SkyNet - Special Report

Date: November 20th, 1974
Type: 747
Registration: -
Operator: Lufthansa
Flight No. LH540/19
Where: Nairobi Airport, Kenya
Report No.: Not Available
Report Date: July 1976
Pages: -

At 07.42 hrs local time the engines of the Lufthansa Boeing 747, flight number LH540, were started. In the cockpit was Commander Captain Christian Krack, Co-pilot Joachim Schacke and Flight Engineer Rudi Hahn. There were 157 people aboard including the crew, this gave a total estimated take-offweight, including baggage and freight, of 254,576 Kg (561,236 lbs). Co-plot was designated the handling pilot for the first sector of flight, the crew carried out the preliminary checks. Engines were started at 07.42 hrs and after further pre-flight checks the Nairobi control radioed to the crew:

Extracts from the CVR recorded conversation on the flight deck:


Nairobi Tower: "Lufthansa five four zero. Nairobi Tower"

Co-pilot Schacke: "Five four zero, go ahead"

Nairobi Tower: "Roger. You may take runway two-four at your discretion or 
		runway zero-six. Your choice."

Captain Krack: "Oh-two-four, okay"

Co-pilot Schacke: "We take two-four"

Nairobi Tower: "Roger. Cleared to taxi holding point, runway two-four."

Co-pilot Schacke: "Roger. We are cleared to holding point, runway two-four. 
		Are we cleared to enter?"

Nairobi Tower: "Lufthansa five four zero. That is approved. Enter and backtrack."

Co-pilot Schacke: "Roger. Thanks.   

Co-pilot Schacke: (to the Captain) "So the flaps"

Captain Krack: "Yes"

Co-pilot Schacke: "So, shall I do the rowing? (handle takeoff)

Captain Krack: "Yes please"

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Checklist, brakes"

Co-pilot Schacke: "Are checked"

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Flaps"

Captain Krack: "Ten, ten, green."

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Flight controls" (indistinct reply)

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Yaw damper"

Captain Krack: "Checked"

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Flight instruments and annunciator panels"

Captain Krack: "No warnings"

Co-pilot Schacke: "No warnings here"

The flight crew continued with the checklist...

Captain Krack: "Cabin report received"

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Checklist completed"

Time 07.41

Nairobi Tower: "Lufthansa five four zero, your clearance"

Co-pilot Schacke: "Go ahead"

Nairobi Tower: "ATC clears Lufthansa five four zero Nairobi to Jan Smuts
delta amber one zero. Climb and maintain flight level three five zero 
to Mike Bravo Mbeya Echo departure and check clearabnce expires at 
five six. Time is now five one"

The crew completed the the take-off checklist.

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Take-off list is completed"

Co-pilot Schacke: "Okay"

The throttles were set to the correctly calculated 3A take-off power and 
the 747 began to move forward down the runway.

Co-pilot Schacke: "Eighty"

Captain Krack: "Yes...Okay"

Captain Krack: "V1"

Captain Krack: "VR"

Captain Krack: "Pay attention. Vibration...."

Flight Engineer Hahn: "All is OK"

Captain Krack: "Vibration"

Co-pilot Schacke: "Gear up"

Co-pilot Schacke: "Gear travelling"

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Engines okay sot far"

Captain Krack: "Roger"

Flight Engineer Hahn: "RPM also okay"

Flight Engineer Hahn: "Stickshaker"

Co-pilot Schacke: "Okay, crash!"

Wheels up warning horn began to sound.

[This is the Accident Investigation Report Summary.]

The East African Community report was officially released in Nairobi
in July 1976. A summary described the accident:

The aircraft was operating Lufthansa flight 540/19, a scheduled 
international passenger and cargo service from Frankfurt, Germany, 
to Johanneburg, South Africa, with an intermediate stop at Nairobi. 
During the takeoff from Nairobi the crew felt vibration or buffeting 
after liftoff and suspected engine trouble. Subsequently the 
Commander, suspecting wheel impalance, raised the landing gear.

The co-pilot, who was handling the aircraft, noticed a complete lack
of acceleration and had to lower the nose in an attempt to maintain
airspeed.

The aircraft lost altitude and the rear fuselage made contact with 
the ground approximately 1120 metres beyond the departure end of 
runway 24. Parts of the aircraft struck an elevated road 114 metres 
further on and it started to break up.

The main portion skidded an additional 340 metres during which time 
it turned to the left through approximately 180 degrees. The aircraft 
was destroyed by impact and subsequent fire.


Cause:

The accident was caused by the crew initiating a takeoff with the 
leading edge flaps retracted, because the pneumatic system which 
operates them had not been switched on. This resulted in the 
aircraft becoming airborne in a partially stalled condition which 
the pilots were unable to identify in the short time available to 
them for recovery.


Major contributory factors were:
1. Lack of warning of a critical condition of leading edge flap 
position.

2. The failure of the crew to satisfactorily complete their 
checklist items.


Recommendations
It is recommended that:

1. The takeoff configuration aural warning system programme on 
Boeing 747 aircraft should be modified to include leading edge 
flap position.

2. The takeoff configuration aural warning system on Boeing 747 
aircraft should be excluded from the list of allowable 
deficiencies.

3. Consideration should be given to the incorporation of leading 
edge flap position in the aircraft's stall warning programme.

4. Consideration be given to the incluslion of a pneumatic duct 
low pressure warning on the Pilot's Annunciatior Panel.

5. Consideration be given to amending operating procedures where 
necessary to include a cross-check by the Commander of important 
items on the flight engineer's panel.

6. In Boeing 747 and similar aircraft, States of Registry should 
require the carriage of a multi-channel flight data recorder 
compatible with ARINC 573 or equivalent characteristic.

7. In Boeing 747 and similar aircraft, consideration should be 
given by States of Registry to require the installation and use 
of hot microphone cockpit voice recorder circuits during the 
takeoff, approach and landing phases.

8. Implementation of adequate international incident reporting 
procedures, as initiated in the Accident/Incident Reporting 
System (ADREP) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, 
including effective follow-up action, should be enforced.

Burnt out wreakage

Return to Airline Disasters 1920 - 1997 Database

Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no representation is made as to the accuracy of, and no acceptance or any legal responsibility is taken for any errors, ommissions, mis-statements or mistakes within the pages of this web site or on other web sites which may be linked to this site from time to time.