Aviation News, Headlines & Alerts
 
Day: <span>April 23, 2014</span>

Wake Turbulence Found Guilty

aircraft.jpg__atkinson_Preliminary investigation of the Indian Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Super Hercules that crashed on Friday March 28, 2014, killing five, indicates that the accident may have been the result of wake turbulence.

The Hercules that crashed 72 miles from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh was in a twoship formation on a training mission when it flew into the wake turbulence of the lead aircraft. Because of the low altitude (300 feet), the crew could not establish control in order to avert the crash.

The mission was flying from Agra-Kheria Air Force Station to Gwalior Airport, India.

Although the findings reportedly rule out “technical error,” incidents resulting from wake turbulence (i.e. composed of wingtip vortices and jet wash) are generally considered pilot error. Jet wash gases from engines dissipate quickly, but vortices from the wings can last three minutes.

Although most incidents resulting from a plane flying in another’s wake turbulence are reported in takeoff and landing situations at airstrips, it is also a hazard in formation flying, so that planes in the far position must concentrate on staying on or above leader’s glide path. Vortices sink at a rate of 90 to 150 meters/minute

The ICAO has separation minima standards for take-off and landing.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270

New Malaysian MH370 Investigation Team Appointed by Government

In order “…to evaluate, investigate and determine the actual cause of the accident so similar accidents could be avoided in the future” an international team has been appointed by the government of Malaysia to investigate MH370.

Australia reports debris washing ashore that may be connected to the crash. If the debris proves to be from the plane, ocean patterns may be studied to help establish positioning. If the debris is related, it will be the first hard evidence found.

The current search focuses in a 10-kilometer radius of the area of pings sourced, it is believed, from MH370’s black boxes before the ping batteries ran out.

Poor weather conditions have curtailed air searches, although ships have continued.

The position of Malaysian authorities is that the plane was deliberately diverted, but mechanical failure has not been ruled out.

Content not attributed to or linked to original, is the property of AirFlightDisaster.com; all rights reserved.

Site Credits