MD81, vicinity Stockholm Arlanda Sweden, 1991

MD81, vicinity Stockholm Arlanda Sweden, 1991

Summary

On 27 December 1991, an MD-81 took off after airframe ground de/anti icing treatment but soon afterwards both engines began surging and both then failed. A successful crash landing with no fatalities was achieved four minutes after take off after the aircraft emerged from cloud approximately 900 feet above terrain. There was no post-crash fire. The Investigation found that undetected clear ice on the upper wing surfaces had been ingested into both engines during rotation and initiated engine surging. Without awareness of the aircraft's automated thrust increase system, the pilot response did not control the surging and both engines failed.

Description

On 27 December 1991, an MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-81 (OY-KHO) being operated by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) on a scheduled international passenger flight from Stockholm Arlanda to Copenhagen as SK751 experienced total engine failure in day IMC a few minutes after taking off from Arlanda. The flight crew were subsequently able to successfully crash land it on open ground just over four minutes after take-off after emerging from cloud at about 900 feet agl. The aircraft was destroyed but all occupants survived. Serious injuries were sustained by 8 of the 129 occupants and minor injuries by another 84 but the remaining 37 were uninjured.

The aircraft wreckage with the airline identity partially obscured. [Reproduced from the Official Report]

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Swedish Board of Accident Investigation (SHK). The DFDR, QAR and 30 minute CVR were recovered from the wreckage and most of their data were successfully downloaded. ATC recordings were available and could be synchronised with the CVR data.

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