- Date
- April 29, 2013, 15:27 local (10:57 UTC)
- Place
- Bagram, Afghanistan
- Injuries
- 7 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N949CABoeing 747-400 BCF
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2015
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, National Airlines, Telair
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 86758
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
National Airlines' inadequate procedures for restraining special cargo loads, which resulted in the loadmaster's improper restraint of the cargo, which moved aft and damaged hydraulic systems Nos. 1 and 2 and horizontal stabilizer drive mechanism components, rendering the airplane uncontrollable. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's inadequate oversight of National Airlines' handling of special cargo loads.
Findings · 7
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-15/01. On April 29, 2013, about 1527 local time, a Boeing 747-400 BCF, N949CA, operated by National Air Cargo, Inc., dba National Airlines, crashed shortly after takeoff from Bagram Air Base, Bagram, Afghanistan. All seven crewmembers—the captain, first officer, loadmaster, augmented captain and first officer, and two mechanics—died, and the airplane was destroyed from impact forces and postcrash fire. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 supplemental cargo flight was destined for Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Factual narrative
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-15/01. On April 29, 2013, about 1527 local time, a Boeing 747-400 BCF, N949CA, operated by National Air Cargo, Inc., dba National Airlines, crashed shortly after takeoff from Bagram Air Base, Bagram, Afghanistan. All seven crewmembers—the captain, first officer, loadmaster, augmented captain and first officer, and two mechanics—died, and the airplane was destroyed from impact forces and postcrash fire. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 supplemental cargo flight was destined for Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N949CA
- Reported as
- Boeing 747-400 BCF
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25630
- Airframe hours
- 76,938
- Engines
- General Electric Snecma CF6-80C2B1F, turbo jetGeneral Electric Snecma CF6-80C2B1F, turbo jetGeneral Electric Snecma CF6-80C2B1F, turbo jetGeneral Electric Snecma CF6-80C2B1F, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- National Air Cargo, doing business as National Airlines
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · April 29, 2013
- Departed
- OAIX · Bagram
- Destination
- OMDW · Dubai
- Airport
- OAIX · Bagram Air Base, runway 03, 11,819 × 151 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 439 in this make and model · 4,700 as pilot in command · 162 in the last 90 days · 74 in the last 30 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 10, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 209 in this make and model · 451 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 71 in the last 30 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- OAIX
Docket · 81
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 3, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 190 MB in all.