UPS Flight 6 is a cargo flight operated by UPS Airlines. On September 3, 2010, a Boeing 747-400F flew the route between Dubai International Airport and Cologne Bonn Airport developing a fire inside the plane, with smoke and subsequent accidents resulting in the deaths of both crew members. The plane had left Dubai International before, but returned after reporting smoke in the cockpit. It was the first fatal air accident for UPS Airlines. The crash led to an inspection of safety procedures protecting the aircraft from cockpit smoke.
Video UPS Airlines Flight 6
Aircraft and crew
The aircraft involved in the crash was Boeing 747-400F, registered N571UP and shipped to UPS Airlines in 2007. The aircraft had flown for more than 10,000 hours, and conducted a major inspection conducted in June 2010. Before the accident, the plane was latest (# 1,393 of 1,418; the 26 of the last) Boeing 747 was built before the 747-8 series.
The captain was a 48-year-old Douglas Lampe from Louisville, Kentucky, and the first officer was Matthew Bell 38 years old from Sanford, Florida. The two crew members were based at the Anchorage, Alaska pilot base.
Maps UPS Airlines Flight 6
Crash
Flight 6 departs from Dubai International at 14:53 UTC. At 15:15 EICAS FIRE MAIN DK FWD message appeared on the top EICAS screen, and the crew reported a fire in the cockpit when the plane was around 120 nautical miles (138 miles, 222 km) west-northwest of Dubai. An emergency was announced shortly after. The pilots are under the control of Bahraini air traffic control (ATC), and they can not initially contact Dubai ATC because the thick smoke in the cockpit obscures the radio panel. Although they were offered a transfer to Doha, Qatar, Captain Lampe made the decision to return to Dubai.
Lampe chose to release the autopilot and fly the aircraft manually. After doing so, he discovers that he has no lift control. The fire had burned through a flame retardant vessel that covered the cargo space and destroyed the main flight control system, paralyzing the 747. At 15:20, Lampe's oxygen mask failed and he unleashed the aircraft's command to First Bell Officer. Lampe left his seat to get Oxygen Oxygen Reserve Oxygen System (EROS) oxygen mask, which was stored behind his seat, but was paralyzed by the sharp smoke and lost consciousness, crashing to the cockpit floor. It is believed that the fire has also cut off the supply of oxygen to the EROS mask, leaving Lampe with no oxygen left to return to the pilot seat and fly the plane. Bell was instructed to land on the 12L airport runway. The aircraft is too high on approach and the gears are not widespread. The plane crossed the airport before turning tight. Bell attempted to turn to Sharjah International Airport but unknowingly turned in the wrong direction. The radar contact disappeared shortly thereafter at 15:42 UTC. The plane eventually hit the ground with a shallow angle and at high speed in an uninhabited area between Emirates Road and Al Ain Highway, virtually no Dubai Silicon Oasis. The right wing hit the ground first and the burning 747 skidded a few feet, and exploded in a fireball, killing Bell instantly. In addition to ATC, many of the early reports came from pilots working for Emirates who live in the community.
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Council announced it would send an aviation investigator to assist the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in its investigation of the accident. Boeing offered to send a team to the United Arab Emirates to provide technical assistance in the investigation process.
After the recovery of the cockpit voice recorder, GCAA issued its preliminary report on September 5, 2010. On September 7, authorities uncovered flight data recorders. The Bahraini government decided to conduct its own investigation into the accident. UPS also sent its own investigation team. Flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder are sent to the United States for analysis by the National Transportation Safety Agency on September 10, 2010.
On September 8, 2010, the GCAA and UPS did not comment on the progress of the investigation, but according to Associated Press sources, people familiar with the investigation say that fires may have started in the cargo compartment and that investigators are checking cargo to determine what is loaded on the plane. On September 8, 2010 the head of the GCAA, director-general Saif al Suwaidi, said it was too early to determine what was the cause of the accident.
The investigation revived the security concerns about the smoke effects in the cockpit. The accident also revived concerns about whether a smoke hood should be allowed in the cockpit. Prior to the fall of UPS Flight 6, the debate over whether manufacturers and regulators have done enough to prevent air fires from occurring. Around the time of the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board has asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to install an automatic fire-fighting system in holding cargo planes. UPS Airlines follows the FAA rules, which state that the pilot must lower the cabin's main pressure and rise to a height of at least 20,000 feet (6.100 m) after detecting fire so as to eliminate the fire of oxygen.
On September 23, 2010, GCAA reported that 100% of the material contained in the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder was successfully downloaded by NTSB and that the data was being analyzed. In October 2010, Boeing announced that a list of indications of fire indications should be modified to instruct the pilot that at least one of the three air conditioning systems should be allowed to operate to prevent excessive smoke accumulation on the flight deck.
On July 24, 2013, GCAA released a final investigation report. The report indicates that the fire was caused by autoignition of cargo pallet contents, containing more than 81,000 types of lithium batteries and other "combustible materials".
FAA reaction
In October 2010, the FAA issued a Safety Warning for Carriers that highlighted the fact that the cargo on Flight 6 aircraft contained a large number of lithium type batteries. The FAA issued restrictions on carrying large quantities of lithium batteries on passenger flights.
Dramatization
The accident was featured in the 15th season of Mayday (or Air Crash Investigation ) on January 11, 2016. The episode airs on National Geographic Channel in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world and is titled " Fatal Delivery ".
See also
- The aircraft broke down due to fire cargo compartment:
- South African Airways flight 295
- ValuJet 592 Flight
- Asiana Airlines Flight 991
References
External links
- General Civil Aviation Authority
- Final report (Archive)
- Interim Report (Archive)
- Initial Report (Archive)
- "GCAA: There is no evidence of onboard explosion associated with Al Qaeda claims over the Boeing 747 - 400 Cargo Boeing UPS." November 7, 2010.
- "The GCAA eliminates the possibility of an onboard explosion related to a Boeing 747 - 400 UPS Cargo investigation accident." October 31, 2010. (Alt)
- "GCAA discloses further details regarding the Boeing 747 - 400 UPS Cargo investigation accident." October 20, 2010
- "GCAA discloses more details about the Crash of UPS Boeing 747 - 400 cargo investigation." - September 23, 2010
- "GCAA Announces Recovery of Digital Flight Data Recorder From Boeing 747 - 400 UPS6." - September 13, 2010.
- "GCAA Announces Preliminary Report on ACCIDENTS INVOLVING UPS6 Boeing 747-400 on September 3, 2010." - September 5, 2010
- "B744 Freighter crashes after indication of onboard fire, Dubai, Sep 3 - 10 - Early Issue" - SKYbrary
- "Aircraft Crash Statement." (Archive) - United Parcel Service
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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