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14 October 1987 - Zimex

The Hercules C-130, registration HB-ILF, took off from Kuito at 06.50 UTC for a return flight to Benguela. On climbout a no.1 engine failure was simulated by the pilot. The aircraft then continued to climb to FL240. At 4min 36sec after take-off, the no.3 engine exploded. A fire then erupted. The Hercules descended fast and collided with 8 houses of the Cancao village, killing two people on the ground.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident can be explained by the fact that the aircraft was struck by ground fire or a missile, the origin of which couldn't be established."


Transcript of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)

Legenda:
PIC = captain
F/O = copilot
F/E = Flight Engineer
L/M = Loadmaster

Time Source: Content:
  F/E Lets go!
  F/E Power is in, flight idle
  F/E increase we got 10 stable .... on me
  F/E stable
  F/E comes 11
  F/E 12 13 14 got 15 16 hold on
  F/E please retard one
  F/E thanks hold him there
  PIC speed increasing on both sides
  PIC 80 kts your controls
  F/E your power is good
  PIC V1 the throttles
0:00 PIC VR
  PIC and V2
  PIC positive climb, undercarriage up please
0:10   coming away we lost no 1 (piep ....)
  F/E malfunction identified
  F/E ok power loss on no. 1
  F/O ok total power loss
  PIC total power loss
  F/O ok going for V2 plus 10 keep it there
  PIC standby 400 ft
0:32 PIC 400 feet we got
  F/O feather no 1
    speed we got, height we got accelerating ...
    flaps to 20 in 10's please
    ok coming away
    keeping
    it would have been ... (28) or 20 aehh ...)
  F/O undercarriage check up
  PIC undercarriage is up
  F/O meto power
  F/E setting meto power on three
  PIC ok take it away
  F/O ok
  F/O flaps all the way up
  F/E coming on all four
  F/E Climb power now Sir
  F/O ah yes please
1:33 F/E this is normal bleed
  PIC ok it wasn't too bad
1:55 F/E have climb power
  F/O thank you
  PIC ok this is good for go
  PIC " normal debriefing " after a/c full established
  F/E 1013
  PIC 1013
2:42 F/E we got 83
  F/E the after-take-off list is now completed
    .............
    "voices of passengers"
    "joking"
3:46 F/O we are out of 10
3:49 PIC Kuito, red cross 880 is airborn 0650 and we will be in Benguela at 0730, climbing to flight level 240
    "Conversation on VHF between RX07 and air ops Huambo and at the same time communications RX880 and Kuito TWR "
4:22 ATC "ETA Benguela confirm"
  PIC Benguela estimate 0740
  ATC "Benguela roger - report 240"
4:36 PIC Roger will do
4:45 F/O Autopilot is going .... in
5:23   "Bang" (loud explosion)
5:25   Oh god
5:26 F/E no 3 engine
5:27 F/E Shut it down
  F/O And nacell fire sir
5:32 PIC Fire the bottle
5:40 F/O Fire light still on
  F/E Garry go and check pls
5:45   "Bang" (headset)
5:49 PIC What the fuck was that ?
  F/E Had a turbine exploded I think
    according to NTSB Need help, down the back, we are on fire over or according to Zimax: I made up we are under groundfire
    Is it ?
5:55 L/M We got a total fire, a total fire
    ok
5:56 F/O Return
  PIC According the (speed) ok no problem
6:01   Check ......
6:53   Sound (self test of the CVR)
7:05   End of tape
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