Hapag-Lloyd Flight 3378

Hapag -Lloyd Flight 3378 should lead on 12 July 2000 from Crete to Hanover. However, the Airbus A310 -300 used had to because of a non retractable landing gear and resulting fuel shortage emergency landing in Vienna and was seriously damaged.

Aircraft

The Airbus used to Hapag -Lloyd Flight 3378 A310- 300 with the production number MSN 528 and the aircraft identification D- Ahlb was resubmitted on January 10, 1990 by Airbus in Hapag -Lloyd and has since continuously been operated by. At the time of the incident he was ten years old.

The course of the accident

After starting in Chania on Crete is one of the two main landing gear would not retract. The pilots tried with the landing gear extended, despite increased fuel consumption to reach a German airport, possibly to save maintenance costs and to further convey the passengers more comfortable and less expensive to Hannover. Because of the extended throughout the flight landing gear, fuel consumption was twice as high, was taken into account as the original fuel calculation. This would give more than half the distance to be traveled.

First of Munich ( EDDM ) was planned as an alternate airport. During the flight, however, showed that even Vienna ( LOWW ) could only be achieved with just one alternate landing ( divert ). Usually, one decides in practice for security for a much closer target - this is often where the airport. The closest major airport would have been Athens ( LGAT ), half an hour's flight from Crete.

In a cruising altitude of 25,000 ft ( 7600 m ), 40 NM (75 km) abeam of Zagreb reported a warning signal falling below the fuel emergency reserve of 1600 liters. At 12:43 clock, the pilots decided to land in Vienna, which was still 120 NM (220 km) away. However, they stated no air emergency. Only when the engines 12 NM (22 km) off the train in about 4,000 ft ( 1,200 m) Height emanated harm (13:20 clock ), they put an emergency message ( declare emergency - "out of fuel" ).

An engine could be started again briefly so that the airfield could still be achieved, but not the runway. The aircraft touched with a wing tip about 660 meters before the runway 34 ( 13:25 clock ) for the first time the ground, in the sequence failed, the left main landing gear, the machine skidded through the approach lights of the runway and was severely damaged on landing gear, engines and fuselage. Of the 142 passengers, 26 were slightly injured during the evacuation after the emergency landing.

Causes and aftermath

The reason for the fact that the landing gear would not let retract correctly was due, according to an investigation report as part of the maintenance inadequately secured lock nut on the mounting and adjustment of the hydraulic suspension feeder. Due to this inadequate security " wandered " the fine adjustment over the last 2,000 landings since the last maintenance of that component. Overall, the error in the cumulative adjustment to 10 mm, which meant that after closing the locking position could not be reached.

The pilots relied for their fuel calculations as required for routine operation on the ads of the Flight Management System (FMS ) in the cockpit, inter alia, the remaining flight time, fuel consumption, the increase or reduction in consumption compared to the flight plan and forecasts for the remaining range with the remaining fuel displays. For calculation of the predictions that actually existing in the tank fuel quantity is taken as a basis. After starting the FMS indicated that the fuel is sufficient to Munich ( calculated is save fuel, estimated fuel on board - EFOB ). Since the FMS was not aware of the increased air resistance through the extended chassis for its forecasts, it did not recognize the increased fuel requirements and the FMS fuel forecast was wrong ( too large remaining range indicated ). Because of the faster decreasing amount of fuel the FMS showed his constantly updated calculations on an ever shorter remaining route.

After recovery of the A310 by a Viennese crane company and the airport fire the wreck was parked in front of the hangars of Austrian art. The next day, the logo on the vertical tail was painted white. The wreck was later purchased and exploited by Flight Director, an American company that specializes in the resale of aircraft parts. Until the completion of this work in January 2001 it was temporarily the U.S. N528FD identifier.

The captain was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of six months on probation because of a dangerous interference with aviation.

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