The subsequent investigation concluded that improperly secured cargo broke free during the take-off and rolled to the back of the cargo hold, crashing through the rear pressure bulkhead and disabling the rear flight control systems. This rendered the aircraft uncontrollable, making recovery from a stall, brought on by the damaged rear flight control systems ending up stuck in a pitch-up attitude, impossible.[3]
At the time of the crash, the airline had been operating between Camp Bastion and Dubai for a month.[1] The accident flight had originated in Camp Bastion, where it had been loaded with five heavy armoured vehicles, and had stopped at Bagram Airfield to refuel.[4][5] The aircraft then took off from Bagram's runway 03 at 15:30 local time and was climbing through 1,200 feet (370 m) when its nose rose sharply. The aircraft then stalled, banked right, and leveled off just before impact with the ground; the whole aircraft exploded into a large fireball, almost damaging the vehicles nearby.[1] The crash site was off the end of runway 03, within the perimeter of the airfield. All seven crew, all of whom were U.S. citizens,[6] died: four pilots, two mechanics, and a loadmaster.[1] No one on the ground was injured.
A thunderstorm was also in the vicinity of Bagram at the time of the crash and the wind changed direction by 120° during one hour commencing approximately 35 minutes before the crash.[7] A dashboard camera on a car in the vicinity of the runway end recorded the crash, which shows the aircraft pitching up, falling into a stall, and then sharply banking right after a slight bank to the left, indicating asymmetrical lift. The plane soon righted itself and then crashed at a shallow angle on the ground.[1]CNN stated that a government official speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed the video's authenticity.[5]
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a 20-year-old Boeing 747-428BCF,[note 2]registration N949CA,[8]S/N 25630, and named Lori.[7] It was manufactured in 1993 as a combi aircraft, and delivered to Air France and later modified for service as a freighter with Air France, before being sold to National Airlines.[7] At the time of the crash, the aircraft was flying on behalf of the United States Air Force's Air Mobility Command.[1][6]
Crew
The captain was 34-year-old Brad Hasler, who had worked for the airline since 2004. He had 6,000 flight hours, including 440 hours on the Boeing 747.[9]: 6 [10][11][12]
The first officer was 33-year-old Jamie Lee Brokaw, who had worked for the airline since 2009 and had 1,100 flight hours, with 209 of them on the Boeing 747.[9]: 10
The relief captain was 37-year old Jeremy Lipka, and the relief first officer was 32-year-old Rinku Shumman.[13]
The loadmaster was 36-year-old Michael Sheets, who had worked for the airline since 2010.[9]: 7
The two mechanics were Gary Stockdale and Tim Garrett, both 51 years old.[13][14]
Aftermath
The crash interrupted the New Zealand Defence Force's (NZDF) withdrawal from Afghanistan, as it was only hours away from using another National Airlines aircraft to fly equipment out of the country; after the crash, the NZDF indefinitely postponed using National Airlines for its airlift requirements.[15]
The aircraft name Lori was transferred to another National Airlines 747 eight years later, which was registered as N936CA and former Global SuperTanker Services aircraft.[16]
Investigation
An MRAP being loaded onto the aircraft at Camp Bastion on the day of the accident
On 2 June 2013, investigators from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan confirmed the load shift hypothesis as the starting point: the cargo of five mine resistant ambush protected vehicles (three Cougars and two Oshkosh M-ATV's), totaling 80 tons of weight, had not been properly secured. At least one armored vehicle had come loose and rolled backward, crashing through the airplane's rear bulkhead, damaging it. In the process it crippled key hydraulic systems and severely damaged the horizontal stabilizer components – most notably breaking its jackscrew, which rendered the airplane uncontrollable.[3] Control of the aircraft was therefore lost, with the abnormal pitch-up rotation, stall, and crash to the ground ensuing.[1] The damage made it impossible for the crew to regain control of the aircraft.[9]
The NTSB determined that the probable cause of this accident was "National Airlines' inadequate procedures for restraining special cargo loads, which resulted in the loadmaster's improper restraint of the cargo."[18] One of the key recommendations was to mandate training for all loadmasters.[9]
In media
The Canadian TV series Mayday (also known as Air Disasters and Air Emergency in the US and Air Crash Investigation in the UK and the rest of the world) covered Flight 102 in episode 10 of season 16, called "Afghan Nightmare", first broadcast in 2017.[19]
^Abbreviation for International Security Assistance Force.
^The aircraft was a Boeing 747-400 model; Boeing assigns a unique code for each company that buys one of its aircraft, which is applied as an infix to the model number at the time the aircraft is built, hence "747-428". This aircraft was converted to freighter configuration as part of Boeing's conversion program of passenger 747-400s, hence "747-428BCF" for Boeing Converted Freighter.
References
^ abcdefgHradecky, Simon (4 June 2013). "Crash: National Air Cargo B744 at Bagram on Apr 29th 2013, lost height shortly after takeoff". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
^"Seven killed in US cargo plane crash at Afghan base". BBC News. BBC. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
^ ab (Press release). National Transportation Safety Board. 14 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^. National Air Cargo. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
^ abAhlers, Mike (6 May 2013). "Video of Bagram plane crash legitimate, U.S. official says". CNN. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
^ abcYan, Holly; Alsup, Dave (1 May 2013). "Cargo plane crashes in Afghanistan, killing 7 Americans". CNN. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
^"FAA Registry (N949CA)". Federal Aviation Administration.
^ abcde"Steep Climb and Uncontrolled Descent During Takeoff, National Air Cargo, Inc. dba National Airlines, Boeing 747-400 BCF, N949CA, Bagram, Afghanistan, April 29, 2013" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. 14 July 2015. NTSB/AAR-15/01. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
^"Operations - Attachment 2 - Crew Information" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. 15 February 2015. DCA13MA081. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
^Hoedl, Chelsea (15 June 2014). "Yankee Air Museum ceremony honors 7 crew members killed in Afghanistan 747 plane crash". mlive.com. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
^'We're all devastated': Americans killed in 747 crash mourned[dead link]
^ ab"Remembering the crew of National Airlines Flight 102". WordPress. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
^"7 Americans killed in Afghan cargo plane crash". CTV News. Associated Press. 1 May 2013. from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
^"Plane crash stalls Afghan withdrawal". 3 News NZ. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
^"N936CA National Airlines Boeing 747-400(F)". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^ (Press release). National Transportation Safety Board. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
^Hradecky, Simon (29 April 2013). "Crash: National Air Cargo B744 at Bagram on Apr 29th 2013, lost height shortly after takeoff". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
^. NG Europe. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
national, airlines, flight, cargo, flight, operated, national, airlines, between, camp, bastion, afghanistan, maktoum, airport, dubai, with, refueling, stop, bagram, airfield, afghanistan, april, 2013, boeing, operating, flight, crashed, moments, after, taking. National Airlines Flight 102 was a cargo flight operated by National Airlines between Camp Bastion in Afghanistan and Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai with a refueling stop at Bagram Airfield Afghanistan On 29 April 2013 the Boeing 747 400 operating the flight crashed moments after taking off from Bagram killing all seven people on board 1 2 National Airlines Flight 102N949CA the aircraft involved in the accidentAccidentDate29 April 2013 2013 04 29 SummaryLost control and crashed after take off due to load shift resulting in the destruction of key flight controlsSiteBagram Airfield Parwan Province Afghanistan 34 54 59 N 069 14 24 E 34 91639 N 69 24000 E 34 91639 69 24000 Coordinates 34 54 59 N 069 14 24 E 34 91639 N 69 24000 E 34 91639 69 24000AircraftAircraft typeBoeing 747 428BCFAircraft nameLoriOperatorNational AirlinesIATA flight No N8102ICAO flight No NCR102Call signISAF note 1 95 ALPHA QUEBECRegistrationN949CAFlight originChateauroux Centre Marcel Dassault Airport Chateauroux FranceStopoverCamp Bastion Helmand Province AfghanistanLast stopoverBagram Airfield Parwan Province AfghanistanDestinationAl Maktoum International Airport Dubai United Arab EmiratesOccupants7Passengers0Crew7Fatalities7Survivors0The subsequent investigation concluded that improperly secured cargo broke free during the take off and rolled to the back of the cargo hold crashing through the rear pressure bulkhead and disabling the rear flight control systems This rendered the aircraft uncontrollable making recovery from a stall brought on by the damaged rear flight control systems ending up stuck in a pitch up attitude impossible 3 Contents 1 Accident 2 Aircraft 3 Crew 4 Aftermath 5 Investigation 6 In media 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External linksAccident EditAt the time of the crash the airline had been operating between Camp Bastion and Dubai for a month 1 The accident flight had originated in Camp Bastion where it had been loaded with five heavy armoured vehicles and had stopped at Bagram Airfield to refuel 4 5 The aircraft then took off from Bagram s runway 03 at 15 30 local time and was climbing through 1 200 feet 370 m when its nose rose sharply The aircraft then stalled banked right and leveled off just before impact with the ground the whole aircraft exploded into a large fireball almost damaging the vehicles nearby 1 The crash site was off the end of runway 03 within the perimeter of the airfield All seven crew all of whom were U S citizens 6 died four pilots two mechanics and a loadmaster 1 No one on the ground was injured A thunderstorm was also in the vicinity of Bagram at the time of the crash and the wind changed direction by 120 during one hour commencing approximately 35 minutes before the crash 7 A dashboard camera on a car in the vicinity of the runway end recorded the crash which shows the aircraft pitching up falling into a stall and then sharply banking right after a slight bank to the left indicating asymmetrical lift The plane soon righted itself and then crashed at a shallow angle on the ground 1 CNN stated that a government official speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed the video s authenticity 5 Aircraft EditThe aircraft involved was a 20 year old Boeing 747 428BCF note 2 registration N949CA 8 S N 25630 and named Lori 7 It was manufactured in 1993 as a combi aircraft and delivered to Air France and later modified for service as a freighter with Air France before being sold to National Airlines 7 At the time of the crash the aircraft was flying on behalf of the United States Air Force s Air Mobility Command 1 6 Crew EditThe captain was 34 year old Brad Hasler who had worked for the airline since 2004 He had 6 000 flight hours including 440 hours on the Boeing 747 9 6 10 11 12 The first officer was 33 year old Jamie Lee Brokaw who had worked for the airline since 2009 and had 1 100 flight hours with 209 of them on the Boeing 747 9 10 The relief captain was 37 year old Jeremy Lipka and the relief first officer was 32 year old Rinku Shumman 13 The loadmaster was 36 year old Michael Sheets who had worked for the airline since 2010 9 7 The two mechanics were Gary Stockdale and Tim Garrett both 51 years old 13 14 Aftermath EditThe crash interrupted the New Zealand Defence Force s NZDF withdrawal from Afghanistan as it was only hours away from using another National Airlines aircraft to fly equipment out of the country after the crash the NZDF indefinitely postponed using National Airlines for its airlift requirements 15 The aircraft name Lori was transferred to another National Airlines 747 eight years later which was registered as N936CA and former Global SuperTanker Services aircraft 16 Investigation Edit An MRAP being loaded onto the aircraft at Camp Bastion on the day of the accident The United States National Transportation Safety Board NTSB and the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority investigated the crash 6 The NTSB reported in a 30 April 2013 press release that representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Boeing Company would also provide technical expertise and aid in the investigation 17 On 2 June 2013 investigators from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan confirmed the load shift hypothesis as the starting point the cargo of five mine resistant ambush protected vehicles three Cougars and two Oshkosh M ATV s totaling 80 tons of weight had not been properly secured At least one armored vehicle had come loose and rolled backward crashing through the airplane s rear bulkhead damaging it In the process it crippled key hydraulic systems and severely damaged the horizontal stabilizer components most notably breaking its jackscrew which rendered the airplane uncontrollable 3 Control of the aircraft was therefore lost with the abnormal pitch up rotation stall and crash to the ground ensuing 1 The damage made it impossible for the crew to regain control of the aircraft 9 The NTSB determined that the probable cause of this accident was National Airlines inadequate procedures for restraining special cargo loads which resulted in the loadmaster s improper restraint of the cargo 18 One of the key recommendations was to mandate training for all loadmasters 9 In media EditThe Canadian TV series Mayday also known as Air Disasters and Air Emergency in the US and Air Crash Investigation in the UK and the rest of the world covered Flight 102 in episode 10 of season 16 called Afghan Nightmare first broadcast in 2017 19 See also EditBoeing 747 hull losses MK Airlines Flight 1602 Emery Worldwide Airlines Flight 17Notes Edit Abbreviation for International Security Assistance Force The aircraft was a Boeing 747 400 model Boeing assigns a unique code for each company that buys one of its aircraft which is applied as an infix to the model number at the time the aircraft is built hence 747 428 This aircraft was converted to freighter configuration as part of Boeing s conversion program of passenger 747 400s hence 747 428BCF for Boeing Converted Freighter References Edit a b c d e f g Hradecky Simon 4 June 2013 Crash National Air Cargo B744 at Bagram on Apr 29th 2013 lost height shortly after takeoff The Aviation Herald Retrieved 5 June 2013 Seven killed in US cargo plane crash at Afghan base BBC News BBC 29 April 2013 Retrieved 1 May 2013 a b NTSB Finds Damage From Inadequately Secured Cargo Caused Boeing 747 Crash in Bagram Afghanistan Press release National Transportation Safety Board 14 July 2015 Archived from the original on 17 July 2015 Retrieved 18 October 2015 Information Related to Flight NCR102 National Air Cargo Archived from the original on 1 May 2013 Retrieved 6 May 2013 a b Ahlers Mike 6 May 2013 Video of Bagram plane crash legitimate U S official says CNN Retrieved 6 May 2013 a b c Yan Holly Alsup Dave 1 May 2013 Cargo plane crashes in Afghanistan killing 7 Americans CNN Retrieved 1 May 2013 a b c Ranter Harro N949CA accident synopsis aviation safety net Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 9 May 2013 FAA Registry N949CA Federal Aviation Administration a b c d e Steep Climb and Uncontrolled Descent During Takeoff National Air Cargo Inc dba National Airlines Boeing 747 400 BCF N949CA Bagram Afghanistan April 29 2013 PDF National Transportation Safety Board 14 July 2015 NTSB AAR 15 01 Retrieved 13 July 2019 Operations Attachment 2 Crew Information PDF National Transportation Safety Board 15 February 2015 DCA13MA081 Retrieved 13 July 2019 Hoedl Chelsea 15 June 2014 Yankee Air Museum ceremony honors 7 crew members killed in Afghanistan 747 plane crash mlive com Retrieved 13 July 2019 We re all devastated Americans killed in 747 crash mourned dead link a b Remembering the crew of National Airlines Flight 102 WordPress Retrieved 8 October 2020 7 Americans killed in Afghan cargo plane crash CTV News Associated Press 1 May 2013 Archived from the original on 1 May 2013 Retrieved 8 October 2020 Plane crash stalls Afghan withdrawal 3 News NZ 2 May 2013 Retrieved 2 May 2013 N936CA National Airlines Boeing 747 400 F www planespotters net Retrieved 31 October 2021 NTSB to assist Afghan authorities with investigation into Bagram cargo plane crash Press release National Transportation Safety Board 30 April 2013 Archived from the original on 3 May 2013 Retrieved 5 May 2013 Hradecky Simon 29 April 2013 Crash National Air Cargo B744 at Bagram on Apr 29th 2013 lost height shortly after takeoff The Aviation Herald Retrieved 30 April 2013 Air Crash Investigation Episodes season 15 NG Europe Archived from the original on 11 February 2017 Retrieved 15 February 2017 External links EditNational Transportation Safety Board NTSB preliminary report NTSB Final Aircraft Accident Report NTSB investigation docket Information Related to Flight NCR102 National Air Cargo Archive STATEMENT FROM NATIONAL AIR CARGO EVA International Media 2 May 2013 Archive Portals Aviation Afghanistan United States Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title National Airlines Flight 102 amp oldid 1142374609, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
