicinity of a runway or of a runway overrun area be designed so as to limit as much as possible any damage to aeroplanes, in case of a runway excursion, contributed to the accident.

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: BEA France
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 289 days (10 months)
Accident number: ei-c121116
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Runway excursion (overrun)

Sources:
» SKYbrary 


Photos

photo of Airbus-A300B4-203F-EI-EAC
accident date: 16-11-2012
type: Airbus A300B4-203F
registration: EI-EAC
photo of Airbus-A300B4-203F-EI-EAC
accident date: 16-11-2012
type: Airbus A300B4-203F
registration: EI-EAC
photo of Airbus-A300B4-203F-EI-EAC
accident date: 16-11-2012
type: Airbus A300B4-203F
registration: EI-EAC
 

Video, social media

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Leipzig Airport to Bratislava-M. R. Štefánik Airport as the crow flies is 504 km (315 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Airbus A300

  • 561 built
  • 33rd loss
» safety profile

 Slovakia
  • 12th worst accident (at the time)
  • 14th worst accident (currently)
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