Edinburgh Air Charter Flight 3W

Edinburgh Air Charter Flight 3W

240px A Cessna 404 Titan - similar to the accident aircraft
Accident summary
Date	3 September 1999
Summary	Engine failure and pilot error
Site	1nm west of Glasgow Airport, Scotland
Passengers	9
Crew	2
Injuries (non-fatal)	3
Fatalities	8
Survivors	3
Aircraft type	Cessna 404 Titan
Operator	Edinburgh Air Charter
Registration	G-ILGW
Flight origin	Glasgow Airport
Destination	Aberdeen Airport

Edinburgh Air Charter Flight 3W, call sign "Saltire 3 Whisky", was a charter flight from Glasgow to Aberdeen. A Cessna 404 Titan, G-ILGW, was used for this flight. The flight had been chartered by Airtours International Airways to transport two pilots and seven flight attendants. Upon arrival in Aberdeen, the Airtours crewmembers were scheduled to operate a Boeing 757 on a charter flight to Palma de Mallorca.

Shortly after takeoff, the left engine failed and the pilot-in-command feathered the right engine. Instead of attempting a crash landing, the pilot attempted to return to Glasgow Airport without engine power and lost control while trying to make a right turn. The aircraft crashed and caught fire approximately one nautical mile from the airport. The two Edinburgh Air Charter pilots, the Airtours First Officer, and five AirTours flight attendants died in the crash. The AirTours captain and two flight attendants survived.

The aircraft was slightly overweight for the conditions. A report recommended engine inspections, more crash-worthy seats, and consideration to fitting aircraft like this with CVRs. As a result of this accident an airworthiness directive was issued by the British Civil Aviation Authority in June 2000, requiring inspections of the starter adapters and crankshaft gears on Continental GTSIO-520 series engines.

See also

Other cases where pilots shut down the wrong engine when dealing with engine failure:

• British Midland Flight 092
• TransAsia Airways Flight 235
• Airlink Flight 8911