What happened
On July 29, 2017, at approximately 09:05, an Antonov AN-74TK-100, registration UR-CKC, was performing a positioning flight from Sao Tome International Airport to Accra, Ghana. The aircraft, operated by CAVOK Airlines LLC, was in the middle of its takeoff roll when the crew encountered a flock of eagles on the runway.
As the aircraft reached a speed of 180 km/h, the crew observed several birds taking flight in close proximity to the plane. Shortly thereafter, at a speed of 220 km/h, the crew heard an impact and received cockpit warnings indicating left engine failure and dangerous vibrations. To prevent further engine damage, the captain initiated a rejected takeoff.
During the deceleration process, the pilot found that standard braking was insufficient. At approximately 130 km/h, the emergency brakes were applied. To avoid a ravine located at the end of the runway, the pilot steered the aircraft toward the right to increase the available stopping distance. The aircraft eventually exited runway 29 at roughly 76 km/h, traveling 95 meters beyond the pavement before plunging into a ravine. The impact caused the forward fuselage to separate from the bulkhead. The accident resulted in one injury to the flight navigator and the destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- The primary cause of the aborted takeoff was a bird strike involving a flock of eagles.
- The airport tower had not notified the crew of the presence of birds on the airfield.
- The aircraft's braking performance was noted as ineffective during the high-speed rejected takeoff.