Early reports indicate that a Shorts 360 double engine failure caused the crash of a Loganair aircraft on 27 February. If confirmed, it would be the second time that such a failure has resulted in a fatal accident to the same type since January 2000.
The Loganair aircraft (G-BNMT) had just taken off from Edinburgh airport, Scotland, when the crew made a mayday call reporting total power loss. Eyewitness descriptions indicated an attempt to ditch the aircraft close to the shore in the Firth of Forth. Both pilots were killed. Take-off was in the darkness, but there was good visibility, 2°C temperature and dew point of –3°C.
The January 2000 accident near Marsa el Brega, Libya, involved a 360 operated by Swiss company Avisto. The aircraft crashed during an attempted forced landing in the sea, killing 22 passengers and one crew member. The accident report indicates that both engines failed on the approach because the pilots failed to operate the engine intake icing system at altitude, and when intake ice began to melt in the descent, water ingestion caused engine flame-out.
Source: Flight International
