Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 Explained

Turkish Airlines Cargo Flight 6491
Image Upright:1.2
Occurrence Type:Accident
Summary:Controlled flight into terrain during go-around
Site:Manas International Airport, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Coordinates:43.0572°N 74.4372°W
Total Fatalities:39
Total Injuries:14
Ground Fatalities:35
Ground Injuries:14
Plane1 Image:ACT Airlines Boeing 747-412F (TC-MCL) 11 January 2017.jpg
Plane1 Image Upright:1.2
Plane1 Caption:The aircraft involved, seen at Maastricht Aachen Airport, 5 days before the accident
Aircraft Type:Boeing 747-412F/SCD
Operator:ACT Airlines on behalf Turkish Cargo
Iata:TK6491
Icao:THY6491
Callsign:TURKISH 6491
Tail Number:TC-MCL
Origin:Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong, China
Stopover:Manas International Airport, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Destination:Istanbul Atatürk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
Occupants:4
Passengers:0
Crew:4
Fatalities:4
Survivors:0

Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 was a scheduled international cargo flight operated by ACT Airlines on behalf of Turkish Cargo, from Hong Kong to Istanbul via Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. On 16 January 2017, the Boeing 747-400F flying the route crashed in a residential area while attempting to land in thick fog at Manas International Airport, Bishkek. A total of 39 people – all four crew members on board and 35 residents on the ground – were killed.[1]

The subsequent investigation found that the aircraft failed to properly acquire the instrument landing system's signal, remaining significantly higher than the correct approach path while overflying the entire length of the runway; it then collided with houses seconds after initiating a go-around.[2]

Accident

At 07:19 local time (01:19 UTC) on 16 January 2017, the aircraft crashed nearly beyond the end of runway 26 at Manas International Airport, in thick fog.[3] According to initial reports, the aircraft failed to gain enough altitude while attempting a go-around. It crashed into terrain and destroyed several houses.[4] Kyrgyz authorities later stated that the crew were making a determined attempt to land the aircraft instead of aborting the landing.[5]

A total of 39 people were killed in the crash: all four crew members and 35 residents of Dacha-SU (Kirghiz; Kyrgyz: Дача-СУ), a residential area located approximately 2km (01miles) to the west of the airport.[6] [7] [8] [3] [9] Among the dead were 17 children.[7]

Witnesses and rescuers reported that they found the pilot still conscious strapped into his seat, from which he had to be cut free. He later died while en route to a hospital.[10] [11]

Fourteen people on the ground were injured, including a number of children.[12] [13] [9] Nineteen houses were destroyed at the crash site, and a further seven were damaged.[8] Manas International Airport was closed, with all flights cancelled, following the accident.[14]

Aircraft and crew

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 747-412F,[15] registered as TC-MCL and with manufacturer's serial number 32897.[16] The plane entered service with Singapore Airlines Cargo in 2003, with the registration 9V-SFL.[17] After multiple periods of storage, the aircraft was acquired by LCI Aviation in 2015. It was leased it to Istanbul-based cargo company ACT Airlines, which then began operating it on behalf of Qatar Airways Cargo, followed by Turkish Airlines Cargo from 2017.[16] [18] [19] The aircraft had flown a total of over 45,000 hours and 8,000 cycles as of June 2016. Its last C-check maintenance check had been completed on 6 November 2015.[19]

The crew consisted of Captain İbrahim Dirancı, First Officer Kazım Öndül (both aged 59), loadmaster Ihsan Koca, and cargo handler Melih Aslan.

Immediate response

Deputy Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abulgaziyev reported that, by late morning, more than 1,000 rescue workers were at the scene.[18] Minister of Health Talantbek Batyraliyev reported that by 11:46 a.m. local time, around 56 doctors and psychologists and 14 ambulance crews had been dispatched to the scene.

A number of heads of state expressed condolences, including the presidents of the other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Prime Minister of Turkey.[20] [21]

The following day was declared a day of national mourning in Kyrgyzstan.[22]

Investigation

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.[23] Kyrgyzstan's Emergency Situations Minister, Kubatbek Boronov, stated that it was foggy at Manas at the time of the crash, but that weather conditions were not critical. By the afternoon of 16 January, one of the two flight recorders had been found,[24] and the other was located later in the recovery process.[25] Both the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were damaged in the crash, but investigators were still able to retrieve data from both recorders.[25]

Deputy Prime Minister Abulgaziyev suggested that the cause may have been pilot error, noting that eleven aircraft had landed safely, despite the same weather conditions, on the previous day. He added that the aircraft had attempted to land twice and had damaged the runway lights at one stage.[26] This statement was at odds with another official statement that the aircraft crashed during its first landing attempt.[5]

The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC or MAK) of the Commonwealth of Independent States opened a technical investigation.[27]

The Turkish Transportation Ministry said it had sent two experts from its accident investigation board to Bishkek to assist Kyrgyz authorities.[18] A technical team from Boeing visited the site to offer help and advice, under the auspices of the American accident investigation body, the National Transportation Safety Board.[28]

Many initial press responses stated that a Turkish Airlines aircraft was involved in the accident. In response, Turkish Airlines released a statement saying that neither the aircraft nor the crew were part of the airline, calling it an "ACT Airlines accident".[29] Journalists were threatened by Turkish lawyers claiming reputational damage.[30] Nevertheless, the flight was operated under a Turkish Airlines flight number.

The preliminary investigation report found that the aircraft descended late and captured a false glideslope.[31] On capturing the false glideslope, the three autopilots then initiated the descent of the plane in low visibility conditions. Initially all three autopilots were engaged (LAND 3). The false glideslope was lost 15 seconds after it was acquired and AP CAUTION and FMA FAULT 2 events were recorded, meaning that the autopilots would continue to descend the aircraft on a 3-degree slope using inertial guidance. One autopilot disengaged (LAND 2) and the remaining autopilots flew down to the decision height. The crew did not acquire the required visual reference at the decision height (99 ft), and initiated a go-around 0.5 seconds later at 58 ft radar altitude by pressing the TOGA switches. Given the slightly up-sloping terrain after the end of the runway, the aircraft did not have sufficient height at that point to climb out safely.

Final report

On March 3, 2020, the Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) released is final report into the crash stated that probable cause was the loss of control of the pilots over the aircraft position in relation of the glideslope during the instrumental approach, carried out at night in weather conditions suitable for ICAO CAT II landing. The report also listed numerous contributing factors.[32]

On 17 January 2017, the Kyrgyz press reported that ACT Airlines had declared the intent to pay the victims compensation for all material and immaterial losses, citing a press release on the ACT Airlines web site.[33] The press release itself, however, stated only that losses were covered by insurance.[34]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Kyrgyzstan plane crash: Dozens die as Turkish cargo jet hits homes . 31 July 2018 . . 16 January 2017.
  2. Web site: 2020-02-17. Final Report Boeing 747-412F TC-MCL. 2020-03-05. Interstate Aviation Committee.
  3. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-412F TC-MCL Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU). 16 January 2017. Aviation Safety Network. 16 January 2017.
  4. News: Hradecky. Simon. Crash: MyCargo B744 at Bishkek on Jan 16th 2017, impacted terrain on go around. 16 January 2017. The Aviation Herald. 16 January 2017.
  5. Web site: Разбившийся Боинг-747 не кружил в полосе ожидания, экипаж сразу решил совершить посадку, - замглавы "Кыргызаэронавигации". Deputy Head of Kyrgyzaeronagizatsiya: Crashed Boeing 747 Did Not Make a Go-Round, the Crew Decided to Land Right Away. 17 January 2017. RU. AKIpress. 17 January 2017.
  6. Web site: The authorities of Kyrgyzstan: in the crash of Boeing killed 38 people. 24-my.info. 17 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170118050841/http://24-my.info/the-authorities-of-kyrgyzstan-in-the-crash-of-boeing-killed-38-people/. 2017-01-18. dead.
  7. News: Kyrgyzstan Mourns Victims Of Plane Crash That Devastated Village. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 17 January 2017 . RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. 17 January 2017.
  8. Web site: Belarus' First Deputy Foreign Minister signs Book of Condolences at Kyrgyzstan's embassy. Belarusin Telegraph Agency. 17 January 2017. 17 January 2017.
  9. Web site: Крушение "Боинга-747". Скончался один из госпитализированных. Boeing 747 Crash: One of the hospitalized has died. 24.kg. 22 January 2017. 23 January 2017. Russian.
  10. Web site: Witnesses of Kyrgyzstan crash speak of loss, finding pilot. Yahoo! News. 17 January 2017. 18 January 2017. 21 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181221182903/https://www.yahoo.com/news/witnesses-kyrgyzstan-crash-speak-loss-155536089.html. dead.
  11. Web site: Crash: MyCargo B744 at Bishkek on Jan 16th 2017, impacted terrain on go around. avherald.com. 2020-03-06.
  12. News: Kyrgyzstan Ministry Says Cargo Plane Crash Kills 37. https://archive.today/20170116152431/https://mobile.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/16/world/asia/ap-as-kyrgyzstan-plane-crash.html?_r=0&referer=https://www.google.com/. dead. 16 January 2017. The New York Times. Associated Press. 16 January 2017.
  13. News: Крушение грузового Boeing в Киргизии . The crash of the cargo Boeing cargo plane in Kyrgyzstan . 16 January 2017. РБК. 16 January 2017. ru.
  14. Web site: Turkish cargo Boeing 747 crashes in Kyrgyzstan. www.aljazeera.com. 2017-01-16.
  15. The aircraft was a Boeing 747-400F model; the "F" denoting that the aircraft was the freighter variant of the 747-400. Boeing assigns a unique code for each company that buys one of its aircraft, which is applied as a suffix to the model number at the time the aircraft is built, hence "747-412F".
  16. Web site: MyCargo Airlines TC-MCL (Boeing 747 - MSN 32897) (Ex 9V-SFL). 16 January 2017. Airfleets Aviation. 16 January 2017.
  17. Web site: MyCargo Airlines TC-MCL (Boeing 747 - MSN 32897) (Ex 9V-SFL) Airfleets aviation. www.airfleets.net. 2017-03-24.
  18. News: Turkish cargo jet crash kills at least 37 in Kyrgyzstan village. The Daily Telegraph. 16 January 2017. 16 January 2017.
  19. News: Turkish cargo Boeing 747 crashes near Bishkek - Russian aviation news. 16 January 2017. Russian Aviation Insider. 16 January 2017.
  20. News: "Разделяем боль и горе". Лидеры СНГ соболезнуют Кыргызстану - СМИ. Mir 24. ru. "We share pain and suffering": CIS leaders express condolences to Kyrgyzstan. 16 January 2017. 17 January 2017.
  21. News: Эрдоган соболезнует Атамбаеву в связи с авиакатастрофой - СМИ. Vestnik Kavkaza. ru. Erdoǧan expresses condolences to Atambaev regarding the air catastrophe, according to media. 16 January 2017. 17 January 2017.
  22. News: January 17 declared day of mourning. https://web.archive.org/web/20170117152310/http://www.eng.24.kg/community/183729-news24.html. dead. 17 January 2017. Podolskaya. Darya. 24.kg. 16 January 2017. 17 January 2017.
  23. https://eurasianet.org/kyrgyzstan-public-commission-created-to-investigate-deadly-2017-plane-crash Eurasianet.org (May 11, 2022)
  24. News: Turkish cargo jet crash kills at least 37 in Kyrgyzstan village. The Telegraph. 16 January 2017. Our Foreign Staff. 16 January 2017.
  25. Web site: Crashed 747's flight recorders badly damaged . Flightglobal . 21 January 2017 . 23 January 2017.
  26. Web site: Kyrgyzstan Cargo Plane Crash: Turkish Airplane Crash Kills Dozens Near Bishkek. 16 January 2017. ibtimes.com. 16 January 2017.
  27. Web site: Boeing 747-412F TC-MCL 16.01.2017. February 5, 2017. mak-iac.org. Interstate Aviation Committee.
  28. Web site: News Releases/Statements. boeing.mediaroom.com. 17 January 2017.
  29. TurkishAirlines . 820892696835457024 . 2017-01-16 . Regarding the ACT Airlines accident in Kyrgyzstan .
  30. Web site: In eigener Sache: Turkish Airlines will nach Absturz von Frachter Bericht zensurieren. 16 January 2017. Austrian Wings. de-AT. On our own behalf: Turkish Airlines wants to censor report after freighter crash. 2020-03-06.
  31. Web site: Preliminary Report Boeing 747-412F TC-MCL. 27 March 2017. Interstate Aviation Committee.
  32. Web site: Crash: MyCargo B744 at Bishkek on Jan 16th 2017, impacted terrain on go around . 2023-12-11 . avherald.com.
  33. News: Li. Natalya. АСТ Airlines выплатит компенсации всем пострадавшим в крушении Боинга. Vecherniy Bishkek. ru. ACT Airlines will pay a compensation to all victims of the Boeing crash. 17 January 2017. 17 January 2017.
  34. Press Release. ACT Airlines Inc.. 16 January 2017. 17 January 2017.