Air Bagan Flight 11

Air Bagan Flight 11 was a scheduled domestic flight of a Fokker 100 twinjet from Yangon to Heho, Myanmar, that on 25 December 2012 crash-landed short of the runway at Heho Airport in fog, coming to a stop in a paddy field and bursting into flames. One of the 71 passengers and a motorcyclist on the ground were killed; ten more people were seriously injured.[1][2][3]

Air Bagan Flight 011

XY-AGC, the Fokker 100 involved in the accident, photographed in 2005
Accident
Date	25 December 2012 (2012-12-25)
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain during final approach
Site	Heho Airport, Heho, Myanmar 20°43′30″N 096°47′31″E
Total fatalities	2
Total injuries	10
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Fokker 100
Operator	Air Bagan
IATA flight No.	W9011
Registration	XY-AGC
Flight origin	Yangon International Airport, Yangon, Myanmar
Stopover	Mandalay International Airport, Mandalay, Myanmar
Destination	Heho Airport, Heho, Myanmar
Occupants	71
Passengers	65
Crew	6
Fatalities	1
Injuries	9
Survivors	70
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities	1
Ground injuries	1

History of the flight

The Fokker 100 had departed Yangon International Airport in the morning of 25 December on its first leg to Mandalay International Airport. The aircraft was refuelled at Mandalay, and at 08:26 local time departed towards Heho Airport. The first officer was designated as the Pilot Flying for the leg.[4]

Accident

On approaching Heho, the air traffic control passed to the crew the local weather conditions as wind calm, visibility 3000 m and "distinct fog." At about 08:47 local time, the crew initiated a non-precision NDB approach procedure to Heho's runway 36.[4]

During the final inbound track, the aircraft descended prematurely, and at about 1.7 km (0.9 nmi) from the runway threshold it struck power lines and trees, before colliding with terrain across a road. In the collision, both wings separated and a fire quickly broke out. An emergency evacuation was carried out. One aircraft occupant and a passing motorcyclist were fatally injured.[4]

Investigation

The aircraft's flight recorders were sent to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau for analysis.[5] Initial statements by the authorities suggested that the pilots mistook a road for the airport's runway in low visibility.[6][7]

However, the final report concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the crew's decision to descend below the approach procedure's minimum descent altitude of 530 ft without having the runway in sight. At that point, the airline's standard operating procedure would have called for an aborted landing to be immediately initiated.[4]

The report cited as contributory factors the captain's inadequate risk assessment in designating the first officer as pilot flying for the approach in the given weather conditions, and an increased pressure on the flight crew to complete the landing due to the presence of other aircraft on approach to Heho at the time. Three safety recommendations were made.[4]

References

1. Htun, Yadana (8 January 2013). "Air Bagan survivors tell of terrifying Christmas crash-landing". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
2. Alana Schetzer; Stephen Cauchi; Benjamin Preiss. "'I reckon this might be it': plane crash horror". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
3. Eimer, David (31 May 2011). "British man injured in Burma plane crash". Telegraph. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
4. Fokker F-28 Mk 0100, XY-AGC Accident Near Heho Airport (VYHH) on 25 December 2012 (PDF) (Report). Myanmar Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB). Retrieved 22 January 2019.
5. Zaw Win Than (30 December 2013). "Air Bagan crash verdict cites pilot error". The Myanmar Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
6. Hradecky, Simon (1 May 2013). "Accident: Bagan F100 near Heho on Dec 25th 2012, landed on road outside airport". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
7. Htun, Yadana (26 December 2012). "Air Bagan survivor tells of terrifying landing". Boston Globe. Retrieved 27 December 2012.

External links

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network