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Old 14th Nov 2013, 23:34
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Centaurus
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Australia
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I work for the television show "Air Crash Investigation" that airs on National Geographic channels around the world
While the Kegworth accident has been done to death in numerous articles, may I suggest you would do well to consider an Air Crash Investigation show on a little publicised crash (or rather ditching)to a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737 that happened in Indonesia on 16 January 2002.

On descent into Yogyakarta the 737 encountered a 63,000 ft super-cell thunderstorm accompanied by turbulence and heavy rain. The weather radar on the aircraft was defective. As a result of the heavy rain which was well above the amount used for calculation of engine tolerance during certification testing, both engines flamed out while the aircraft was in cloud.

When the crew tried to start the APU in order to attempt to restart the engines, the aircraft battery failed due to a defective component and this in turn resulted in a total electrical failure. With no engines, and no electrical power the artificial horizon and compass system failed.

By sheer luck before control was lost in cloud, the aircraft came out of the side of the thunderstorm at 18,000 ft. More good luck when the crew saw a river winding through the jungle below. The pilot made a high speed ditching with no engines and no flaps and again luck was with them because the river was shallow and the aircraft did not sink. All aboard except one unfortunate flight attendant, survived the accident.

It is hard to believe that such an amazing combination of potentially fatal events happened in such a short time. Faulty weather radar which led the aircraft into a huge thunderstorm super-cell, a double flame-out caused by rain ten times more than the previously heaviest recorded, a defective battery, and total electrical failure resulting in loss of vital flight instruments that would normally result in loss of control in cloud. Try inventing that lot at the same time in a simulator and the instructor would be laughed out of the box.

I suggest this would be God given splendid story for your Air Accident Investigation TV series. PM me if you would like more detailed info on that accident.
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