AT72, vicinity Pakse Laos, 2013

AT72, vicinity Pakse Laos, 2013

Summary

On 16 October 2013, the crew of an ATR72-600 unintentionally flew their aircraft into the ground in IMC during a go around from an unsuccessful non precision approach at destination Pakse. The Investigation concluded that although the aircraft had followed the prescribed track, the crew had been confused by misleading FD indications resulting from their failure to reset the selected altitude to the prescribed stop altitude so that the decision altitude they had used for the approach remained as the selected altitude. Thereafter, erratic control of aircraft altitude had eventually resulted in controlled flight into terrain killing all on board.

Description

On 16 October 2013, the crew of an ATR72-600 (RDPL-34233) being operated by Lao Airlines on a scheduled passenger flight (301) from Vientiane to Pakse and making a go around in day Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) following an unsuccessful non-precision approach at their destination tracked the procedure as prescribed but failed to also climb in accordance with it and the aircraft crashed into a river killing all 49 occupants.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by an Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 principles. In addition to the usual representatives, the AAIB Singapore assisted in the recovery of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the river into which the aircraft crashed. The data from both was subsequently downloaded successfully.

It was established that the 57 year old aircraft commander was an experienced ATR72-500/600 pilot; the 22 year old First Officer had recently obtained a professional pilot licence and a type rating on the ATR72 500/600. An VOR/DME approach was made to runway 15 in accordance with clearance given by TWR ATC.

A thunderstorm was reported to have been approaching Pakse airport from the southwest and "the sound of heavy rain striking the aeroplane could be heard on the CVR".

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