Draft:Bombardier Aerospace Flight 388
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.jpg) A Canadair CRJ-100 identical to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 26 July 1993 |
| Summary | Loss of control through deep stall |
| Site | Byers, Kansas, United States |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Bombardier CRJ-100 |
| Operator | Bombardier Aviation |
| Registration | C-FCRJ |
| Flight origin | Wichita Mid-Continent Airport |
| Destination | Wichita Mid-Continent Airport |
| Occupants | 3 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On July 26, 1993, a Bombardier CRJ-100 operated by Bombardier Aerospace under Flight 388 crashed during a flight test near Byers, Kansas, killing all three occupants. It was the first fatal accident of a CRJ and the first hull loss to the aircraft.
Background
[edit]The plane was a two year old Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100, which was equipped with two General Electric CF34-3A1 engines. This aircraft was the first CRJ, having its first flight on May 10, 1991, which was also the first flight of a CRJ aircraft.
Bombardier Aerospace Flight 388 was part of a test flight program (Canadair report number: RAG-601R-106) aimed at repeating all sections of the certification check. Upon completion of the test program, the results were to be presented to Transport Canada to achieve type approval. The test flight involved evaluating a new landing flap position and a reduced reference speed of 1.13 VS (1.13 times the stall speed, VS).
The objective for the Bombardier Aerospace pilots on this flight was to achieve a Steady Heading Sideslip (SHSS) with a stable course, utilizing 8° extended landing flaps, a WS148 fairing, and maintaining the speed of 1.13 VS. The flow-break protection systems (Stick Shaker and Stick Pusher) were set for retracted landing flaps as well as other flap configurations (20°, 30°, and 45°) to ensure that they would activate if the aircraft experienced flow disruption, which could occur outside of side gliding or when not equipped with a WS148 fairing.
With the landing flaps extended to 8°, the protective systems were calibrated to account for the additional lift provided by the WS-148 cover, meaning that these systems would only trigger at a higher angle of attack. The effects of a side glide on the sensors responsible for the protection systems had not yet been evaluated in the new landing flap configuration. The aerodynamicists informed the pilots that the data collected would be adequate if either the flow break-off warning activated to prevent unwanted intervention from the stick pusher or if the side-gliding angle reached 15°, which is a certification criterion.
Accident
[edit]The plane took off at 13:31 from Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport for a test flight conducted under Visual Flight Rules, with no flight schedule registered with the FAA. This test aimed to evaluate the aircraft's flight characteristics during takeoff with landing flaps extended to 8° and to demonstrate compliance with US 14 CFR 25.177 regulations.
Following takeoff and a trim test, the test engineer communicated the test conditions for the SHSS: a calculated stall speed (VS) of 146 knots (270 km/h) at 8° of extended landing flaps, with the landing gear retracted, as confirmed by both the flight captain and first officer. At an altitude of 12,500 feet (3,810 meters), with the engines idling, the captain gradually moved the rudder to the right while the first officer monitored the beta values. Upon the first officer's reading of a beta value of 12, the captain remarked, "Buffet starts," indicating the onset of wing flutter. The chief test pilot later clarified that these vibrations were typical for the aircraft due to side gliding.
As the beta value reached 17, the stick shaker activated. The first officer then began to track both the beta and alpha values (angle of attack). At an alpha value of 11 and a beta value of 19, the captain noted, "a little bit of pitch instability," and then called for full rudder input, while the first officer recorded a beta value of 21. The captain then reported a diminishing rudder effect, followed by an acoustic warning for flow separation.
The aircraft rolled to the right around its longitudinal axis from 13:51:25, descending to 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) and entering a deep stall, with the alpha value exceeding a critical threshold of 35 units. The first officer inquired, "Want me to release the chute?" to which the captain responded vaguely, "Stop (at)." The first officer then asked, "At eight?" and the captain commanded, "Chute out." After confirming that the parachute had deployed, the aircraft, at 13:51:56, was at an altitude of 6,800 feet (2,070 meters) and a speed of 190 knots (350 km/h), tilted over 60° to the right and 60° downwards. Unable to regain control, the aircraft ultimately crashed at 13:52 in a flat field near Byers, Kansas, at an altitude of 1,970 feet (600 meters). The wreckage ignited and slid for approximately 650–700 feet (200–215 meters). All three occupants sustained fatal injuries.
Investigation and Aftermath
[edit]The accident resulted in the destruction of the flight data recording system recorder (ADAS), although a significant amount of magnetic tape remained intact on the damaged recording coil. The evaluated data indicated that all systems were functioning properly. A crack in the tape ended the recordings at an altitude of 5,700 feet (1,740 meters), and the remainder of the magnetic tape was not recovered. The flight data recorder (FDR) of the F1000 model fragmented into three pieces. The data storage unit was discovered a day later, located 715 feet (220 meters) from the charging point, due to a lack of identifying markers. Upon evaluation, it was found that more than 20 parameters, including altitude and speed, had not been recorded. However, the data from the flight data recorder matched that of the flight data recording system recorder, with the FDR capturing an additional eight seconds of data.
Analysis of the data revealed that shortly before the impact, the engines were operating at high speed, the aircraft's longitudinal inclination decreased from over 62° downward to 38° downward, and the aircraft experienced an acceleration exceeding 4.5g. The voice recorder, model A100A, was found with minor damage.
The investigation ultimately identified several factors contributing to the accident:
1. The flight captain did not abort the test flight maneuver in accordance with the flight schedule when the stick shaker activated. 2. The pilots failed to properly configure the aircraft for deploying the anti-spin parachute, neglecting to operate the switches designed to close the clamping jaws, which prevented the parachute from deploying correctly. 3. The anti-spin parachute itself was inadequately constructed.