West Caribbean Airways Flight 708
Encyclopedia
West Caribbean Airways
West Caribbean Airways S.A. was an airline with its headquarters in Hangar 73 on the grounds of Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia. Because of financial problems following two crashes in 2005 it ceased operations that September....
charter flight which crashed in a mountainous region in northwest Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
on the morning of Tuesday, 16 August 2005, killing all 152 passengers and eight crew.
The plane, a McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
MD-82, was en-route from Tocumen International Airport
Tocumen International Airport
Tocumen International Airport is an international airport located from Panama City, Panama. In 2006, it underwent a major expansion and renovation program in order to modernize and improve its facilities...
(PTY) in Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
to Fort de France, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
(FDF). The pilots reported trouble with one engine
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
while discussing icing and later the other engine as well. They attempted to divert the plane to Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
for an emergency landing
Landing
thumb|A [[Mute Swan]] alighting. Note the ruffled feathers on top of the wings indicate that the swan is flying at the [[Stall |stall]]ing speed...
. After a 7,000 feet per minute
Minute
A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
dive with engines in a flight idle or near flight idle condition, the plane crashed at about 03:45 local time (07:45 UTC) into a field on a cattle ranch near Machiques
Machiques
Machiques is a city in Zulia State, Venezuela, located in the northwest portion of the country. It is close to the border with Colombia, and the area's main economic activity is cattle raising.- Transport :...
, in the western Zulia State, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
(about 30 kilometres from the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n border).
Nearly all the passengers were French citizens from Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, with the exception of one Italian, acting as the tour operator. The crew was Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
. The flight was chartered by the Globe Trotters de Rivière Salée travel agency in Martinique. Most of the passengers were tourists returning from a week's vacation in Panama.
Background
MedellínMedellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
-based West Caribbean Airways
West Caribbean Airways
West Caribbean Airways S.A. was an airline with its headquarters in Hangar 73 on the grounds of Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia. Because of financial problems following two crashes in 2005 it ceased operations that September....
started as a charter service in 1998. It specialized in flights to San Andrés in the Caribbean, parts of the Colombian mainland and Central America. According to the director of Colombia's Civil Aeronautics Board, Col. Carlos Montealegre, the company had been fined many times for violations and several of its airplanes had been grounded for inadequate maintenance. One $45,000 penalty cited pilots and other crew flying too many hours, lack of training
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
and failure to log required flight data.
The aircraft involved in the incident was delivered to Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
on 4 November 1986 which operated it until 10 January 2005. At that time it was transferred to West Caribbean Airways, registered as HK-4374X. The jet's tail cone fell off in early July 2005 and was replaced.
On flight 708, the captain of HK-4374X was Omar Ospina, and the first officer was David Munioz.
Timeline
All times are UTC. (For local time in Panama and Colombia, subtract 5 hours; for Venezuela and Martinique, subtract 4.)- 06:00 Flight 708 DepartsTakeoffTakeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
from Panama en route to Martinique. - 06:51 Crew reports trouble in one engine.
- 06:58 Crew requests and receives permission to descendDescent (aircraft)A descent during air travel is any portion where an aircraft decreases altitude, and is the opposite of an ascent or climb. Descents are an essential component of an approach to landing...
from 31,000 feet to 14,000 feet. - 06:59 Crew sends distress callDistress signalA distress signal is an internationally recognized means for obtaining help. Distress signals take the form of or are commonly made by using radio signals, displaying a visually detected item or illumination, or making an audible sound, from a distance....
: both engines malfunctioning, aircraft uncontrollable. - 07:00 Plane crashes near Machiques, Venezuela.
Aftermath and Investigation
The 160 person death toll made the accident the deadliest of 2005, and jointly (with China Northwest Airlines flight 2303China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303
China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303 was a domestic flight from Xian to Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. On June 6, 1994, this aircraft, a Tupolev Tu-154M, broke up in-flight and crashed as a result of an autopilot malfunction which caused violent shaking and overstressed the...
, which had an identical death toll) the 50th deadliest crash of all time. It followed the crash of Helios Airways Flight 522
Helios Airways Flight 522
Helios Airways Flight 522 was a Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 flight that crashed into a mountain on 14 August 2005 at 12:04 EEST, north of Marathon and Varnavas, Greece. Rescue teams located wreckage near the community of Grammatiko from Athens...
on 14 August in Greece, which killed 121 people. The only other plane crashes in 2005 to kill over 100 people were that of Kam Air Flight 904
Kam Air Flight 904
Kam Air Flight 904 was involved in a deadly aviation disaster over the Pamir mountains of Afghanistan in February 2005. The incident took place shortly after 4:00 p.m.local time on February 3, when a private Kam Air Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft went missing in Afghanistan during a domestic flight...
on 3 February in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
(104 deaths), and Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145
Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145
Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 was a scheduled flight between the Nigerian cities of Abuja and Port Harcourt .At about 14:08 local time on 10 December 2005, Flight 1145 from Abuja crash-landed on the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 with 110...
on 10 December in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
(109 deaths). West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 is the 11th crash of an MD-80 with fatalities since the aircraft was brought into service in 1980. It is the deadliest air disaster in the history of Venezuela and the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving a McDonnell Douglas MD-82.
The Comite de Investigación de Accidentes Aéreos (CIAA, Aircraft Accidents Research Committee) of Venezuela led the investigation on the causes of the accident. United States' National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) and French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile
Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'Aviation Civile
The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile is an agency of the French government, responsible for investigating aviation accidents and making safety recommendations based on what is learned from those investigations. It is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds...
(BEA) also took part. On 22 November 2005, the CIAA released a report suggesting that a buildup of ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
inside each engine's PT2 probe was responsible for the accident. Analysis of the cockpit voice recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
showed that the crew discussed weather conditions, including icing, and continuously requested and performed descents which is the usual response to a low power or low airspeed situation.
Analysis of the debris showed that both engines exhibited indications of high-speed compressor rotation at the time of impact, which enabled investigators to conclude that the engines were not previously damaged, and were functioning at the time of impact. Ground scars showed that the aircraft impacted with its nose up.
The aircraft had taken off from its origin in a slightly overloaded state. In fact, two flight attendants had to disembark to allow the flight to continue, under the instructions of the captain. This overloaded condition would only allow the aircraft to fly at a top altitude of 33,000 feet without stalling. Unfortunately, due to the poor weather the flight encountered on its way, the crew switched on the engine anti-ice system. The system uses power from the engines, thus reducing their maximum performance. With the anti-ice system on, the highest altitude at which the overloaded aircraft could fly - without stalling - was reduced to only 31,900 feet. The captain noticed the reduction in engine power, but he couldn't realize the source of the problem. Therefore, he started a rapid descent, as a precaution. At that time, the airspeed was already near stall speed and the autopilot
Autopilot
An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
had kept a nose-up attitude to maintain a constant height. When the airliner was pummeled by a sudden updraft, it finally entered a stall condition and the crew mishandled it. Confused by the unusual behaviour of the engines, due to the anti-ice system, the captain thought he was struggling with an engine flameout
Flameout
A flameout refers to the failure of a jet engine caused by the extinction of the flame in the combustion chamber. It can be caused by a number of factors, including fuel exhaustion; compressor stall; insufficient oxygen supply; foreign object damage ; severe inclement weather; and mechanical...
and did not recognise the deep stall situation.
Final report
The Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación CivilJunta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil
Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil is the civil aviation accident investigation agency of Venezuela. The JIAAC has its headquarters in Chacao, Caracas, Miranda State. It is an organization under the Ministry of Transport and Communications...
released their final report into the accident and found the probable underlying causes of the crash to be the result of pilot error
Pilot error
Pilot error is a term used to describe the cause of an accident involving an airworthy aircraft where the pilot is considered to be principally or partially responsible...
. Underscoring the finding listing pilot error as a cause, the JIAAC noted a lack of both situational awareness and crew resource management
Crew Resource Management
Crew resource management or Cockpit resource management is a procedure and training system in systems where human error can have devastating effects. Used primarily for improving air safety, CRM focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit...
which would have better enabled the crew to properly respond to the stall and the severity of the emergency. The report stressed that the crew failed to operate the aircraft within its normal parameters, which resulted in a stall that was not properly recovered from due to poor decision-making and poor communication between the pilots.
See also
- Crew resource managementCrew Resource ManagementCrew resource management or Cockpit resource management is a procedure and training system in systems where human error can have devastating effects. Used primarily for improving air safety, CRM focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit...
- StallStall (flight)In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases. This occurs when the critical angle of attack of the foil is exceeded...
- Southern Airways Flight 242Southern Airways Flight 242Southern Airways Flight 242 was a DC-9-31 jet, registered N1335U, that executed a forced landing on a highway in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia, United States after suffering hail damage and losing thrust on both engines in a severe thunderstorm on April 4, 1977.At the time of the accident, the...
another MD80/DC9 crash involving heavy weather and engine problems.
External links
Final Report - Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación CivilJunta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil
Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil is the civil aviation accident investigation agency of Venezuela. The JIAAC has its headquarters in Chacao, Caracas, Miranda State. It is an organization under the Ministry of Transport and Communications...
(Archive)
- Factual report - National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
- Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation CivileBureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'Aviation CivileThe Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile is an agency of the French government, responsible for investigating aviation accidents and making safety recommendations based on what is learned from those investigations. It is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds...
: - "Junta liderada por Minfra sigue el caso INVESTIGACION DEL SINIESTRO AEREO DE WEST CARIBBEAN TIENE 75% DE AVANCE." Ministry of Infrastructure of VenezuelaMinistry of Public Works and Housing (Venezuela)The Ministry of Public Works and Housing was a ministry of the Venezuelan government until June 2010....
. August 21, 2006. "MTC entregó informe final sobre accidente aéreo en Machiques de 2005." Ministry of Transport and CommunicationsMinistry of Transport and Communications (Venezuela)The Ministry of Transport and Communications of Venezuela was created in June 2010, to cover transport and communications in Venezuela...
. Monday August 16, 2010. Profile of the crew