What happened
On 6 November 2002, a Fokker 27 Mk050, registration LX-LGB, was operating flight LG 9642/LH 2420 from Berlin to Luxembourg. While cruising at FL180, the flight crew received instructions from Frankfurt Control to descend to FL90 and proceed directly to Diekirch. Upon being transferred to Luxembourg Approach, the aircraft was instructed to enter a holding pattern at FL90 with an expected ILS 24 approach, accompanied by the latest RVR readings.
During the descent, the aircraft was cleared to 3000ft QNH with a left turn to heading 130. At the time, the aircraft was flying above a fog layer. The crew had been instructed to initiate a go-around if the RVR dropped below 300 meters while passing ELU. As the aircraft passed ELU at 09h04min 36s, the controller reported an RVR of 300 meters. In response to the approach configuration, the crew reduced power, selected flaps 10, and extended the landing gear.
Immediately following the extension of the landing gear, the pitch angle of both propellers simultaneously dropped below the minimum required for flight. This mechanical anomaly caused a rapid loss of airspeed and altitude. The left engine subsequently failed, followed by the right engine. As the engines ceased operation, the flight data recorders lost power and stopped recording. The aircraft disappeared from radar at 09h05min 42s and was located in a field approximately 3.5 kilometers east of the runway 24 threshold. The accident resulted in 16 fatalities and 6 critical injuries, though 4 of the survivors later succumbed to their wounds. The only two survivors were the captain and one passenger.
Findings
- The simultaneous reduction of propeller pitch to values below flight minimums caused a rapid loss of engine performance.
- The failure of both engines following the landing gear deployment led to the loss of flight control and subsequent impact.