Convair 340 (C-131D) ZS-BRV crash Pretoria, South Africa
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The plane in the photo is obviously a piston Convair, but looking in the FAA aircraft registration database doesn't necessarily tell you whether a plane is a 580, a 580 will still be registered as a CV340, or CV440. For aircraft certification purposes, a 580 isn't an aircraft type, it's an STC modification.
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The 240 was certified under CAR 4b, effective 1946. that version of the CAR contained a requirement for OEI performance CAR 4b.116.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Cape Town, ZA
Age: 62
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Link posted on the internet of a remarkable video from a light aircraft showing the last minutes of this flight. Image quality is limited, but confirms that it was struggling to hold altitude before crashing:
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: A little south of the "Black Sheep" brewery
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From what someone has posted here, the density altitude would have been about 5,700 ft. That would not be good for performance on a limited performance aeroplane. That was a long way that they struggled with it.
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Florida USA
Age: 61
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Very sad indeed. FYI United States FAA SFP ( Ferry Permit ) for aircraft that size not on FAA121 AOC/Ops specs. Essential crew only ( 3 max ) plus mechanic all must hold FAA license, this old machine seems was a straight out ferry candidate only. Read she was carrying 19 pax and gear maybe 2000kg I guess to much at her age at 5700 foot field elevation. I hope all are recovering quickly, looks like crew did the best with what they were given.
Image quality is limited, but confirms that it was struggling to hold altitude before crashing
Perhaps that smoking engine was still producing power at that stage?
Yes the crew certainly put up a good fight. The real reason all? got out alive, is they seemed to have hit the ground "under control", therefore not stalled. A lesson for us all. Unfortunatly the TAS/ground speed would have been high, considering the D.A.
Last edited by Dan_Brown; 16th Jul 2018 at 09:02.
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Age: 79
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
With both pilots alive they should be able to give a good account of what happened to the enquiry, they should be out of hospital soon. There may well be other contributing factors such as problems with the gear or flaps.
they should be out of hospital soon
When they do come around, I’d be surprised if they remember anything that happened that day.
Guest
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: On the Beach
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No, CAR 4 and the current part 25 are only certification rules that set certain performance requirements. CAR 4 required rates of climb that were a function of stall speed. FAR 25 requires set climb gradients. At least in the USA part 121 requires the operator to work backwards from the manufacturer's performance data to insure obstacle clearance taking into consideration current conditions.
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
CAR4b-116 defines the takeoff path segments and CAR4-b.120 specifies the OEI takeoff performance. Why is it so astonishing to you that an aircraft certificated in the transport category for airline operations post WWII ans operated by airlines has OEI takeoff performance?
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Guest
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: On the Beach
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
CAR4b-116 defines the takeoff path segments and CAR4-b.120 specifies the OEI takeoff performance. Why is it so astonishing to you that an aircraft certificated in the transport category for airline operations post WWII ans operated by airlines has OEI takeoff performance?
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK, it seemed to me like you were resisting the notion, which seemed surprising coming from someone from the era when seeing Convairs, DC-6's and the like flying for the airlines was pretty common.
Guest
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: On the Beach
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Before I learned to fly I rode on UAL's DC-6s several times. I didn't have a clue about the airspace or airway structure at the time. I do recall riding from Stapleton to Burbank one Spring (1955) afternoon. There were peaks higher than us on both sides somewhere in the Rockies. The cu was building around us. Suddenly, we were solid IMC and the g-load increased until we popped out going eastbound. That was a learning experience.