No fatalities

2007-10-31: Fokker F27 Friendship (HP-1541PST) — Air Panama — Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert (Albrook AFB), Panama

Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert (Albrook AFB), PanamaTakeoff (climb)

On October 31, 2007, a Fokker F27 Friendship (registration HP-1541PST) operated by Air Panama was involved in an aviation accident near Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert (Albrook AFB), Panama during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The stall that occurred during the initial climb was the result of the copilot's confusion in interpreting the information transmitted by the captain which led him to initiate the rotation before reaching the speed of 95 knots (V1). This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781197803Data APIEditorial standards

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft stalled at 50 feet, causing a runway overrun. All 13 occupants escaped uninjured, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Accident Details

Shortly after departing from runway 36, the aircraft initiated a climb. When it reached an altitude of 50 feet, the crew raised the landing gear. A stall occurred at that moment, causing the aircraft to descend. It touched down on the runway approximately 380 meters from the runway end. The aircraft then slid along the remaining runway, overran the end, and turned left before coming to rest in a grassy area about 60 meters beyond the runway threshold. All 13 occupants evacuated without injury, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Official Findings

The investigation concluded that the stall during the initial climb was attributable to the copilot's misunderstanding of the captain's communications. This confusion led the copilot to initiate rotation before the aircraft had reached the predetermined speed of 95 knots, which serves as V1 for the departure. Furthermore, the crew had not activated the methanol water system. Under the prevailing meteorological conditions, with a wet runway and the given takeoff weight, the lack of this system meant that the engines could not produce sufficient power. This deficiency was identified as a contributing factor in the event.

Probable cause

The stall that occurred during the initial climb was the result of the copilot's confusion in interpreting the information transmitted by the captain which led him to initiate the rotation before reaching the speed of 95 knots (V1). The crew could not obtain sufficient power from both engines because they had not activated the methanol water system in view of the existing meteorological conditions, the wet runway and the takeoff weight, which remains a contributing factor.