www.rwandan-flyer.com

24/09/2015

The Rwanda AAID has published the final report, involving a RwandAir Dash 8-106 at Gisenyi, Rwanda. The aircraft was leased from ALS of Kenya and registered in Kenya.

The incident was notified to the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, by the airport manager at Gisenyi Airport. The incident was qualified as serious by the Rwanda AAID.

The agreement between RwandAir and ALS was canceled in 2013, when RwandAir took delivery of its first Q400NG.

The flight, WB217, was a domestic flight from Kigali to Gisenyi and then from Gisenyi to Kigali.

The aircraft involved was a Dash 8-106 (5Y-BXU) built in 1994 and operated by ALS, for RwandAir, under a RwandAir flight number, with a total of 11 passengers and 4 crew.

The crew log (ALS crew), on 24^th April 2012 :

Kigali Kamembe Kigali

Kigal Gisenyi Kigali

10 hours rest break

Kigali Bujumbura Kigali

Pilot in Command: total hours : 10 600 (3 200 on the Dash).

Co Pilot: total hours : 2 137 (380 on the Dash)

According, to the Pilot in Command, at 50 feet AGL (Above the Ground Level), during the reduction of the power, the aircraft drop down, few meters before the planned point, on the runway, leading to a hard landing

The unusual landing was reported by several workers at Gisenyi Airport (Air traffic Controller, RwandAir Quality Engineer and the Airport Manager). They noted that the Co Pilot walking onto towards the beginning of the Runway 01.

The Tower Controller has  asked to the pilot, why one pilot has gone on the runway, after the landing. The Co Pilot has said it was just for an inspection.

The RwandAir Quality Engineer (RQE) reported two small leaks on tyre.

The Air traffic Controller, the Fire and Rescue personnel, Airport Manager and RwandAir Quality Engineer reported inspecting, the runway, after the departure of the Dash. They found marks on the grass, 10 meters from the prepared hard surface runway.

Another inspection was made, on the aircraft at Kigali. Number two tyre was changed, but no further damage was seen.

RwandAir submitted the incident report, on 27^th April 2012.

At the time of the incident, the wind was calm, the visibility was 8km. Cloud (FEW) at 670 meters and (BKN ) Broken at 2743 meters. Temperature 19 °, drew point 17° QNH : 1023 mb.

Causes

The Pilot In Command wasn’t qualified to land at Gisenyi, despite that Gisenyi is Category C airport (difficult airport).

The Co pilot exceeded flight duty time limits on the day of the accident.

The operational control arrangements between RwandAir and ALS was found to be inappropriate.

RwandAir did not provide adequate documentations for Goma and Gisenyi Airports, for ALS pilots.

Gisenyi Airport is not equipped with modern navigation aids, such as ILS, VOR, PAPI. The airport can only handle VFR (visual flight rules) flights.

The wind indicator direction was out of order, for some time, despite an audit conducted in 2011. The Gisenyi Meteorology Office, lacks of basic equipments.

Recommandations

ALS should review the procedures about return of experience, concerning incidents.

ALS should provide a route qualification and annual checks, when pilots are deployed in a new base.

RwandAir should monitor route qualification and annual checks, during a wet lease agreement.

RwandAir and ALS should sensitize their crew, concerning incident reports

ALS should provide to RwandAir, all informations about pilots planned schedules.

Rwanda CAA & Kenya CAA should communicate better concerning wet lease agreement.

Rwanda CAA should upgrade Gisenyi Aerodrome facilities.