TAM A320 crashes in Brazil

Forum for discussing non-Pakistani aviation issues and news.
Post Reply
kamalla
Registered Member
Posts: 699
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2004 8:04 am
Location: Toronto

TAM A320 crashes in Brazil

Post by kamalla »

User avatar
Saeed
Registered Member
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 12:27 pm
Location: Obviously, in my house

Post by Saeed »

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070801/ap_ ... lane_crash

Crash tape relays Brazil pilots' terror

By MICHAEL ASTOR, Associated Press Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - The pilots of doomed TAM Airlines Flight 3054 screamed "slow down!" and "turn, turn, turn!" seconds before their

Airbus A320 skidded off the runway in Sao Paulo and slammed into a building last month, flight recorder transcripts revealed Wednesday.

According to transcripts read before a congressional commission investigating air safety in Brazil, the pilots were unable to activate the spoilers — aerodynamic brakes on the plane's wings — as it sped down the short, rain-slicked runway.

"Spoiler nothing," one pilot says, giving the first indication that something is wrong. "Slow down, slow down, slow down." The other pilot replies: "I can't. Oh my God!"

The last words heard in the cockpit were: "Turn, turn, turn! Oh no!" followed by screams and the sound of two explosions.

The July 17 crash at Congonhas airport killed all 187 aboard the jetliner and 12 people on the ground in Brazil's deadliest air disaster.

Brazilian daily Folha de S. Paulo reported that according to the flight data recorder, one of the plane's throttles was in the wrong position as it touched down, causing it to speed up instead of slow down.

The congressional commission did not review the data recorder information publicly, but seemed to acknowledge the report's accuracy by discussing how the information was leaked.

According to the cockpit transcript, one of the pilots asked about conditions on the runway shortly before landing and was told: "wet and slippery."

Soon after the crash, some speculated that the runway, which is short and notoriously slick in rainy weather, contributed to the crash.

But the airline also has acknowledged that one of the jet's thrust reversers, used for braking, was broken and had been deactivated prior to the crash.

The flight recorder showed the pilots were aware they had only one functioning thrust reverser — something that is not usually a problem.

Video footage of the plane landing showed it speeding down the runway more than three times faster than other planes.

Folha speculated that an incorrect throttle position could have fooled the plane's computer system into anticipating that the pilot was trying to take off again, automatically disabling the spoilers.

"There are signs that this happened," Brazilian aviation consultant Elias Gedeon said when asked about Folha's hypothesis. "But we can't say 100 percent this was the problem."

A finding that pilot error or mechanical failure was responsible would likely ease criticism of the government, which has been widely accused of failing to address Brazil's aviation woes after a Gol jetliner went down in the Amazon last September, killing 154 people.

That crash touched off months of work stoppages and slowdowns by air traffic controllers, who complained of dangerous working conditions.

The runway at Congonhas had been shut earlier this year for renovations, but was opened before it could be grooved — a process that helps water run off and provides better traction in rain.
For a plane to fly well, it must be beautiful - Marcel Dassault

Image
Image
User avatar
Saeed
Registered Member
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 12:27 pm
Location: Obviously, in my house

Post by Saeed »

TAM A320 7/17/07 Sao Paulo Brazil
Cockpit Voice Recorder – Transcript


Start of Transcript
18:18:24.4 (all times are local time) [start of recording]
18:18:24.5
PA-1 [captain makes speech to passengers]
18:18:53.4
CAM-? [sound of whistling]
18:20:25.0
CAM [sound of flight attendant door open request]
18:20:28.1
CAM-1 is ok?
18:20:29.7
CAM-3 [flight attendant says that everything in the cabin is OK, and then asks where will they be landing]
18:20:33.3
CAM-1 I have just informed.
18:20:34.7
CAM-3 I didn't hear - sorry - her talking.
18:20:37.7
CAM-1 but she heard, Congonhas.
18:20:39.3
CAM-3 is it Congonhas? It's great, so. she might have heard. thank you.
18:43:04.3
HOT-1 remember, we only have one reverse.
18:43:06.9
HOT-2 yes... only the left.
18:43:24.0
HOT-1 glideslope, LOC blue... LOC star. [LOC star means an asterisk is displayed on the FMA, which means the loc capture]
18:43:26.6
HOT-2 checked.
18:43:27.1
HOT-1 autopilot one plus two.
18:43:29.4
HOT-1 flaps one.
18:43:30.7
HOT-2 speed checked.
18:43:36.7
HOT-1 clear status.
18:43:41.8
HOT-2 clear status.
18:43:43.8
HOT-2 clear.
18:43:48.2
RDO-2 going to intercept the localizer, TAM three zero five four.
18:43:52.2
APP TAM three zero five four, reduce speed for the approach... and call the tower on frequency one two seven point one five, good afternoon.
18:44:00.0
RDO-2 one two seven one five, over.
18:44:01.7
HOT-1 good afternoon.
18:44:06.4
HOT-1 flaps two.
18:44:08.1
CAM-2 speed checked.
18:44:20.0
HOT-2 flaps at two.
18:44:22.3
RDO-2 Sao Paulo tower, this is TAM three zero five four.
18:44:26.1
TWR TAM three zero five four, reduce minimum speed for approach, the wind is north with zero six. I will report when clear three five left.
18:44:33.4
RDO-2 good evening, reducing to the minimum possible [speed].
18:44:36.3
HOT-1
landing gear down.
18:44:37.7
HOT-2 landing gear down.
18:44:53.9
HOT-1 flaps three.
18:44:55.1
HOT-2 speed checked.
18:44:57.4
HOT-2 flaps three.
18:45:03.9
HOT-1 flap full.
18:45:05.7
CAM-2 speed checked, flaps full.
18:45:10.6
HOT-1 standby final checklist
18:45:12.0
HOT-2 standing by.
18:45:12.9
CAM-1 glide star, set missed approach altitude.
18:45:15.0
CAM-2 ALT * *.
18:45:21.0
CAM-2 six thousand feet.
18:45:44.0
CAM [sound of windshield wipers operating]
18:45:52.1
CH2 [sound of outer marker beacon heard on channel 2]
18:46:03.2
HOT-1 final checklist.
18:46: 04.6
HOT-2 final checklist, passing DIADEMA [name of the outer marker beacon]
18:46:10.4
PA-2 cabin crew, clear to land. [prepare for landing]
18:46:14.0
CAM-2 cabin crew.
18:46:15.2
CAM-1 advised.
18:46:16.0
CAM-2 auto thrust.
18:46:17.8
CAM-1 speed.
18:46:20.0
CAM-2 * *.
18:46:21.1
CAM-1 landing no blue.
18:46:22.6
CAM-1 ECAM MEMO [Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor - check memo status]
18:46:23.8
HOT-1 landing, no blue.
18:46:24.9
HOT-2 landing no blue.
18:46:26.1
HOT-1 okay?
18:46:26.7
HOT-2 okay... what?
18:46:28.6
HOT-2 okay.
18:46:30.8
HOT-? *.
18:46:30.8
HOT-2 final checklist complete.
18:46:33.8
CAM-1 runway in sight, landing.
18:46:41.7
CAM-1 ask him [the tower] about the rain condition, the runway condition, and if the runway is slippery.
18:46:57.0
RDO-2 TAM on final approach, two miles away. could you confirm conditions?
18:47:01.7
TWR it's wet, and it is slippery. I will report three five left clear, three zero five four.
18:47:06.1
RDO-2 already on final.
18:47:07.5
TWR the aircraft is starting the departure.
18:47: 10.7
HOT-1 wet and slippery!
18:47:22.0
HOT-2 the aircraft is starting the takeoff run.
18:47:34.3
TWR TAM three zero five four, three five left, clear to land, the runway is wet, and is slippery and the wind is three three zero at eight. knots.
18:47:40.6
HOT-2 three three zero at eight, is the wind.
18:47:42.9
HOT-1 checked.
18:47:43.9
TWR three zero five four?
18:47:45.3
RDO-2 three zero five four, roger.
18:47:46.4
FWC four hundred.
18:47:49.8
HOT-1 is the landing clear?
18:47:50.7
HOT-2 clear to land.
18:47:52.3
HOT-1 land green, manual flight.
18:47:53.7
CAM [sound of autopilot disconnect tone]
18:47:54.1
HOT-2 checked.
18:47:54.8
HOT-1 inhibit the glide [GPWS aural warning] for me please.
18:47:55.7
CAM [sound of triple click indicating reversion from CAT II or III to CAT I approach mode (manual flight approach)]
18:47:56.9
HOT-2 what?
18:47:58.8
FWC three hundred.
18:47:59.3
HOT-1 inhibit the glide for me.
18:48:00.6
HOT-2 okay.
18:48:03.0
HOT-2 inhibit.
18:48:05.8
HOT-2 middle.
18:48:11.6
FWC two hundred.
18:48:14.9
HOT-2 one dot now. okay.
18:48:16.8
HOT-1 okay.
18:48:21.0
FWC twenty.
18:48:21.6
FWC retard.
18:48:23.0
FWC retard.
18:48:24.5
CAM [sound of thrust lever movement]
18:48: 24.9
CAM [sound of increasing engine noise]
18:48:25.5
GPWS retard
18:48:26.3
CAM [sound similar to touchdown]
18:48:26.7
HOT-2 reverse number one only.
18:48:29.5
HOT-2 spoliers nothing.
18:48: 30.8
HOT-1 aaiii. [sigh]
18:48:33.3
HOT-1 look this.
18:48:34.4
HOT-2 decelerate, decelerate.
18:48:35.9
HOT-1 it can't, it can't.
18:48:40.0
HOT-1 oh my god..... oh my god.
18:48:42.7
HOT-2 go go go , turn turn turn turn.
18:48:44.6
HOT-2 turn turn to... no, turn turn.
18:48:45.5
CAM [sound of crushing noises]
18:48:49.7
CAM-? (oh no) [male voice]
18:48:50.0
CAM [pause in crushing noises]
18:48:50.6
CAM-? [sound of scream, female voice]
18:48:50.8
CAM [sound of crushing noise]
[end of recording]
18:48:51.4
End of transcript

--
For a plane to fly well, it must be beautiful - Marcel Dassault

Image
Image
Post Reply