Overview
The Dutch Safety Board published its quarterly aviation report for July to September 2018, covering several investigations into incidents involving aircraft on or above Dutch territory or with Dutch involvement. The report describes events without assigning culpability or liability.
Boeing 737-800 Insufficient Thrust During Take-Off
On 10 June 2018, a Boeing 737-800 took off from Runway 09 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The pilots calculated take-off speeds and engine power based on an assumption of starting from Intersection N5. However, the actual take-off position was changed to Intersection N4, reducing the available take-off distance. The performance calculations were not adjusted accordingly. The aircraft rotated at the calculated speed and left the ground only just before the end of the runway. The incident was classified as a serious incident (reference 2018095). The Dutch Safety Board noted that similar incidents have occurred regularly and recommended in March 2018 that EASA develop a warning system for insufficient thrust, though feasibility remains unproven.
Beechcraft A36 Bonanza Emergency Landing
On 25 July 2018, a German-registered Beechcraft A36 Bonanza was en route from Norderney to Nordhorn-Lingen Airport in Germany with two people on board. Near Bourtange, at approximately 2,000 feet, the engine made a strange noise and lost full power, according to the pilot. After standard procedures failed to restore power, the pilot performed an emergency landing in a potato field with the landing gear retracted and flaps not deployed to prevent flipping. The aircraft came to rest on its belly, sustaining minor damage. The passengers were unhurt. The Dutch Safety Board's shortened investigation focused on the causes of the engine failure; the emergency landing procedure was not investigated (reference 2018074).
Runway Incursion at Schiphol
On 27 July 2018, an Embraer E190 was lined up on Runway 18C at Schiphol at Intersection W1, ready for take-off. A Boeing 737-800 was near Intersection W4 on the same runway, ready to taxi onto it. The runway controller gave the Boeing 737 permission to line up, then shortly after gave the Embraer take-off clearance. The Boeing crew, while taxiing, heard the clearance and stopped immediately, coming to a halt just before the runway. The Embraer crew aborted the take-off. The incident was classified as a serious incident (reference 2018077).
Other Incidents with Dutch Involvement
The report also mentions several incidents abroad involving Dutch aircraft or registrations, including a broken aileron control rod on a Britten-Norman BN-2B-21 Islander near Saint Kitts (4 July 2018), damage to a wheel rim on a Boeing 787-8 in Cancun (7 July 2018), a crash of a Convair 340/440 near Wonderboom Airport, South Africa (10 July 2018) resulting in one fatality and 18 injuries on board plus eight injuries on the ground, a mid-air collision between a Schleicher ASW 20 and a Reims F172 in Germany (18 July 2018) with substantial damage but no injuries, a near-collision between an ASK 21 and an Embraer in Germany (18 July 2018), a crash of a Schempp-Hirth Janus B in France (26 July 2018) causing a broken lower leg to the pilot and total destruction of the glider, and a wrong flap position selection on a Fokker F28 Mark 0100 near Kalgoorlie, Australia (1 August 2018). All these occurrences were investigated by foreign authorities with assistance from the Dutch Safety Board.
Board's Stance
The Dutch Safety Board continues to seek international attention for safety issues, particularly regarding take-off performance calculation errors, and emphasizes the importance of developing technical solutions to prevent such incidents.