Tag Archives: X RobertCojan

Air Astana
Airigami X by RobertCojan (MD)
2001 c/s
Embraer 190/195

• 

• P4-KCJ written off due flight control problems and extreme flight in 2018

  The aircraft took off at 13:31, with the crew failing to detect the ailerons' anomaly during the operational check procedures. Visibility was limited - between 2000-3000m. Shortly after take-off the pilots noticed severe control issues. The pilots tried to turn on the autopilot, but it failed to engage. At 13:37 the crew requested a climb to FL 100 and an immediate return to Alverca, reporting flight control problems. At several instances the plane suffered complete loss of control, flipping over and diving sharply placing massive stress on the airframe. The crew requested a heading to the sea so they could ditch if it became inevitable, but struggled to comply with any headings given by ATC due to their difficulty controlling the aircraft.

  The crew discussed the options available to them, with the First Officer that was in the jumpseat coordinating with the technicians on board as passengers to discover the cause of the upsets and establish an action plan. Despite no warnings indicating issues with normal mode, the crew activated the direct mode for flight controls which disconnects the FCM (flight control module) from the controls. This considerably increased controllability of the pitch and yaw-axes, but control of the roll-axis was still limited with the plane rolling abnormally as the spoilers would actuate and upset the aircraft with too much input. The crew flew the plane east, hoping to find better weather conditions. Two F-16s from the Portuguese Air Force took off from Monte Real Air Base to escort the aircraft to Beja Airbase. After two go-arounds due to unstable approach, the First Officer in the active role changed places with the other First Officer in the jumpseat. On the final approach, the plane was bound for runway 19R but eventually landed on 19L due to the aircraft drifting on the approach.

  While all on board were shaken, there were no injuries apart from one passenger who suffered a leg injury. The hull was deformed and the leading edges of the wing were wrinkled. Some parts of the aircraft suffered loads greater than what they were designed for. The aircraft was written off^[1] and subsequently scrapped.^[3]