AVIATION/ AFGHAN BAN INFLUENCED BY KAM AIR TAIL STRIKE

The UK AAIB says slack operational oversight allowed an Afghan McDonnell Douglas DC8-63 freighter to take off from a UK runway while nearly 12 tons above weight limits, resulting in its overrunning and striking its tail. The incident, which involved operator KAM AIR and took place on August 11, 2010, notably contributed to the European Commission's decision to impose a blanket blacklisting on Afghan carriers last November. In the Report on the incident, the AAIB said that the DC8 had been transporting 36 ponies from Manston Airport, near London, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via Cape Verde. The Flight Engineer prepared a load form showing a take-off weight of 152.5 tons, calculated using a pony weight of 350kg, rather than the 450kg shown on the cargo manifest, but also prepared a takeoff data card with a different weight of 155.9 tons. "No crosscheck of the Flight Engineer's calculations or takeoff performance figures was made by any other crew member," said the AAIB. It says the crew had "ample time" to follow correct checking procedures. Analysis showed the data card accurately reflected the DC8's weight, but the aircraft was 11.7 tons above the runway-limited takeoff weight of 144.2 tons. The crew, pre-occupied by demands of the Cape Verde-Buenos Aires leg, had worsened the situation by loading "significantly more" fuel than required. "It is likely that their concerns over the next sector occupied the crew to the extent that they were diverted from the immediate task of ensuring safe takeoff performance at Manston," the AAIB said in its Report. As it attempted to depart Manston's runway 28, which is 9030ft long, it over-rotated, striking its tail 35 meters before the end of the paved surface and continuing onto soft ground, running over an approach light. The DC8's tail skid scored a 117 meter long mark before the jet became airborne. Despite the tail strike and overrun, the aircraft did not sustain serious damage and continued its flight. None of the 3 crew members had operated a DC8 for 8 months. They had not been interviewed for their post or gone through a selection process, and the operator had not required further training or checks before releasing them to line operations. Afghanistan's civil aviation ministry told KAM AIR, 2 months after the incident, that the crew members' licences would be revoked. Both of its DC8s, one of which is pictured above, were also removed from the carrier's air operator's certificate. Following the incident, the UK Government's Department of Transport decided upon receiving notice of the incident from the AAIB, as well as information from a number of other sources, that Kam Air would receive no further operating permits on UK soil for its DC8 fleet and notified the European Union. Following ramp checks and the information from the UK government, the European Union decided last November to put Kam Air onto the list of operators which are prohibited from operating in the European Union.