Exin AN26 on the lake ice in Tallinn.

[epsum]

Polish cargo operator operated cargo flight with AN26 from Helsinki to Tallinn, first go-around because landing gear problem, following a engine failure resulted landing on the lake ice. No casualties, a/c in one piece.

Edit: Better quality pictures: SimpleViewer

[Totally_Bananas]

Lucky the lake was Frozen!

[RIX BT]

Lucky Estonians-this lake is feeder of drinkable water for Estonian Capital...
Video on youtube:

YouTube - Airplane emergency landing on Ülemiste lake.

Pictures: DELFI foto > Att?ls > Av?rijas nos??an?s uz ezera - 8

[dream7879]

pictures from the scene

More good quality pics from the scene. The crew was really lucky! SimpleViewer

[carlosii]

Actually that wasn't first go-around and then engine problems. Aircraft tried to establish localizer, then deviated from it, then tried probably land on RWY, but eventually crew decided to land on a lake, as one engine wasn't operating and they seemed to have problem with the power to commence go-around, as a/c didn't climb at all.

Saw all this from tower, so i guess this is the most reliable information you'll get...

Glad that crew and passengers are all alright, and i'm escpecially glad, that a/c didn't bellyland on RWY, as that would of been much worse, as quite high-density road is passing between airport and the lake.

And NO; i didn't do any video about this accident, as i had much more important things to do when this happened...

[cheeseman]

Out of interest - would they have known in advance that the lake could withstand a landing? Is this any kind of recommended local procedure or just a 'Hudson'-style improvisation in the moment?

[carlosii]

My best guess is that this was not intended, but it seemed to the crew as the best solution to bring the a/c down without any damage to the surroundings and as minimal risk to other people as possible, as Tallinn Airport is situated almost in the middle of the city, that means a lot of habitats and lot of buildings and houses around the airport. This is not any kind of procedure of course, as normally they would of landed on the RWY (obviously), but i guess with their problems with engine and undercarriage they just didn't manage to get in line with the runway at the right point, so they decided not to try to land with 1/3 of RWY remaining (and I should point out there's a busy road at the end of the runway, that connects City to the suburbs), and instead tried to land on the lake, that they knew is covered with ice, and it has been pretty darn cold around here as well lately.

[CargoOne]

This was an unusually strong winter in TLL so they were lucky ice is still there, thick and solid. Lake is just a couple of hundred meters from runway, along centreline. I understood aircraft ditching in this lake has always been a possible scenario for rescue services, so in some sort they are prepared for it. Last time it happened in late 60s, now again.

[ion_berkley]

Judging by what looks to be some leading edge damage and bunch of twigs on the snow it looks like they may have visited a little light woodland on their way to the lake too. Good effort!

[carlosii]

Yeah, they were flying approx. 20 meters above the runway and then ditched to the left where are also bushes and smaller trees. Thankfully they didn't hit bigger trees that are around the runway and at the lake shore, otherwise collision would of been much worse....

Rescuing ditched aircraft from the lake is practiced by airport rescue services every year, but only at summer time, so this winter landing was something new for them as well, but ice that usually is not very good news for airmen, this time provided some serious help for crew and rescuers

[boguing]

Cool.dddddddd

[FlightDetent]

carlosii Just to make sure I understand correctly. Approach was to RWY 26 which could not be secured and the aircraft diverged/overflown to find landing spot behind the runway on ulemiste surface?

FD (the un-real)

[N707ZS]

Have any plans been made to remove the aircraft from the lake?

[Solar]

Thank goodness for global warming resulting in the lake still frozen to that extent!!!!!

Seems like a well done to the crew.

[RIX BT]

Video from rescue site:

DELFI TV > S?kums

[cwatters]

Very lucky - one of the photos shows a broken tree trunk.

[carlosii]

FlightDetent, you have understood correctly, but there are still some questions, as we all didn't understand, were they trying to land on runway, or was their plan to still commence go-around. I guess the ice-landing was a split second decision, that turned out to be fantastic decision.

[RIX BT]

Pictures from crash site:
DELFI foto > Lietot?ja albums > Lidma??nas av?rijas nos??an?s uz ezera Igaunij?

[A4]

So what came first- the gear problem or the engine failure? Do we have a METAR for the time of the accident? One engine, gear stuck, icing conditions/acreation? Certainly on the back foot performance wise.

Glad all OK.

A4

[RIX BT]

An Exin Antonov AN-26 on behalf of DHL, registration SP-FDO performing freight flight EXN-3589 from Helsinki (Finland) to Tallinn (Estonia) with 6 crew, received an unsafe indication for the left hand main gear while on approach to Tallinn prompting the crew to go around. During the go around at around 10:18L (08:18Z) the airplane encountered engine problems causing the airplane to descend through bushes at the shore of Lake Ulemiste and forcing the crew to touch down on the ice cover of the lake. Two people received injuries, one of them was hospitalized. The airplane received substantial damage.

Estonian Authorities reported, that fuel was leaking from the aircraft into Lake Ulemiste, the drinking water reservoir for Tallinn. Emergency services took action to capture, bind and remove the fuel, the water quality has not been impaired. The fuel has been pumped off the aircraft in the meantime. The water quality is being monitored.

Autorities also reported, that the airplane could be stabilised resting on its fuselage and engines, the airplane has been supported to prevent it from breaking through the ice.


Metars:
EETN 180920Z 19005KT 9999 BKN009 OVC090 M02/M04 Q1016 R08/910246 NOSIG
EETN 180850Z 18003KT 9000 BKN006 M03/M04 Q1016 R08/910246 NOSIG
EETN 180820Z 20004KT 7000 OVC004 M04/M04 Q1016 R08/910246 NOSIG
EETN 180750Z 22003KT 6000 OVC004 M04/M05 Q1016 R08/910246 NOSIG
EETN 180720Z 22002KT 3400 BR OVC003 M05/M05 Q1016 R08/910246 NOSIG
EETN 180650Z 22004KT 1600 0800W R26/1600 BR PRFG OVC002 M05/M05 Q1016 R08/910246 NOSIG
EETN 180620Z 26004KT 0300 R26/0800 FZFG VV001 M05/M05 Q1015 R08/910246 TEMPO 0800
EETN 180550Z 25004KT 2200 BR OVC002 M05/M06 Q1015 R08/910246 TEMPO 1000
EETN 180520Z 24004KT 2100 BR BCFG OVC002 M05/M05 Q1015 R08/910246 TEMPO 0800 FZFG