Air Algérie Flight 702P
Encyclopedia
Air Algérie/Phoenix Flight 702P, ship name Oasis, registration 7T-VEE, was a Boeing 737
owned by Air Algérie
and leased by Phoenix Aviation
which crashed on 21 December 1994 on landing at Coventry Airport
, United Kingdom. All five on board were killed.
On the day of the accident, the aircraft departed Amsterdam
for a routine flight to Coventry, UK, where live animals were to be loaded on board for export to the Netherlands and France. Weather at Coventry was poor and deteriorated steadily during the day; by the time the aircraft reached the Coventry area, the runway visual range
for the main runway at Baginton Airport was only 700 metres. The aircraft was not properly equipped to receive the updated radio-navigational broadcast
for the runway in question, so the pilots elected to be guided in by a radar controller using Surveillance Radar Approach (SRA). This was unsuccessful and the captain elected to call a missed approach
and eventually divert to the East Midlands Airport.
Approximately 90 minutes after landing at East Midlands, visibility at Coventry improved significantly. The flight departed East Midlands at 9:38 local time in order to make a second attempt to land at the scheduled destination. During the second SRA-guided approach, the aircraft descended well below the glide slope and collided with an 86 feet (26.2 m)-high electricity transmission tower situated on the extended centreline of the runway approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from the runway threshold. The collision caused severe damage to the left engine and to the structure of the left wing; the aircraft rolled to the left and dropped, clipping a house before crashing into an area of woodland and catching fire. All aboard were killed instantly.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch
(AAIB) determined that the accident was caused by the flight crew allowing the aircraft to descend significantly below the minimum descent height for the approach without gaining sight of the approach lighting or runway threshold. The AAIB also found that the crew had failed to cross-check altimeter height indications during the approach, that the non-handling pilot failed to call out the minimum descent height as the aircraft reached that altitude, and that the flight crew's performance had been impaired by the effects of fatigue.
A brass plaque remembering the event is now located in Middle Ride, close to the crash scene, which was erected on the crash’s 10th anniversary by the Willenhall Wood Residents Association.
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
owned by Air Algérie
Air Algérie
Air Algérie SpA is the national flag carrier airline of Algeria, with its head office in the Immeuble El-Djazair in Algiers. With flights operating from Houari Boumedienne Airport, Air Algérie operates scheduled international services to 39 destinations in 28 countries in Europe, North America,...
and leased by Phoenix Aviation
Phoenix Aviation
Phoenix Aviation was an airline based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It was established and started operations in 1996 and operated passenger and freight services...
which crashed on 21 December 1994 on landing at Coventry Airport
Coventry Airport
Coventry Airport is located south southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England, and about outside Coventry boundaries...
, United Kingdom. All five on board were killed.
On the day of the accident, the aircraft departed Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
for a routine flight to Coventry, UK, where live animals were to be loaded on board for export to the Netherlands and France. Weather at Coventry was poor and deteriorated steadily during the day; by the time the aircraft reached the Coventry area, the runway visual range
Runway visual range
Runway Visual Range is a term used in aviation meteorology to define the distance over which a pilot of an aircraft on the centreline of the runway can see the runway surface markings delineating the runway or identifying its centre line...
for the main runway at Baginton Airport was only 700 metres. The aircraft was not properly equipped to receive the updated radio-navigational broadcast
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
for the runway in question, so the pilots elected to be guided in by a radar controller using Surveillance Radar Approach (SRA). This was unsuccessful and the captain elected to call a missed approach
Missed approach
Missed approach is an instrument flight rules procedure which is a standard component segment of an instrument approach. Generally, if the pilot flying or the pilot in command determines by the time the aircraft is at the decision height or missed approach point , that the runway or its...
and eventually divert to the East Midlands Airport.
Approximately 90 minutes after landing at East Midlands, visibility at Coventry improved significantly. The flight departed East Midlands at 9:38 local time in order to make a second attempt to land at the scheduled destination. During the second SRA-guided approach, the aircraft descended well below the glide slope and collided with an 86 feet (26.2 m)-high electricity transmission tower situated on the extended centreline of the runway approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from the runway threshold. The collision caused severe damage to the left engine and to the structure of the left wing; the aircraft rolled to the left and dropped, clipping a house before crashing into an area of woodland and catching fire. All aboard were killed instantly.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigates air accidents in the United Kingdom. It is a branch of the Department for Transport and is based on the grounds of Farnborough Airport near Aldershot, Rushmoor, Hampshire.-History:...
(AAIB) determined that the accident was caused by the flight crew allowing the aircraft to descend significantly below the minimum descent height for the approach without gaining sight of the approach lighting or runway threshold. The AAIB also found that the crew had failed to cross-check altimeter height indications during the approach, that the non-handling pilot failed to call out the minimum descent height as the aircraft reached that altitude, and that the flight crew's performance had been impaired by the effects of fatigue.