Central American Airways Flight 731

Central American Airways Flight 731 was a passenger flight which crashed on approach to Toncontín International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on February 14, 2011. All 14 on board died. The aircraft involved, a Let L-410 Turbolet, was operating Central American Airlines' scheduled domestic service from San Pedro Sula to Tegucigalpa.[1]

Central American Airways Flight 731

HR-AUQ, the aircraft involved, seen five months before the accident
Accident
Date	February 14, 2011 (2011-02-14)
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain
Site	Near Santa Ana, Francisco Morazán Department, Honduras 13.9501°N 87.2532°W / 13.9501; -87.2532
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Let L-410UVP-E20
Operator	Central American Airways
Registration	HR-AUQ
Flight origin	Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Destination	Toncontín International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Occupants	14
Passengers	12
Crew	2
Fatalities	14
Survivors	0

Accident

Flight 731 had taken off from La Mesa International Airport in San Pedro Sula at 07:04 local time (13:04 UTC) on February 14 for a 40-minute flight to Toncontín airport in Tegucigalpa. On board were twelve passengers and two crew.[2]

At around 07:35, the Turbolet initiated a non-precision approach to runway 20 at Toncontín, which is situated at an elevation of 3,300 ft (1,000 m). Meteorological conditions at the time were such that the cloud base was lower than surrounding high ground. Wind shear and mountain wave were also present at altitude.[2]

At 07:51, the crew discontinued the approach and was authorised by air traffic control to attempt an approach to the opposite runway 02. Dialogues captured by the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) suggest that the crew was receiving conflicting indications from the on board navigation instruments, but at 08:00, while continuing its descent, the crew reported to be on final approach.[2]

Around two minutes later, the CVR recorded the five hundred and minimum calls by the on-board ground proximity warning system, followed by a terrain, pull up call. There was no reaction by the crew. The aircraft impacted a hillside near El Espino, in the Jurisdicción de Santa Ana, at an elevation of 5,400 ft (1,600 m).[2]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the accident was a twin-turboprop Let L-410UVP-E20 Turbolet with Honduran registration HR-AUQ, serial number 912603. It first flew in 1991, and served with a number of airlines before the accident.[3]

Victims

All 12 passengers and 2 crew on board were killed. The first officer was found alive among the wreckage, but died on his way to the hospital.[4]

Among the victims were a cabinet minister, assistant secretary, a former finance secretary, and one union leader.[5][6] Two of the victims were American and one Canadian.[7]

Aftermath

In response to the incident, the government of Honduras declared three days of national mourning for the deceased government officials.[7]

The head of the investigation stated that because the aircraft was European, and not American, it created difficulties as there were very few experienced local pilots and technicians trained to operate on the aircraft.[8]

The accident raised questions about the safety and relocation of the Tegucigalpa Airport.[9][10] The President of Honduras called for the airport to be relocated, stating that it was impossible to have a major airport in its current location due to the surrounding terrain.[11]

Investigation

The investigation report by the accident investigation board of Honduras' Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) stated that weather was a factor in the accident. During the approach, the aircraft was flown at a speed only slightly higher than its stall speed, and in such conditions, wind shear could result in a stall from which recovery could be impossible before impact with the ground.[2]

The DGAC found that the crew did not adhere to any published approach procedure and possibly misinterpreted the altimeter and airspeed indicators. During the descent, the captain did not check his approach chart and relied instead on the first officer for guidance through the approach. Communication and crew resource management were described as inadequate, and no approach briefing was carried out for any of the two approaches.[2]

Finally, the aircraft was prematurely configured for landing with full flaps while still at a considerable distance from the runway, making it more vulnerable to the effects of wind shear. Eleven safety recommendations were made.[2]

References

1. "Crash: Central American Airways L410 near Tegucigalpa on Feb 14th 2011, impacted trees on approach". Avherald.com. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
2. Accidente Ocurrido Santa Ana Francisco Morazan 02-2011 HR-AUQ (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Agencia Hondureña de Aeronáutica Civil. February 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
3. "ASN Aircraft accident Let L-410UVP-E20 HR-AUQ Cerro de Hula". Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
4. http://grandesaccidentesaereos.blogspot.com/2012/11/central-american-airways-731.html "LOS GRANDES ACCIDENTES AEREOS EN EL MUNDO." : Y NO LLEGARON A SU DESTINO: LA TRAGEDIA DEL VUELO 731 DE CENTRAL AMERICAN AIRWAYS. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.
5. Associated Press (February 14, 2011). "Small Commercial Plane Crash Kills 14 In Honduras". NPR. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
6. "Honduras vice-minister Robelo among 14 plane crash dead". BBC News. February 14, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
7. "Canadian believed to be on Honduras plane that crashed". CTV Toronto. Associated Press. February 15, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
8. Bustillo, Yony (February 16, 2011). "Clima y factor humano, entre las causas del accidente aéreo en Las Mesitas". La Tribuna. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
9. "Vuelve a sonar Palmerola para aeropuerto". El Heraldo. February 14, 2011. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
10. "Aeropuerto". La Tribuna. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on July 5, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
11. ""Pepe" Lobo: Hay que sacar aeropuerto de Tegucigalpa". El Heraldo. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2011.