Accident Overview
On a cargo flight from Ostend Airport to Lagos, an aircraft departed at 0328LT with five crew members and a load of 35 tons of electronics. About 20 minutes into the flight, while cruising at 24,000 feet over the border between Brussels and Paris ARTCC, the crew reported severe turbulence to ATC. Seconds later, they reported the loss of engine n°3, which had separated, and elected to return to Ostend.
Sequence of Events
After being cleared, the crew began a circuit. While descending to Ostend Airport, the hydraulic systems failed. The crew completed a holding pattern to burn fuel and were later cleared to land on runway 26. After touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage, slid for several dozen meters, and came to rest near the localizer antenna.
Injuries and Damage
All five crew members escaped uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Probable Cause
Laboratory analyses revealed the presence of a fatigue crack on the inner mid spar fitting of engine n°3. The crack had been present for a reasonable time. Airworthiness Directive 93-11-02 required replacement of the fittings with an improved model by July 1997. The fittings on engine n°3 were of the old design. Due to the non-application of AD 93-11-02, the aircraft was in a non-airworthy condition.