A fatal crash involving an Airnorth Embraer EMB-120 turboprop at Australia's Darwin Airport in 2010 has resulted in the airline moving the majority of its EMB-120 pilot training and proficiency checks to the ground through the use of simulators.
The aircraft, registration VH-ANB, crashed moments after taking off from runway 29 on 22 March 2010, killing the two pilots onboard.
The purpose of the flight was to revalidate the command instrument rating of one pilot, thus an engine failure was simulated during take-off.
Investigations by the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealed that the pilot in command retarded the left power lever to "flight idle" to simulate the engine failure. This caused a simultaneous failure of the left engine and the propeller autofeathering system.
Data from the aircraft's flight recorders showed the increased drag from the propeller increased the force needed to maintain the aircraft flightpath.
However, the pilot in command allowed the aircraft speed to decrease and for it to bank towards the shut-off engine. He also increased the power on the right engine and engaged the yaw damper "in an attempt to stabilise the aircraft's flight".
"Those actions increased his workload and made control of the aircraft more difficult. The pilot in command did not restore power to the left engine to discontinue the manoeuvre," said the ATSB.
The few seconds left before the aircraft went out of control were thus insufficient to resolve the issues.
Since the incident, an EMB-120 simulator and its staff have been approved to undertake Airnorth's trainings. The operator also reinforced in its pilots the importance of appropriate operator procedures and pilot awareness of the potential hazards as risk mitigators.
The incident also reiterates the importance for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to mandate the use of simulators for non-normal flying training and proficiency checks in larger aircraft, said the ATSB.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
