ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 200008
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| Date: | 09-SEP-2017 |
| Time: | c. 19:26 LT |
| Type: |  ATR 72-500 (72-212A) |
| Owner/operator: | Swiftair, opf Air Europa |
| Registration: | EC-KKQ |
| MSN: | 763 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 26 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | between Alicante and Madrid -
 Spain
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Alicante Airport (ALC/LEAL) |
| Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD/LEMD) | |
| Investigating agency: | CIAIAC |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Air Europa flight UX4050, operated by a Swiftair ATR 72-500, was involved in a stall incident when it was passing through an area with icing conditions while climbing to FL170.
The aircraft took off normally in daylight conditions at 19:09 hours local time from runway 10 at Alicante Airport. On board were 22 passengers, and 4 crew members. The flight was to be carried out at FL170 and moderate ice conditions were expected on the climb up to FL150.
The aircraft made the CATON3A departure and was initially authorized to FL170. Ten minutes into the flight, with the aircraft at FL130, the crew activated all three levels of ice protection. Seven minutes later, at 19:26 hours, with the aircraft climbing to FL170 the aircraft entered a stall
The crew recovered from the stall and declared an emergency. The autopilot was switched off and the aircraft experienced a sharp drop in altitude and oscillations.
The crew declared MAYDAY to the air traffic control services and was given priority for landing in Madrid. During the approach, there was a blockage problem in the vertical stabilizer which was later linked to a TLU (travel limitation unit) operating problem.
The landing and taxiing took place without any further incidents. None of the occupants of the aircraft were injured.
The investigation has determined that the probable cause of the loss of control in icing conditions was a deficient flight management by the crew and an inappropriate use of automation. Investigators were critical of the climb management as the climb target speed of 170 KIAS was not maintained. Instead 180 KIAS and later 176 KIAS were used. The crew also used the PITCH autopilot mode rather than the IAS autopilot mode, even though none of the conditions for PITCH mode existed.
Sources:
https://www.bea.aero/en/investigation-reports/notified-events/detail/event/serious-incident-to-the-atr72-registered-ec-kkq-and-operated-by-swiftair-on-09092017-at-alicante/
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ec-kkq#eccc31a
https://www.fomento.gob.es/MFOM/LANG_CASTELLANO/ORGANOS_COLEGIADOS/CIAIAC/INVESTIGACION/2017/IN-020_2017.htm
https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/swiftair-atr-icing-stall-inquiry-catalogues-series-of-crew-failures/136543.article
https://www.mitma.es/recursos_mfom/comodin/recursos/in-020-2017_final_report_nm.pdf
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 24 Jun 2013 | EC-KKQ | Swiftair, opf Air Europa | 0 | Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD/LEMD) | |
min |
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Sep-2017 14:02 | harro | Added |
| 28-Sep-2017 14:03 | harro | Updated [Photo, ] |
| 28-Sep-2017 14:13 | harro | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 28-Sep-2017 14:15 | harro | Updated [Narrative] |
| 05-Oct-2017 17:34 | harro | Updated [Total occupants, Narrative] |
| 08-Oct-2017 11:51 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 08-Feb-2020 10:00 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Feb-2020 10:08 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 08-Feb-2020 10:44 | harro | Updated [Source, Accident report, ] |
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