The Crossair Flight 3597 Crash

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 2

2. FACTS OF CROSSAIR FLIGHT 3597 CRASH 3

3. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS 4

3.1 CROSSAIR 4

3.2 PILOT ERROR 5

4. CONCLUSION 7

APPENDIX A 8

1. INTRODUCTION

This report is on the Crossair flight 3597 crash which happens at Zurich airport on 24th November 2001. Analysis of Crossair flight 3597 will be covered, which includes details such as facts of Crossair flight 3597 crash, and the three contributing factors involved in the air accident. The three contributing factors are mainly Crossair, pilot error and communications with air traffic controllers.

2. FACTS OF CROSSAIR FLIGHT 3597 CRASH

On 24th November 2001, Crossair flight 3597 departed in the dark from runway 26L from Berlin – Tegel Airport at 20:01 UTC to Zurich Airport. 24 out of 33 people on board are killed. During the flight, the visibility was low due to overcast with light snowfall. It was further reported by the previous aircraft that the runway can only be seen from 1.3 miles. However, the commander did not find it serious, and continued with the approach.

Due to the new noise law, Runway 14 is down after 10pm in order to keep out of German Airspace and the aircraft was diverted to Runway 28. Runway 28 has less precise technology as compared to Runway 14. Runway 28 uses a less accurate navigational system which is VHF Omnidirectional Range / Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) as VOR/DME does not provide guidance on the plane’s altitude and the approach to Runway 28 was not equipped with Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) thus the pilots are not warned about the greater risk of crashing into a terrain.

Furthermore, as they continued with their approach, they descended to the decision height which is 2,400ft....

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...air 3597.

4. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, many contribution factors led to the Crossair flight 3597 crash but is mainly triggered by Crossair’s incapability of assessment, pilot error and lastly the air traffic controller. Analysis of a flight crash is important so that we will know the causes, thus being able tackle it, making sure that there are no other flight crashes like Crossair flight 3597.

APPENDIX A

1. Air Crash Investigations: Cockpit Failure (S10E01). (2014, March 5). Retrieved May 19, 2014, from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1FG8gOKMoo

2. Crossair Flight 3597 - Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from AviationKnowledge: http://aviationknowledge.wikidot.com/asi:crossair-flight-3597

3. Final Report No. 1793 by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved from skybrary: http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/books/989.pdf