The UK's AAIB has sent an investigation team to Tokyo

A team of inspectors has been sent to Tokyo to join the investigation into the fatal aircraft accident at Haneda Airport, 2 January 2024

The AAIB has sent a team of inspectors to Tokyo to assist the Japan Transport Safety Board investigation into the tragic aircraft accident which occurred on 2 January at Haneda Airport, Tokyo. The investigation is being led by the Japan Transport Safety Board, and the AAIB as State of Manufacture of the Rolls-Royce engines fitted to the Airbus A350 has appointed an accredited representative.

Pilot dies in light aircraft crash in Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a field serious incident in fields east of Darlton Airfield, near Retford, Nottinghamshire at 12:23 on Wednesday after reports of a plane crashing.

The single-engine light aircraft came down shortly after midday and was being flown by a single pilot said to be in his 70s who the local police confirm had died at the scene. Nottinghamshire Police said the pilot's family was being supported by specially trained police officers.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch - AAIB  said it has launched an investigation into a fatal accident involving a single-engine light aircraft which occurred on 26 July 2023. "A team of inspectors arrived on site early in the evening of that day to gather evidence and begin an investigation." they advised.

Annual Safety Review 2022 released from UK's : Air Accidents Investigation Branch - AAIB

The AAIB Annual Safety Review 2022 has been published. It includes information on occurrences and the safety action taken or planned in response to AAIB investigations concluded in 2022.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has published its Annual Safety Review which includes information on occurrences and the safety action taken or planned in response to AAIB investigations concluded in 2022.

The AAIB received 778 occurrence notifications (compared to 746 in 2021, 553 in 2020 and 826 in 2019) and opened two formal and 27 field investigations. A further 78 investigations were opened by correspondence.

Nine of which were into fatal accidents in the UK resulting in 11 deaths.

In 2022, the AAIB published two Special Bulletins, 27 field investigation reports and 85 correspondence investigations.

There were nine investigations into fatal accidents which involved 11 deaths. All but one involved General Aviation (three light aircraft, two microlights, two gliders and one helicopter).

The Branch issued 19 Safety Recommendations, including two which were classified as safety recommendations of global concern (SRGC).

The Review provides details of 101 significant actions to enhance safety taken proactively by the industry in 2022 as a direct result of AAIB investigations.

The recurring themes for General Aviation continued to be loss of control in flight during aerobatics, partial power loss or flight into clouds by unqualified pilots.

The dominant recurring themes in the accidents and serious incidents involving commercial air transport aircraft were mishandling of the aircraft during landing or go-around, complex electrical failures leading to system degradation, and failures to achieve take-off performance.

The Annual Safety Review also contains articles on 100 years of Accident Investigation Regulations and the use of test flights during Aircraft Accident Investigation.

Reflecting on 100 years of accident investigation regulations, Crispin Orr, Chief Inspector of Air Accidents said “It is remarkable how much aviation safety has improved over the last 100 years through incremental changes to way that aircraft are designed, manufactured, maintained and operated. Almost everywhere one looks across the aviation eco-system there are physical systems and standard practices that have been introduced to improve safety as a direct result of learning from previous accidents and incidents. This has been underpinned by an open reporting culture, and a clear focus on improving safety without attribution of blame.”

UK's AAIB appeals for dashcam footage of aircraft accident.....

AAIB dashcam footage appeal – Upminster, Essex

Appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage from drivers on Aveley Road following an accident on Tuesday 4 April 2023.

The UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch is appealing to motorists that might have some dashcam footage of an aircraft accident that occurred shortly after takeoff at around Midday on 4 April near to Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster Essex. 

The aircraft involved in the accident flew over Aveley Road prior to the accident and the AAIB is looking for dashcam footage from vehicles driving on Aveley Road around this time which may help with the investigation.

If you have any information or witnessed the accident and have not already spoken to the AAIB please contact them during office hours on 01252 510300 or enquiries@aaib.gov.uk

Remembering those affected by air accidents

20th February is the International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and Their Families. The AAIB joins colleagues around the world in commemorating those affected by air accidents.

Today, the AAIB’s thoughts are with all of those affected by air accidents as we commemorate ICAO’s International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and their Families. This is a day of reflection within our industry, as we work towards making aviation safer and preventing accidents that can result in such tragedy.

Air Crash Victims Day is also an opportunity to advance our understanding of best practice when providing support to people who have lost loved ones. Family liaison is integral to the work of the AAIB and is something that has to be handled with great sensitivity. The AAIB is participating in an ICAO-led workshop in Milan today to learn more about providing assistance to air accident victims and their families.

As we remember those lives lost to air accidents, we redouble our efforts to help the industry to learn from these tragedies and make flying safer.

UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch publishes its Annual Safety Review for 2021

Earlier this week the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch published its Annual Safety Review for 2021 which includes information on events and the safety action already taken or planned to happen in response to its investigations.

The report details it had received 746 occurrence notifications up from 553 in 2020 and less than the 2019 figure of 826. The AAIB said it had opened 28 investigations in the field, of which five were into fatal accidents in the UK that had resulted in seven deaths.

In 2021 the AAIB published 24 field investigation reports, which included five investigations into fatal General Aviation accidents, 17 field investigations into non-fatal accidents or serious incidents to both General Aviation and Commercial Air Transport aircraft and two Unmanned Aircraft System investigations.

The Branch issued 37 Safety Recommendations including 8 of which were classified as safety recommendations of global concern (SRGC). Most of the recommendations are related to the regulation of aircraft operations or the regulation of aircraft design, production and manufacturing.

The Review provides details of 188 significant actions to enhance safety taken proactively by the industry in 2021 as a direct result of AAIB investigations.

In addition, the AAIB appointed an accredited representative to 46 overseas investigations in 2021 and these continue to be a very important part of the Branch’s work.

Crispin Orr, Chief Inspector of Air Accidents said:  “All the fatalities from air accidents in the UK in 2021 were associated with General Aviation (GA). Most involved loss of control, either at low speed close to the ground or following an inadvertent entry into clouds by pilots without an IMC rating. The normal seasonal variations in GA activity were exaggerated somewhat by lockdowns in 2021 but the overall accident statistics and prevalent occurrence types were not unusual.

 

UK Air Accident Investigation Branch publishes 2020 Annual Safety Review.

Annual Safety Review 2020

The AAIB Annual Safety Review 2020 has been published. It includes information on occurrences and the safety action taken or planned in response to AAIB investigations concluded in 2020.

Although the coronavirus pandemic had a profound effect on both commercial and general aviation activity in 2020, the AAIB still received 553 occurrence notifications and opened 20 field investigations, four of which were into fatal accidents in the UK resulting in four deaths.

A further 108 investigations were opened by correspondence. In addition, the AAIB appointed an accredited representative to 31 overseas investigations and made a notable contribution to major event investigations in Iran and Indonesia.

Productivity remained high throughout the year and the Branch published 30 field and 199 correspondence investigation reports. These included 30 Safety Recommendations covering diverse safety issues with commercial air transport, general aviation, unmanned air systems and glider flying. In addition, there were also 159 significant safety actions taken proactively by the industry in response to the AAIB’s investigations.

A growth in the reporting of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) occurrences was seen in 2020, reflecting a greater awareness among UAS operators of the need to report occurrences. The AAIB undertook several UAS investigations and identified safety issues related to the overflight of third parties that have not been fully addressed by the new regulations. Recommendations have been made to the relevant authorities.

UK's CAA issues safety warning after pitot blockage events at London Heathrow

A new safety warning notice has been issued after the UK's Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Accident Investigation Branch have been told about three separate events of blocked pitot tubes occurring at London Heathrow Airport which could have caused a disaster. 

These most recent events all took place between 9 June 2021 – 11 June 2021, where aircraft have been subject to pitot blockages which resulted in airspeed discrepancies and associated crew actions. All of the events are being investigated by the UK AAIB under normal ICAO Annex 13 investigation procedures. However, initial feedback seems to suggest a form of insect infestation may have 

contributed to these events.

According to the CAA, all the aircraft involved were of different types and hadn't been used very much. The aircraft had been subject to parking for periods of 3 -7 days at various locations within the airport..

Because of the risks,  the CAA advises all operators and maintenance crews to be aware of the issues and said that whilst the investigation is ongoing, such events may not be isolated to just London Heathrow and could affect many other aircraft at other airports.

The CAA also says that flight deck crews should be made aware of  "this potential issue, reminded of the importance of the speed checks during the take-off roll and the actions to be taken in the case of a discrepancy, as well as the appropriate unreliable speed indications for their aircraft type should they discover the issue once airborne."

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Alauda Airspeeder Mk II scale demonstrator loss of control resulting in a fly-away and eventual crash, Goodwood Aerodrome, West Sussex crash report released

Whilst performing a demonstration flight, the remote pilot lost control of the 95 kg Alauda Airspeeder Mk II scale demonstrator. After the loss of control had been confirmed by the remote pilot, the safety ‘kill switch’ was operated but had no effect. The Unmanned Aircraft then climbed to approximately 8,000 ft, entering controlled airspace at a holding point for flights arriving at Gatwick Airport, before its battery depleted and it fell to the ground. It crashed in a field of crops approximately 40 m from occupied houses and 700 m outside of its designated operating area. There were no injuries.

Even the smallest of distractions can have serious consequences..................investigation report

British Airways Airbus A321-231 G-EUXJ  Photo  Anna Zvereva 

A British Airways flight crew were starting the fourth day of a four-day short-haul period of duty on 24th November 2019 in the early evening.   On this day they were just scheduled to fly an Airbus A321-231 down from Glasgow Airport to the airlines home base of London Heathrow. 

In the previous three days of this four-day rotation, they had flown a variety of aircraft - A319, A320 and A321 and hadn't reported anything out of the ordinary. This day they were flying a 2007 A321-231, registration G-EUXJ for the short flight down to London.  During passenger boarding, the flight crew had a few minutes spare, so, as encouraged by British Airways, the 57-year-old commander allowed a couple of passengers to visit the flight deck. A Little later, whilst the flight crew were entering the takeoff performance figures into the Flight Management and Guidance Computer the senior cabin crew member asked if they could accept another flight deck visitor. The commander ignored the request to continue to focus on putting in the information to the FMGC, a distraction nonetheless. 

UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published its Annual Safety Review for 2019.

The AAIB received 826 occurrence notifications in 2019 and opened 37 field investigations, eight of which were into fatal accidents in the UK resulting in 10 deaths. A further 124 investigations were opened by correspondence.

The AAIB published two special bulletins, 29 field investigation reports and made 12 safety recommendations. In addition, 153 significant safety actions were taken by manufacturers, operators and regulators to address safety issues identified during AAIB investigations. This demonstrates the considerable range and scale of the safety action already taken or planned by the industry and regulators in response to AAIB investigations.

In 2019 all the fatal accidents that were investigated in the UK involved general aviation aircraft or gliders with the most common factor being loss of control in flight. The most common factor in commercial air transport accidents and serious incidents was system/component failure or malfunction.

In terms of its global reach, the AAIB appointed an accredited representative to 96 overseas investigations, including 45 involving UK registered aircraft. The Branch deployed to investigations in Belgium, the USA, Ethiopia, Chile, UAE, Italy, Portugal, Montserrat and Kazakhstan.

Partial electrical failure on a 737 bound for Brussels caused mayday.

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch based at Farnborough has released its report into a partial electrical failure on a Boeing 737-4Q8 of West Atlantic UK, registration G-JMCR on 4 June 2019.

The cargo flight was being flown by two pilots, the captain aged 34 had some 2525 hours worth of flying experience with around 2325 on a 737. The aircraft was en route from Oslo Gardermoen Airport, Norway to Brussels National Airport, Belgium with the commander, a company line training captain, in the right seat as the pilot monitoring and the co-pilot, who was completing his command upgrade line training, in the left seat as the pilot flying.

The weather was forecast to be thundery in the Brussels area and the pilots heard ATC directing other aircraft around active thunderstorms as they approached the airport.  While descending to land at Brussels National Airport, at 1846 the pilots heard a noise which they described as a “large electrical clunk”.   This was accompanied by the loss of the primary Electronic Flight Instrument System -EFIS on the left side of the cockpit and the disconnection of the autopilot and autothrottle. The commander immediately took control as PF and flew the remainder of the flight manually, with the co‑pilot assuming the role of the pilot monitoring. In addition to the loss of the EFIS screens, both control display units for the Flight Management Computer (FMC) were inoperative and several caution and advisory warnings had illuminated, including for the aircraft pressurisation and aft fuel pump. 

Britten-Norman Islander, skidded on touchdown and overran the runway in Montserrat - AAIB Report

Britten-Norman Islander, skidded on touchdown and overran the runway

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has released its report into an incident that occurred on the beautiful island of Montserrat in September last year that saw a Britten-Norman Islander run off the runway. The small aircraft was carrying six passengers and the pilot at the time of the incident

Following a heavy rain shower which made the runway wet, a Britten-Norman Islander (VP-MNI) made a positive touchdown but could not stop. It overran the runway and departed the level surface of the airfield, 23 September 2019.The aircraft was on a return flight from Antigua to Montserrat, which was experiencing a heavy rain shower. After the shower had passed the aircraft made a normal approach in a light tailwind to Runway 10, which was still wet from the rain. The pilot made a positive touchdown and applied appropriate braking but was unable to stop the aircraft. The pilot steered the aircraft to the right but it skidded through 180° and departed the level surface of the airfield backwards, down a steep incline at the end of the runway, before coming to a stop when the tail caught in the airport security fence. The pilot and passengers were able to exit the aircraft and the airport rescue and firefighting service responded promptly.

No aircraft defects were found that would have contributed to the outcome. The touchdown groundspeed was higher than appropriate, either because the approach was flown at an airspeed greater than the normal, or because of a significant change in windspeed and direction during the approach. This, combined with a wet runway and skidding, resulted in the aircraft requiring more distance to stop than was available on the runway.

Safety Recommendations are made regarding aircraft operations at John A Osborne Airport, access for rescue and firefighting vehicles, and a means of arresting aircraft that overrun the runway.

Read the report.

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Neos 737 had unstable approach followed by loss of altitude during go-around at Bristol

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has released a report into Unstable approach followed by loss of altitude during go-around, Runway 27, Bristol Airport, 1 June 2019 by a Neos Airlines crew flying Boeing 737-86N, registrations I-NEOT.

During an unstable approach to Runway 27 at Bristol Airport, the Italian holiday airline crew of I-NEOT descended below the approach path before being instructed to go around by the tower controller. After initially climbing away as expected during the go-around, the aircraft then descended for over 30 seconds reaching a minimum radio altitude of 457 ft. Simultaneously, the crew and the controller realised the aircraft was not climbing away as they expected. The crew corrected the flight path and the aircraft was vectored for a further uneventful approach.

The UK's AAIB review of additional material related to the accident involving Hawker Hunter T7 - G-BXFI completed

Hawker Hunter T7 accident near Shoreham Airport

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has concluded its review of additional material related to the accident involving the Hawker Hunter T7, G-BXFI, that crashed while performing an aerodynamic display at Shoreham Airport in 2015 that killed eleven and injured a further twelve, including the pilot. 

Back in June this year, the AAIB had been asked to consider additional information regarding G-Forces that may have had an impact in the crash. As part of the review, the AAIB considered further aeromedical opinion and produced more detailed estimates of acceleration experienced by the pilot in the manoeuvres preceding the accident. However, it concluded that the original findings of the AAIB investigation remain valid.

Pilot who flew footballer Emiliano Sala to his death was 'not qualified to fly at night'

The Piper Malibu on the day of the crash               Photo AAIB

The UK's BBC News is reporting that David Ibbotson, the pilot of the Piper Malibu that crashed on January 21st this year, killing new Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala was not qualified to fly at night.

It is being reported that Ibbotson was colour-blind and his pilots licence restricted him from flying after dark, yet the flight took off at least an hour after sunset.  According to the BBC, his UK pilots licence did not have a night rating mirroring his US one which states, "must have available glasses for near vision" and that "all limitations and restrictions on the United Kingdom pilot licence apply".

It would have been unlawful for Ibbotson to take off at 1900, over an hour after sunset if the report is true. However, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch advised that licensing was still a key part of the investigation and the UK Civil Aviation Authority refused to comment on the story.

The crash on the 21st January killed both men and whilst the body of Emiliano Sala has been recovered from the wreckage, Mr Ibbotson's body is still missing. 

A full accident report is not expected from the AAIB until February of 2020.