31 March 1992 - Transair 671 The Boeing 707 took off from Luxembourg at 07.14h for an IFR flight to Kano, carrying 38 tonnes of freight. The aircraft, on a heading of 199deg, when passing VILAR and the VOR of Martigues, was authorized to leave FL290 for FL330. This flight section was performed in IMC in turbulent air. With the throttles at climb power and autopilot engaged the aircraft was flying at 280kts IAS passing FL320. At this moment, the crew was experiencing severe turbulence and heard a double 'bang'. The aircraft suddenly rolled to the right. The captain disengaged autopilot and struggled to keep control by countering with control stick and rudder pedals. The continuous fire warning system sounded, but could not be switched off by the flight engineer. The first officer noted that the no.4 engine had separated and sent out a Mayday call (at 08.11h). The crew started the descend towards Marseilles and initiated the fuel dumping procedure. During the descent the first officer noted an airfield ahead (which was Istres) and was Marseilles transferred the aircraft to Istres Control. A left hand circuit was flown for a runway 15 landing at Istres. The plane touched down slightly to the left of the centreline at a 190kts speed. Emergency brakes had to be used to decelerate. The left main gear tyres burst during the landing roll and the flight engineer selected maximum reverse thrust on the no.2 engine. After a 2300m ground roll, the 707 went off the left side of the runway and stopped 250m further on. The fire on the right wing (which had erupted in the final approach phase) was put out. The landing took place at 08.35, about 24min after engine separation. The aircraft had just been acquired by Trans-Air Service and had started flying on March 3, 1992 after having been stored at Southend since October 24, 1990. Between March 4 and Mach 31 the aircraft had accumulated 116 flying hours in 34 flights.
MA = Marseilles Approach
MC = Marseilles Control
IT = Istres Tower
CAM-1 = Captain
CAM-2 = First Office
CAM-3 = Flight Engineer
RDO-2 = Radio Communications by F/O
..(*).. = uncertain text
Time: Source: Contents: 8:09:39 RDO-2 Kabo Six Seven One request flight level three euh three zero 8:09:46 CRNA/SE Six Seven One Roger climb level three three zero 8:09:49 CAM-1 Okay! 8:09:49 RDO-2 Cimb six three three zero Six Seven One leaving three... and leaving two nine zero 8:10:03 CAM-2 Okay...(*)..now..(*).. 8:10:10 CAM-2 ..(*)..(*).. 8:10:31 CAM-1 Ya! 8:11:27 [Master warning] 8:11:30 CAM-1 Engine fire! 8:11:31 CAM-2 Number four engine has left the wing! 8:11:34 [Master warning] 8:11:35 CAM-3 ..(*)..gone..(*).., number four..(*)..! 8:11:41 RDO-2 Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! request radar Kabo Six Seven One! 8:11:48 RDO-2 Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Kabo Six Seven One request radar landing! 8:11:48 [Master warning] 8:11:53 [Master warning] 8:11:53 CRNA/SE Kabo Six Seven One say your level and position sir. 8:11:58 RDO-2 Two seven zero. Request descent radar landing! ... 8:13:45 CAM-2 Clear to descent! We've lost both engines on the right wing! 8:13:55 CAM-1 What? 8:13:55 CAM-2 We've lost both engines! 8:13:58 [Master Warning] 8:13:58 CAM-1 Both engines! CAM-2 Ya! 8:14:02 CAM-2 You turn one eight zero? 8:14:05 CAM-1 I'm trying! 8:14:05 [Master Warning] 8:14:06 CAM-3 We wanna dump fuel? 8:14:08 CAM-1 Yeap dump fuel! 8:14:10 RDO-2 Ah Six Seven One? 8:14:12 CRNA/SE Six Seven One go ahead 8:14:13 RDO-2 We need emergency landing, emergency landing both engines missing right wing emergency landing radar. ... 8:16:18 RDO-2 Descent seven zero request straight-in approach 8:16:21 MC Ah roger proceed direct to Mike Romeo Sierra. What is the nature of our problem? 8:16:22 [Master Warning] 8:16:28 RDO-2 Two engines missing two engines missing structural request straight in landing. 8:16:28 [Master Warning] 8:16:32 MC Ah roger. ... ... ... 8:17:14 How many engine on failure euh seven six seven one? 8:17:19 CAM-2 Two engines missing give me distance to laning and where are we landing Marseille? 8:17:24 MC Affirm euh. ... ... ... 8:29:45 RDO-2 Kabo, we have an airfield what is that airfield? 8:29:49 MA It's a military airfield at your twelve o'clock for six miles 8:29:51 RDO-2 Roger 8:29:51 CAM-2 Can we land there? ... (*) ... 8:29:54 CAM-2 Can we land there? 8:29:55 CAM-1 No 8:29:57 CAM-1 Too short, too short! 8:30:00 RDO-2 How long is the runway on this military airfield? 8:30:01 MA Four thousand meters 8:30:04 CAM-1 Oh yeah, OK 8:30:05 RDO-2 Four thousand meter we can land here? 8:30:06 MA I call you back 8:30:08 RDO-2 We are overhead 8:30:10 MA Affirm 8:30:12 CAM-2 .. (*) ... 8:30:14 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:30:17 CAM-2 ... (*) ... altitude ...? . 8:30:20 CAM-2 I can see it! 8:30:26 RDO-2 It's Salon! 8:30:29 MA Quebec November Kilo do you have visual on this runway? 8:30:32 CAM-1 ... (*) ... 8:30:32 RDO-2 Yes we do, we are overhead we can make left hand pattern for landing 8:30:37 MA It's OK for landing on this runway call this airfield on frequency one two three decimal six, one two three decimal six 8:30:45 RDO-2 One two three six thanks Marseille 8:30:53 RDO-2 Salon airfied mayday traffic Six Seven One 8:30:56 IT Six Seven One, this is Istres, Istres, I receive you five square Istres three three, runway three three in use Fox Echo pressure nine eight five, you are cleared for a downwind arrival sir 8:31:09 RDO-2 Can we make a left turn? Can we make a left turn? Coming down the other runway one five? 8:31:15 IT Affirm sir, clear to make a left turn sir 8:31:17 CAM-1 Okay! 8:31:17 RDO-2 We turn left do you have some radar we are just overhead 8:31:19 CAM-1 What is the wind? 8:31:20 IT Roger you are overhead the airfield and I confirm three three, pressure nine eight five 8:31:27 RDO-2 What's the wind? 8:31:28 IT I confirm the wind is three three zero ten knots gusting one four knots 8:31:34 RDO-2 We make a left hand pattern 8:31:36 IT Affirm you are cleared to make the pattern you want to for runway three three 8:31:41 RDO-2 Do you have some radar? 8:31:42 CAM-2 ... (*) ... 8:31:44 IT I have no radar sir, no visual on you 8:31:47 RDO-2 Ok 8:31:48 CAM-2 ... (*) ... left from the west ... (*) ... 8:31:49 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:31:51 CAM-2 Maintain two hundreds knots minimum! 8:32:06 CAM-2 ... (*) ... 8:32:10 CAM-2 ..?.. west 8:32:13 CAM-1 Yeah 8:32:13 CAM-3 ..(*)..(*).. 8:32:22 IT We have no visual on you six seven one, do you see the runway? 8:32:27 CAM-1 Negative, no! 8:32:27 RDO-2 We just coming out top of clouds, we come to the west of the field we see your runway we turning on to west three thousands ft we are just above clouds and then we see your runway 8:32:37 IT Roger, you are three thousand ft correct? 8:32:40 RDO-2 Yes IT Roger RDO-2 My landing (*) are turned on 8:32:45 IT OK 8:32:47 CAM-3 You see it? 8:32:53 CAM-2 ..?.. engines 8:32:57 CAM-2 ..?.. 8:32:59 CAM-2 Thank you..?.. 8:33:03 CAM-2 We turn left to land 8:33:04 CAM-1 Yes! 8:33:05 CAM-2 Turn left 8:33:09 CAM-1 ..(*)..OK 8:33:10 CAM-2 Turn left to land! 8:33:13 CAM-2 ..?.. 8:33:16 CAM-2 Left turn! 8:33:17 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:33:18 CAM-2 Left turn! 8:33:20 CAM-2 Left! left! 8:33:24 CAM-2 Left turn! 8:33:28 IT Six seven one you have fire on board, six seven one you have fire on board I confirm fire on board 8:33:30 CAM-2 Left! left! 8:33:32 CAM1 Yes! 8:33:33 CAM-3 ..(*).. 8:33:33 RDO-2 Yes 8:33:37 CAM-2 Give me more than a..?.. 8:33:38 CAM-3 [Master Warning] 8:33:39 IT You can take runway one five if you want one five, the wind three two zero ten knots you are cleared direct sir, direct 8:33:45 RDO-2 Direct one five 8:33:48 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:33:49 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:33:50 CAM-2 OK..?.. 8:33:53 CAM-2 Slow down! 8:34:01 CAM-3 [Master Warning] 8:34:08 CAM-1 Lower the flaps! 8:34:13 CAM-3 ..(*).. 8:34:13 IT You are cleared direct sir the last wind three two zero eight knots for runway one five 8:34:14 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:34:16 CAM-1 I take one five! 8:34:20 CAM-3 [Master Warning] 8:34:22 CAM-1 That's OK! 8:34:25 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:34:26 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:04:26 RDO-2 Roger 8:34:27 CAM-1 Select full flaps! 8:34:27 CAM-3 Affirm! 8:34:28 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:34:28 CAM-3 Yes! 8:34:28 CAM-3 [Master Warning] 8:34:30 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:34:33 CAM-2 ..(*)..ruway..(*).. 8:34:35 IT Ok have you, confirm gear have you got the gear down sir? 8:34:38 CAM-3 Yes! 8:34:39 CAM-1 No! 8:34:40 IT Roger roger, you are runway one five, the wind always three two zero, you are on axis, on axis 8:34:40 CAM-3 [Master Warning] 8:34:44 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:34:47 RDO-2 Roger 8:34:48 CAM-2 Three greens, flaps! 8:34:50 CAM-2 I reduce the power for you! 8:34:52 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:34:55 IT Good descent you are on axis 8:34:55 CAM-1 Don't ...(*)..! Don't! RDO-2 Roger 8:35:01 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:02 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:06 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:07 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:10 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:35:10 [Master warning] 8:35:11 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:12 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:13 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:35:15 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:18 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:35:18 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:19 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:20 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:21 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:22 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:23 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:25:24 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:24 CAM-2 Reducing power! 8:35:25 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:26 Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:26 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:35:26 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:35:28 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:35:28 [Master warning] 8:35:29 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:35:29 Glide slope! Glide slope! [GPWS alarm] 8:35:30 CAM-1 Yeah! 8:35:30 [Touchdown] 8:35:39 CAM-2 ..(*).. 8:35:39 CAM-3 OK, both..(*) reverses? 8:35:41 CAM-1 No! 8:35:42 [Thrust reversers] 8:35:50 [Aircraft departed runway] 8:36:14 CAM-2 Cut the engines! 8:36:16 CAM-3 ..(*).reverse..(*).. 8:36:19 CAM-2 I said cut! 8:36:21 CAM-3 ..(*).reverse..(*).. 8:36:28 End of Recording ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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