Controlled Flight into Terrain

 Controlled Flight Into Terrain

    On August 14, 2013, a UPS cargo plane crashed during an approach into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. After investigation from the NTSB, they determined that the crash was caused due to an unstabilized approach and descending below the minimum descent altitude before the runway was in sight. The board also found that the flight crew’s failure to properly configure the on-board flight management computer, the first officer’s failure to make required call-outs, the captain’s decision to change the approach strategy without communicating his change to the first officer, and flight crew fatigue all contributed to the accident. (ISHN, 2014) Since the first officer did not program the flight management computer correctly, the autopilot was not able to fly the desired path to the runway. When the flight path was not captured, the captain changed the autopilot mode without informing the first officer and started to descend at a rate that violated UPS's stabilized approach criteria. Shortly after, they crashed into terrain around 3,300 ft from the runway. 

    There are many factors that contributed to this accident, but the most important one in my opinion was lack of communication between the flight crew. Pilots need to be able to communicate effectively in order to increase the level of safety and to prevent accidents from happening. If the crew were to communicate effectively and efficiently, they could have worked together to prevent this accident from happening. There was not only a lack of communication between the crew, but also with the dispatcher. Forecasted weather at BHM indicated that the low ceilings upon arrival required and alternate airport, but the dispatcher did not discuss the low ceilings, the single-approach option to the airport, or the reopening of runway 06/24 with the flight crew. (WVTM, 2022) 

    Following this accident, the NTSB made recommendations to the FAA to address safety issues. The recommendations address safety issues identified in the investigation, including ensuring that operations and training materials include clear language requiring abandoning an unstable approach; the need for recurrent dispatcher training that includes both dispatchers and flight crews; the need for all relevant weather information to be provided to pilots in dispatch and enroute reports, and opportunities for improvement in fatigue awareness and management among pilots and operators. (ISHN, 2014)

 

Refrences: 

ISHN. (2014, September 11). NTSB finds mismanagement, poor communication behind fatal 2013 ups plane crash. ISHN RSS. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.ishn.com/articles/99601-ntsb-finds-mismanagement-poor-communication-behind-fatal-2013-ups-plane-crash

WVTM. 13. (2022, August 15). Sunday marks 9 years since the UPS plane crash in Birmingham, Alabama. WVTM. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.wvtm13.com/article/ups-plane-crash-birmingham-alabama-flight-1354-ntsb-report/40887657

Cloudberg, A. (2021, November 15). Flying tired: The crash of UPS Airlines Flight 1354. Medium. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/flying-tired-the-crash-of-ups-airlines-flight-1354-33b18c37c147