On April 29th, 2013, a National Airlines Boeing 747-400 operating on behalf of the USAF's Mobility Command crashed shortly after taking off from Bagram Airfield (OAI) in Afghanistan. Flight 102 was transporting five heavy armored vehicles from Camp Bastion in Afghanistan to Dubai World Central Airport (DWC), with a refueling stop at Bagram, when the accident occurred.
The flight originated in France, at Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR), with its first stop being Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. It would then continue to the Dubai World Center at Al Maktoum in the United Arab Emirates. However, because no permission was obtained to fly through Pakistani airspace, the flight was rerouted to Bagram to refuel and then continue to the UAE.
As established, five Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored military vehicles were among the flight's most notable cargo. The load comprised two MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs), weighing 26,455 lbs (12 tonnes) each, and three larger Cougars, weighing 39,683 (18 tonnes) each. All in all, the Boeing 747-400BCF had 207,496 lbs (94.1 tonnes) of cargo onboard.
After a refueling stop in Bagram, the aircraft took off at 15:30 local time and was climbing through 1,200 feet when its nose suddenly rose up. The sudden movement caused the plane to stall and bank to the right, only leveling off just before hitting the ground. On impact, the aircraft exploded into a giant fireball.
Sadly, this sudden and violent touchdown resulted in the deaths of four pilots, two mechanics, and a loadmaster, with all seven being from the US. There were no injuries on the ground. At the time of the accident, a thunderstorm was brewing, shifting the wind by 120 degrees, leading people to speculate that it may have played a part in the crash.
Piloting the aircraft was 34-year-old Brad Hasler from Trenton, Michigan. Hasler worked for National Airlines for nine years and had over 6,000 flight hours, including 440 on the Boeing 747. The first officer on the flight was Jamie Lee Brokaw of Three Rivers, Michigan. He had 1,100 flight hours on the Boeing 747.
The aircraft involved in the crash was a twenty-year-old Boeing 747-400 that bore the registration N949CA and the name Lori. According to data from ATDB.aero, it began its career as a passenger-carrying aircraft at Air France in 1993. After more than a decade serving the French flag carrier, it was converted for cargo use in 2007 and joined Air Atlanta Icelandic two years later.
It had been with National Airlines for just under two years at the time of the crash, having moved to the carrier in July 2011. At that point, it had racked up a total of 72,728 hours across 9,706 flight cycles, according to data from ch-aviation.
When the 747 stopped flying as a passenger aircraft, an international firm called Telair was responsible for converting it to a freighter. It converted the jumbo's main deck into a cargo deck and fitted the floor with rails to move and hold unit load devices (ULDs) - the containers used to load luggage and other cargo on certain aircraft. However, given the size of the MRAPs, they had to be loaded on specially built palettes and secured with several chains and straps.
Want to know more? Find out how Cargo is Kept In Place On Aircraft
When transporting cargo, especially of this size, the loadmaster must ensure it is tightly secured. The National Airlines 747 completed the first leg of the trip from Camp Bastion to Bagram without reporting any issues with the load. However, with the load not properly secured, the next leg ended catastrophically. Investigators concluded that the cargo onboard the aircraft had come loose during takeoff, which ultimately caused the jumbo jet to crash.
In their reports, the NTSB and the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority agreed that one of the five armored vehicles being transported had not been properly stored. When it came loose, it rolled backward, crashing through a rear bulkhead, severely damaging hydraulics and components of the horizontal stabilizer, namely its jackscrew. This made it impossible for the pilots to regain control of the aircraft.
In conclusion, the NTSB blamed National Airlines' inadequate procedures for securing and restraining special cargo loads. This resulted in the loadmaster failing to properly tie down and prevent the cargo from moving during the flight. Another contributory factor was the FAA's inadequate oversight of National Airlines' handling of special cargo loads.
Like all other incidents, the crash of Flight 102 was an important learning moment for the aviation industry at large. The NTSB recommended revising guidance material related to special cargo handling and for loadmasters to undergo more training. However, this was not the first time a cargo shift brought a plane down.
In August 1997, a Fine Air McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61F crashed shortly after takeoff from Miami International Airport (MIA) when improperly secured freight pallets shifted in the cargo deck. Ten years prior, a Belize Air International Boeing C-97G Stratofreighter crashed in Mexico City similarly. It was transporting horses, and during takeoff, they panicked and started running around, shifting the aircraft's center of gravity.
What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments!
Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you''ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
National Airlines Flight 102, a Boeing 747-400 BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter), was a scheduled cargo flight from Bagram Air Base, Bagram, Afghanistan to Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 29, 2013. During takeoff, the airplane immediately climbed steeply then descended in a manner consistent with an aerodynamic stall and crashed. All seven crewmembers - the captain, first officer, loadmaster, augmented captain and first officer, and two mechanics were killed. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a post-crash fire ensued.
Investigators learned that during the first segment of the flight from Camp Bastion to Bagram Air Base the flight experienced issues with some tie-down straps. According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript, while the airplane was parked on the Bagram Air Base ramp, crewmembers and the loadmaster discussed that some cargo had moved, some tie-down straps had become loose, and one strap had broken sometime during the flight. Although the loose straps were tightened and the broken strap was replaced before takeoff from Bagram, the CVR contains no indication that additional straps were used to secure the MRAPs.
The investigators examined a video recording of the accident from a moving vehicle''s dashboard camera. The accident airplane enters the frame in a steep climb as it departs the runway. The video is available below.
Key to the investigation was the recovery of several pieces of debris from the runway near the point of takeoff rotation. Debris included small pieces of airplane fuselage skin, a section of hydraulic tubing, a piece of the shelf for the CVR/FDR rack, and part of the aft-most M-ATV antenna assembly. Investigators found orange and green paint transfers consistent with the orange paint on the CVR and the FDR cases and they found green primer used on unpainted airplane structure on the rear portion of the aft-most M-ATV.
Standard cargo is usually loaded on a unit load device (ULD) pallet and is secured to the pallet using a net. When the pallet is loaded onto an aircraft, locks in the airplane''s cargo handling system restrain forward, aft, side, and up movement.
Special cargo is cargo that is not loaded in a container or enclosed in a cargo compartment certified for bulk loading, but is secured to a pallet. This pallet is termed a "floating pallet" if the tie-down straps are the only means of restraint and require special handling and securing/restraining procedures.
Tall rigid cargo (TRC) is cargo that is taller than 98 inches and will not break apart or conform to the contour of the airplane when subjected to 9Gs-forward during an emergency landing. Both Boeing and Telair weight and balance manuals specify the most-forward location where TRC can be loaded to prevent it from impacting the upper deck passenger compartment.
A tie-down is comprised of a strap and a fitting assembly. The straps, when installed, have a maximum rating capability. A tie-down fitting is an attachment device designed to transfer forces between a load-bearing device, such as a strap and a cargo track.
The weight and balance manuals of both the airplane manufacturer and main deck cargo handling system manufacturer state that each tie-down fitting may be used to react load (force magnitude and direction) in only one direction (forward, aft, side, or up). These manuals define allowable loads that can be applied to the attach fittings in terms of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° increments when measured relative to both the airplane centerline and airplane floor. Each strap may only be used to react load in one direction; forward, aft, side, or up. The allowable load capability of the fittings varies depending on the measured strap angle and the load-carrying capability of the local structure.
As part of the investigation, a study was performed to determine if it was possible to transport centerline-loaded MRAP vehicles on floating pallets. The study assumed additional cargo would be loaded forward of the vehicles in lieu of restraints to supportthemin the event of an emergency landing. The study determined that only one centerline-loaded M-ATV (12 tons) on a floating pallet could be transported in accordance with the guidelines in the weight and balance manuals of both the airplane manufacturer and main deck cargo handling system manufacturer. The study determined a single M-ATV must be secured by 60 5,000-lb-rated tie-down straps and no centerline-loaded Cougars (18 tons) could be transported due to structural limitations of the main deck cargo floor.
The study is illustrated in the following animation:National Airlines Load Factor / Restraint Animation. The study also found that no centerline-loaded Cougars on floating pallets could be secured and transported in the airplane in accordance with the weight and balance manual because the vehicle would have to be positioned in an area that would exceed the structural strength limitations of the main deck floor.
About Load shifting afghanistan
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Load shifting afghanistan have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Load shifting afghanistan for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Load shifting afghanistan featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
