Backcountry Pilot • JU-54 down in Swiss Alps 20 dead

JU-54 down in Swiss Alps 20 dead

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JU-54 down in Swiss Alps 20 dead

https://www.yahoo.com/news/20-feared-de ... 43594.html

This is just awful. I would have had no reservations taking my family on a ride like this. We just rode the Ford Tri-Motor at Oshkosh in fact.
PilotMikeTx offline
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Re: JU-54 down in Swiss Alps 20 dead

From the article:
“The wreckage of the plane was in a basin at 2,450 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level surrounded on three sides by peaks, a Reuters witness said.”

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Re: JU-54 down in Swiss Alps 20 dead

Very, very sad story.
It was a Ju 52/3m (there is no 54 afaik).

The final incident report was published in January. Good summary on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Ju-Air_Junkers_Ju_52_crash

On January 28, 2021, a final report was released by the STSB which stated that "the pilots' high-risk flying was a direct cause of the accident". It further stated that "The flight crew piloted the aircraft, at low altitude, with no possibility of an alternative flight path and at an air speed that was dangerously low for the circumstances. The high-risk manner of flying through these not unusual turbulences caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. The aircraft was also being operated with its centre of gravity in excess of its rear limit". The STSB found that the aircraft was not in an airworthy condition when it took off on the accident flight, in that the engines had not been properly maintained and were not producing rated power. Furthermore the report indicated that the company had a poor safety culture that tolerated risky behaviour and rule breaking.


Around 10 minutes before the crash, another witness had observed the Ju 52 suddenly banking sharply to the left and losing altitude, before increasing engine power and recovering to normal flight.


Following a review in March 2019, while the accident investigation was still ongoing, the FOCA banned Ju-Air from conducting commercial passenger flights with Ju 52s, allowing only private flights for club members. Later, the operating and maintenance licenses were revoked for the other Swiss-based Ju 52 aircraft, effectively grounding the HB-HOP and HB-HOS sister aircraft. Due to the maintenance troubles found in the HB-HOT wreck - like fatigue cracks, corrosion and sub-standard repair work - the FOCA deemed them unsafe to fly.


It may still be worth noting that Ju-Air apparently operated the three 52s for 36 years and more than 10.000 hours without major incidents.

I wasn't yet a pilot back then but I flew as a (paying) passenger on a sightseeing flight in one of the two other Ju-Air's Ju 52 (HB-HOP, I believe) a couple of years ago. It was a very memorable flight and I will share some pictures if I can dig them out.
Sierra7 offline
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Re: JU-54 down in Swiss Alps 20 dead

This is a 2018 thread bumped by spammer, FYI. Their post has been removed.
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