History of the Flight
On 28 February 2002, Arrow Air flight APWP6L, a McDonnell Douglas DC8-62 registered as N1808E, touched down on Runway 02L at Singapore Changi Airport at 0029 hours local time. The runway controller instructed the aircraft to park at Bay 117, a remote parking bay. The ground movement planner selected taxiway center line lights to guide the aircraft along Taxiway WA to Bay C7, with Bay 117 located two bays beyond C7.
Due to ongoing airside construction, taxiway center line lighting was not available on the short segment from abeam Bay C7 to Bays 117 and 118. A NOTAM effective from 4 February 2002 stipulated that during hours of darkness, aircraft could only be towed in and out of those bays. The flight crew did not stop at Bay C7 but continued onto a diverted portion of Taxiway WA, where the center line lights were not illuminated as it was not the intended route.
At about 0037 hours, the crew informed the tower they were near Bay 106. Realizing the aircraft had overshot, the ground movement planner reselected lights to guide it back to Bay 117. The aircraft followed the return route until it was abeam Bay 117 on the straight section of the diverted Taxiway WA, just before Taxiway VY. There, the pilot saw the ground marshaller at Bay 117 on the right side. Instead of continuing along the assigned taxi route, the aircraft turned right, leaving the taxiway center line and entering a grass area between Taxiway WA and the parking apron. The nose gear crossed an open drain approximately 1.4 meters wide and 0.8 meters deep. The aircraft came to a halt when its main landing gears dropped into the drain at about 0044 hours.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft's nose landing gear was broken, and the fuselage around it was damaged. The main landing gears were also damaged as a result of being lodged in the drain. There was no other damage to the airport or property.
Personnel Information
The flight crew consisted of three members: a pilot-in-command (male, 34, with approximately 5,000 flying hours), a co-pilot (male, 33, with approximately 4,300 hours), and a flight engineer (male, 45, with approximately 4,700 hours). All held valid licenses and medical certificates. They had a rest period of 26 hours before the accident and a duty time of about 14 hours, with flight times of 4 hours 42 minutes for the first sector and 4 hours 36 minutes for the second. Toxicological tests conducted on all three crew members showed no evidence of alcohol or substance abuse.
Weather and Lighting
The accident occurred at night with good visibility (over 10 km) and weather conditions were not a factor. All navigation aids at the airport were operating normally. Green bi-directional taxiway center line lights were provided along all taxiways, except for the construction area where they were deactivated.
Taxiway and NOTAM
A NOTAM issued on 1 February 2002 stated that from 4 February 2002, during hours of darkness, aircraft could only be towed in and out of Bays 118, 117, 108, and 107 due to the absence of green center line lights from Taxiway VY and Taxiway WA behind Bay C7. Construction works were ongoing between Bay 116 and Bay 109.
Communications
The aircraft was in communication with Changi Control Tower on frequency 118.6 MHz. No communication problems were reported.
No injuries occurred to the three crew members, and there was no fire. The airworthiness and maintenance of the aircraft were not factors in the accident.