Hi, Does anyone have any additional information regarding this aircraft that ran out of fuel on a ferry flight in 2008. Please feel free to post but if you wish to add names, please email me the details. I am trying to contact the owner. I have had a very bad experience at the hands of a well known ferry company and I am attempting to put together a case for the relevant authorities. If you actually read the narrative, the level of incompetence shown is frightening. Also this crash was not reported to the FAA as one of the crew said as no-one was injured it didnt require that a report be submitted to the FAA. My understanding is this is an accident and as such there is a legal requirement to report this immediately because property was damaged.
Danish to English translation
AIB Information 10 / 2008
Published October 2008
16
EXPLANATION
HCLJ510-000501 Accident
Aircraft: Piper PA-34-220T Registration: N344SE
Engine: Continental TSIO-360-RB Flying: Other professions IFR
Crew: 2 - no casualties Passengers: None
Location: At Narsaq Heliport,
Greenland
Date and time: 14.04.2008 at. 1610 UTC
All times in this report are UTC.
Accident Commission of Civil Aviation and Rail (AIB) received report on the accident from Narsaq
Heliport, 14 April 2008 at. The 1640th
Flight history
Flight during which the accident occurred, was a ferry flight from Goose Bay Airport (CYYR)
Canada scheduled destination Narsarsuaq Airport (BGBW) Greenland.
Commander had planned to start from CYYR pm. 1045 and expected to land in BGBW pm. 1455,
which had an estimated flight time of 4:10 hours.
The commander reported that he had received CYYR forecast for the route from Air Nav Canada via
Woodward Aviation Services CYYR.
Aircraft fuel tanks were full at the start of CYYR, which corresponded to a workable
portfolio of 122 U.S. gallons.
AIB has meted great circle route distance of 673.8 nm. Aircraft range including 45 min
fuel reserve was specified by the manufacturer to between 812 nm and 828 nm depending on altitude.
Cl. 1105 Began commander from CYYR headed for BGGW.
Cl. 1431 Signaling commander to Gander ATC on minimum fuel and requested
priority arrival to BGBW. At this time was the aircraft itself out over
Davis Strait between Canada and the southern part of Greenland.
Cl. 1453 Signaling commander to NIL Flight Information Centre (FIC) that he had
fuel to the 1:21 hour flight and expected to reach BGBW about 1:15 hours.
Since the aircraft was not equipped with radio compass (ADF), which was required by
transit flight through NIL FIR, it was not possible for the FIC to provide
commander a radarvektor directly to BGBW.
Cl. 1506 Reported commander that he had 29 gallons of fuel remaining.
Cl. 1511 The aircraft position 59 51.73 N 048 39.91 W - 122.6 nm to BGBW.
Cl. 1515 Was the rescue helicopter prepared for departure from Qaqortoq (BGJH).
Cl. 1520 Got commander land in sight. The aircraft was in a flight altitude of 4,600 ft and
moved toward land with a speed over the ocean at 82 kt.
Cl. 1534 relieved the helicopter OY-HIA from BGJH.
Cl. 1535 Requested Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) commander to activate the emergency radio transmitter
(ELT) in the aircraft.
AIB Information 10 / 2008
17
Published October 2008
Cl. 1546 Reported commander that he had two fjords in sight, and sought guidance on what
fjord he should choose. ???Crew of OY-HIA recommended BreiSafjorS due
wind conditions.
Cl. 1553 was N344SE at position 60 40.44 N 046 49.49 W and the crew of OY-HIA
had visual contact with the aircraft.
Cl. 1554 Reported commander that "emergency fuel lights' shone, which was indicative of low
residual fuel.
Cl. 1600 commander of N344SE announced that he was forced to land in the terrain.
Cl. 1603 motor in N344SE stopped because of fuel shortages, so the commander called
MAYDAY.
Cl. 1610 N344SE landed on the ground.
Cl. 1613 Narsaq Heliport (BGNS) reported that N344SE had crash-landed on the plain around. 500 m
heliport, located at position 60 55.00 N 046 03,31 W.
Cl. 1615 OY-HIA had N344SE in sight.
Cl. 1617 Landed a Sikorsky S61N helicopter rescue at accident site reported that the two
crew was not injured.
Accident occurred during landing in the terrain around. 20 nm west of the planned destination BGBW.
Accident occurred during daylight in visual meteorological meteorological conditions (VMC)
Damage to aircraft
Immediately before the aircraft was stopped in the nose undercarriage sank into the soft surface
and collapsed, with damage to the muzzle and the propeller blades to follow.
Weather and wind conditions
Commander has indicated that the headwinds of the Davis Strait was stronger than he had
expected.
The following weather forecasts were issued by the meteorological office in Kangarlussuaq (BGSF) Greenland the
14. April 2008 were available to the commander:
Cl. 0300 TAF 140300Z 140312 08022KT BGBW 9999 BKN100 TEMPO 0309 08030G40KT
BECMG 0911 08030G40KT TEMPO 1112 08040G50KT.
Cl. 0700 TAF 140700Z 140716 08025KT BGBW 9999 SCT100 BKN150 TEMPO 0716
08030G40KT.
Cl. 1000 TAF BGBW141000Z 141019 08030KT 9999 SCT040 BKN100 TEMPO 1019
08042G55KT BKN040.
Cl. 1300 TAF 141300Z 141319 08030KT BGBW 9999 SCT040 BKN100 TEMPO 1319
08042G55KT BKN040.
Cl. 1300 AMD TAF AMD 141600Z 141619 08045G58KT 9999 BKN120.
METAR Weather Observations were made at intervals of one hour broadcast from BGBW.
METAR, released from BGBW, 14 April 2008, contained the following wind information:
Cl. 0750 08029KT.
Cl. 0850 08026KT.
Cl. 07039G49KT 0950.
Cl. 08029G42KT 1050.
Cl. 08041G54KT 1350.
AIB Information 10 / 2008
19
Published October 2008
Cl. 07042G54KT 1450.
Cl. 07045G57KT 1550.
Cl. 1650 07046KT.
Accident Commission's assessments
Weather Forecast, released at. 1000 was the latest available to the commander before the start of
Goose Bay in Canada. It contained a statement that heavy fire could occur in
period 1000 to 1900. Also revealed today's weather forecasts and weather reports, current South
Greenland up to the commander at start time. 1105, that the headwinds had an increasing trend in
day.
AIB believes that in flight planning were not sufficiently
account the headwind information that was available.
