AAIU Reports

The twin-engine Vulcanair P.68 Observer 2 aircraft was located on the apron area at Weston Airport and was being prepared for an aerial survey flight. The Pilot was in the cockpit, and a Task Specialist, whose role was to operate the on-board aerial survey mission equipment, was in the cabin area. The Pilot started both engines, and while the aircraft was stationary on the apron, he switched on the electrical power supply for the mission equipment as requested by the Task Specialist. Electrical arcing and smoke began to emanate from the mission equipment’s electrical power supply cable. The Pilot shut down the engines, turned off all electrical power, and both he and the Task Specialist exited the aircraft normally. No injuries were reported to the Investigation.

The Investigation determined that the probable cause of the occurrence was mechanical damage to the mission equipment power supply cable as a result of being caught in part of the mission equipment, leading to electrical short circuiting, heating, and arcing. One Safety Recommendation is made as a result of this Investigation.

The Boeing 767 aircraft departed from Dulles International Airport (KIAD) in the United States at approximately 22:21 hrs on 6 April 2022, on a scheduled passenger flight to Zurich Airport (LSZH) in Switzerland. At approximately 04:13 hrs, when the aircraft was at Flight Level 360 and located approximately 20 nautical miles off the south coast of Ireland, the Flight Crew contacted Shannon Air Traffic Control (ATC) to declare an ‘emergency’, stating that they wished to divert to Shannon Airport (EINN) as they needed to shut down an engine due to low oil pressure. ATC cleared the aircraft to EINN, where it landed at approximately 04:40 hrs with the No. 1 engine shut down.

When the aircraft was taxiing towards its parking stand, the Airport Fire and Rescue Service noticed a fire at the left-hand undercarriage and requested (via the Shannon Ground Movements Controller) the aircraft to stop. The aircraft stopped and while the fire was being extinguished, the Airport Fire and Rescue Service requested (via the Shannon Ground Movements Controller) that the aircraft be evacuated on the right-hand side. Moments later, the request was cancelled, as the fire had been extinguished. The aircraft was subsequently towed onto its parking stand and all passengers and crew disembarked the aircraft normally. No injuries were reported to the Investigation.

The low oil pressure on the No. 1 engine was subsequently found to have been due to an oil leak from the engine’s No. 4 bearing scavenge line magnetic chip detector, which had been inspected as part of scheduled maintenance conducted prior to the flight. The probable cause of the brief fire at the left-hand undercarriage was heat from the brake units and the presence of lubrication grease or oil that had leaked from the No. 1 engine.

During a crosswind landing on Runway 27 at Navan Airfield (EIHH), the trailing arm of the aircraft’s left main landing gear fractured. The aircraft veered to the left and its left main wheel entered longer grass to the side of the grass runway. As the aircraft decelerated, the left wing dropped, and its lower surface contacted the longer grass. The aircraft turned further to the left and came to rest adjacent to the left side of the runway. The Pilot and the one passenger on board exited the aircraft normally. There was no fire. No injuries were reported to the Investigation.

While flying at an altitude of approximately 2,500 feet, north-east of Gorey, Co. Wexford, with a student and instructor on board, the instructor observed hot engine oil flowing from the instrument panel of the Cessna 150M aircraft, and that the engine oil pressure gauge had no pressure indication. A precautionary landing was completed into an agricultural field. The occupants evacuated the aircraft unaided. Subsequently, it was identified that an unapproved repair had been carried out on the engine oil pressure gauge supply pipe, and that this repair had failed. There were no injuries or fire.

The AAIU has published an Interim Statement of a fatal accident involving a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter (N999RL) that occurred at Kennycourt, Co. Kildare on 11 December 2022 at 15:45 hrs. This Interim Statement does not contain analysis or conclusions.

The purpose of this Interim Statement is to detail the progress of the Investigation. For completeness, this Interim Statement should be read in conjunction with the Preliminary Report (AAIU Report No. 2023-001), which was published on 10 January 2023.

At approximately 16:10 hrs on 6 October 2019, the aircraft, a Rollason D.62B Condor, registration EI-BDX, departed ILAS Field (EIIF) near Taghmon, Co. Wexford, for a flight which was planned to last approximately one hour. There were two persons on board the aircraft: the Pilot, who was seated in the left seat, and an Instructor, who was seated in the right seat. Witnesses reported that at approximately 16:40 hrs, the aircraft emitted a loud noise and broke up in the air in the Duncormick area of Co. Wexford. Local persons proceeded to the scene and the emergency services that had attended determined that both occupants had been fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed. There was no fire.

The helicopter, an Alouette II, was parked near a helipad at Newcastle Airfield. The Pilot, who was the sole occupant, started the engine and performed a lift-off. The helicopter hover-taxied at a low height along a grass taxiway before it commenced an uncommanded yaw to the left from which the Pilot was unable to recover. The helicopter impacted with terrain and sustained substantial damage. The Pilot, who was occupying the right-hand seat, was seriously injured in the accident. The accident caused a small grass fire which was quickly extinguished by individuals who came to the assistance of the Pilot.

Whilst disembarking the aircraft at Dublin Airport, following a scheduled flight from Arrecife Lanzarote Airport, a Passenger fell while descending the forward aircraft stairs (airstair). The Passenger fell from close to the top of the airstair, collided with another disembarking Passenger who tried to arrest the fall, and landed on the ground at the bottom of the airstair. The Passenger who had fallen sustained serious injuries. The other Passenger reportedly sustained minor injuries.

The Piper PA-28-181 aircraft, touched down on Runway 24 at Milltownpass Airstrip in gusty conditions. During the landing roll, it departed the right-hand side of the runway and entered rough ground. The aircraft’s right wing struck a wooden post and the aircraft pivoted by approximately 180 degrees before it came to rest. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The Pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was uninjured and exited the aircraft unaided. There was no fire.

SYNOPSIS

At approximately 15:45 hrs on 18 September 2022, the Pilot prepared the powered hang glider for flight from an agricultural field, located near Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, and launched a short time later. The powered hang glider travelled less than 100 metres and impacted with the ground. There was no fire. The Pilot was fatally injured.