Metroliner crash in Malta; 5 dead

A Fairchild Metroliner belonging to CAE Aviation has crashed on takeoff from Malta. The aircraft, modified as an observation aircraft, had recently been flying missions over Libya for French Customs, tracking routes used to smuggle people and drugs out of the country.

It's not clear what today's mission was, as CAE flies for multiple agencies, but the aircraft developed engine trouble on takeoff. Dashcam footage from a car near the crash site shows the aircraft on its back, before nose diving and exploding. All five people on board were killed on impact.

CAE had two Metroliners, N577MX and N919CK, both configured differently. The aircraft involved today was N577MX.

www.maltatoday.com.mt...

www.timesofmalta.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

another horrific moment, not the same, but like another recent crash. I should say the starboard engine, (the plane is inverted) looks a bit, 'odd' but maybe just the vagaries of the video.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Metroliners are notorious for handling engine failures on takeoff poorly. Wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened and the crew let it get away from them.

a reply to: justwanttofly

They reported some kind of problem on takeoff, but I haven't been able to find out what, or if that's an accurate report.

originally posted by: justwanttofly
a reply to: Zaphod58

Metroliners are notorious for handling engine failures on takeoff poorly. Wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened and the crew let it get away from them.

This particular SA227 still had the Garrett TPE331 engines which are notoriously unreliable, so much so that a switch was made to Pratts on newer Swearingens. N577MX was a 1983 model. there have been 10 prior engine failure related Metro accidents, not counting Malta. The early version of the Metroliner, the 226, was such a pig that the builder offered an optional rocket assist (in the tail) to help takeoff performance, particularly in the case of an engine failure.
The worse engine to have fail was the left. the increased pitch necessary to fly or climb means that the descending propeller blade has more angle of attack, and more thrust than the rising blade. The descending blade on the right (operating) engine is farther from the centerline, and has a bigger moment arm. So with a left engine failure, if you let the speed drop below minimum single engine control speed (Vmc), which if memory serves is 91 knots (105 mph), it's going to roll over and be uncontrollable.

Sounds like a sudden and unintended propeller pitch reversal in one of the engines, resulting in severe asymmetrical lift over the wings, which flipped the plane over.

I never thought of that....tricky...a reply to: starviego


another thing....I don't like those high aspect wings....

originally posted by: GBP/JPY










I never thought of that....tricky...a reply to: starviego


another thing....I don't like those high aspect wings....

The higher the aspect ratio (span divided by mean aerodynamic chord), the lower the aerodynamic drag, hence the lower the fuel usage. For high aspect ratio, think U-2. For low ratio, think concrete block. Or F-104.

F4Guy....how cool, love a Phantom.....turned final over my house in Irving Texas.....NAS localizer...I was 13

from a pilot's view the wings like that are really two wings you're flying.....they're the icing in the news on final ones, huh!!

that Bombardier 400 thang....scares me, the earlier ones were the limit.....oh, on this subject is the A-380....is that too much inertia to manage on approach....

Crash d'un avion à Malte : la DGSE perd cinq hommes

(Article in French - Plane crash above Malta, DGSE (french CIA) loses 5 men)

I flew the SA-226& 227 in the early 1980s and I must say it was the most challenging airplane that I've flown. In the 6 months that I flew this airplane I experienced a take off go sideways on the runway when one prop failed to come off the locks. A thermal run away on one battery which left it on the tarmac. A locked brake which destroyed the tires. An approach to minimums with props mis-rigged and couldn't slow below 140 MPH. When I had enough seniority, I moved to another type of airplane. Shortly after that one of our Metro 3s do a gear up landing while training new captains.