What happened
While performing the takeoff roll, the aircraft's fourth engine suffered a mechanical failure once the vehicle reached a speed of 230 km/h. In response to the loss of power, the captain initiated an emergency braking procedure to abort the takeoff. However, the aircraft was unable to halt before reaching the end of the runway. The plane overran the paved surface at approximately 100 km/h, crossed a road and entered a ditch, where the structural integrity of the airframe failed and the aircraft broke into two pieces.
The incident resulted in 20 injuries among the passengers. Because several occupants were not wearing seat belts, three individuals sustained serious injuries. Tragically, one passenger passed away several hours after the accident.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the failure of engine number four was triggered by a bird strike during the takeoff roll, which caused a malfunction in the high pressure turbine. The accident was further compounded by several operational errors made by the crew. Specifically, the captain made an incorrect decision regarding the abort procedure and demonstrated a lack of understanding concerning the necessary interval between applying full power and engaging reverse thrust. Additionally, the thrust reversal process was incomplete; while the left engines were properly engaged, the flight engineer failed to activate the reverse thrust system on engine number three.