2013 Bagram 747 accident | FerrariChat

2013 Bagram 747 accident

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by Mckinney, Aug 28, 2017.

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  1. Mckinney

    Mckinney Karting

    Mar 29, 2013
    199
    Finally got around to reading the NTSB accident report on this one - very interesting read. I normally read the reports on any large aircraft accident, but for some reason didn't look into this one once terrorism had been ruled out. The video is hard to watch. Crash was caused by a shifting cargo of heavy military vehicles on the second leg of a flight from Afghanistan to Dubai. The first leg was a short flight of about 100 minutes into Bagram (with the same cargo).

    I wonder if the outcome might have been different had the take-off angle from Bagram been less steep?
     
  2. Juan-Manuel Fantango

    Juan-Manuel Fantango F1 World Champ
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    Kathryn's Report: Jury awards $115.75 million to families of flight crew killed in Afghanistan cargo plane crash: Boeing 747-400 BCF, N949CA, operated by National Air Cargo Inc, dba National Airlines; fatal accident occurred April 29, 2013

    There were five MRAPs loaded on the accident airplane: two 12-ton M-ATVs and three 18 ton Cougars. The evidence showed there were an insufficient number of restraints or tie down points to restrain these vehicles, and the most that could be safely transported on the plane was one M-ATV and no Cougars. Plaintiffs introduced evidence that the straps used to restrain the cargo were in poor condition, with some past their expiration dates, and that an insufficient number of straps were used to restrain the vehicles. National Air Cargo Middle East provided for use of 24 straps with the M-ATVs and 26 straps for the Cougars. Boeing determined that a minimum of 60 straps were needed just for the smaller M-ATVs.

    Upon takeoff from the intermediate stopover in Bagram, the restraining devices for one or more of the MRAPs failed, and the rear-most MRAP went through the aft bulkhead in the tail of the airplane, damaging flight control systems and hydraulics to the extent that the airplane became unrecoverable. The airplane quickly pitched nose-up and entered an aerodynamic stall causing it to fall and hit the ground.
     
  3. donv

    donv Two Time F1 World Champ
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    The pilots did nothing wrong in this case-- just a normal takeoff. Rather than asking what they could have done differently, the one to ask about is the loadmaster.
     
  4. beast

    beast F1 World Champ

    May 31, 2003
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    This is from the NTSB report so the crew knew that there was issues with the cargo shifting.
     
  5. kevfla

    kevfla Formula 3

    Nov 20, 2003
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    gone 4 good
    Wasn't the load-master on board?
     
  6. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Yes... was...
     
  7. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    I was always told that complacency and loss of respect for the airplane and it's capability to kill you will usually allow it to do just that. Again, I will forever remember the crusty old instructor that reprimanded me when I lost concentration, " BOY! This airplane is just waiting for a chance to kill you and if you give it a chance, it will take it!" Obvious failure of constraints that were ignored by the aircraft commander after warnings by the crew.
     
  8. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran
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    This just stank...

    While at Bagram, I made one run around the perimeter road every month...just to say I did it. The rest of my workouts were in our facility gym as it was far safer. I was doing my perimeter road run at the time of this incident. No joke, I had rounded the departure end or the runway just 5 minutes before this mishap. The aircraft stalled and crashed where I had been running about 7 minutes earlier...just south and short of the departure end...on the road! To think after flying over 3K hours in fighters, I missed dying as a ground casualty in a heavy crash by seven minutes. As it was I watched from stall time to impact when I hid behind a T wall, erroneously thinking the fireball might burn me alive a half mile away. Sad event!
     
  9. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    That had to have been tough to watch and to realize that you were so close. This incident reminds me of a flight described by Ernie Gann when he was flying freight in India during the war. They had a load of antenna masts that was not tied down. When they rotated on take off the load shifted aft and he struggled to keep the C-47 from stalling. Another case of complacency .
     
  10. Mckinney

    Mckinney Karting

    Mar 29, 2013
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    #10 Mckinney, Sep 2, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2017
    I'm not a flyer but this particular accident video is very hard to watch and the back story only adds to the horror. Complete terror and shock to the crew - not a word on the voice recorder after the first two seconds of the 30 second flight. And the aircraft - a 747 - beloved by many and certainly by me.

    Am I right in saying the NTSB (or other authority) concluded these 5 vehicles could not have been transported safely regardless of how they were secured?

    Hannibal308, did you see or hear the crash, and did you have any thoughts at the time on the possible cause?
     
  11. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran
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    Yes. I saw it pitch up, stall and rotate what appeared to be nearly 180 degrees and explode as it hit the ground...as I dove behind a 2 feet thick T wall thinking I was going to be crispy soon. I did not really think about cause much for a couple of days.
     
  12. Juan-Manuel Fantango

    Juan-Manuel Fantango F1 World Champ
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    wow just insane. Thats why i like this forum, although a sad, sad event, there are some amazing people on here.

    How far would you estimate your distance from the crash site?
     
  13. donv

    donv Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I think they could have been transported safely. National Airlines' loading procedures, and the loadmasters involved in this particular load, were at fault.

    I believe Atlas transported those vehicles before this accident, but I don't know if they did it afterwards.

    The professional pilot board I'm a member of had an extensive discussion about this. One of the participants was a retired military loadmaster. There are many considerations which go into securing a load like this, such as which directions you are expecting the stress to come from, what happens if one restraint gives way, what happens if the load shifts, etc. There were also pictures of similar vehicles on an Atlas aircraft.

     
  14. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran
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    #14 Hannibal308, Sep 3, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I'm guessing as I have never actually tried to fgure it out until now...but close to 4000' based on runway markings...

    I had just run around the NE end of the runway anti-clockwise.

    Sorry this is best pic I could find...
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  15. Juan-Manuel Fantango

    Juan-Manuel Fantango F1 World Champ
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    Wow, just wow. So sorry you had to see this. I'm sure you've seen a lot, but this has to be one of those things you wish you never saw.
     
  16. Mckinney

    Mckinney Karting

    Mar 29, 2013
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    Incredible! Thanks for the pic. I can't imagine witnessing anything like that and hope I never do.
     

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