Crash B747 at Bagram

N949CA (CN: 25630) landing at Liege-Bierset - EBLG

A National Air Cargo Boeing 747-400 freighter on behalf of US Mobility Command, registration N949CA performing cargo flight N8-102 from Bagram (Afghanistan) to Dubai Al Maktoum (United Arab Emirates) with 7 crew and cargo consisting of 5 military vehicles, has crashed shortly after takeoff from Bagram Air Base's runway 03 at 15:30L (11:00Z) and erupted into flames near the end of the runway within the perimeter of the Air Base. All 7 crew are reported perished in the crash.

Metars (Bagram, via US Military):
KQSA 291255Z 04008G16KT 9000 -TSRA BKN050CB BKN090 BKN150 09/05 A3003 RMK CB NE MOV NE SLP181 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291231Z 30009G16KT 8000 -TSRA BKN050CB BKN090 BKN150 08/04 A3001 RMK CB NE MOV NE WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291229Z 30010G15KT 6000 -TSRAGS BKN050CB OVC100 12/04 A3000 RMK CB OHD MOV N WND DATA ESTMD LSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291155Z 33008G17KT 9999 -TSRA SCT050CB BKN090 BKN170 13/04 A2996 RMK CB OHD MOV N SLP139 60000 70000 51014=
KQSA 291155Z COR 33008G17KT 9999 -TSRA SCT050CB BKN090 BKN170 13/04 A2990 RMK CB OHD MOV N SLP139 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD 60000 70000 51014=
KQSA 291059Z 35011G17KT 9999 FEW050 BKN065 BKN090 14/05 A2993 RMK WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291058Z 35011G17KT 9999 FEW050 BKN080CB BKN150 14/05 A2993 RMK LTG DSNT NW SLP124 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 291055Z 02007KT 9999 FEW040 BKN080CB BKN150 18/06 A2994 RMK PK WND 06026/1005 WSHFT 1027 LTG DSNT NW CB DSNT NW SLP124 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290955Z COR 10017G30KT 9999 SCT085 BKN140 BKN200 17/06 A2992 RMK PK WND 09032/0856 LTG DSNT NW CB DSNT E SLP213 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD COR 13=
KQSA 290855Z 09026G37KT 6000 -TSRA DU FEW000 BKN070CB BKN130 17/06 A2990 RMK PK WND 09037/0852 CB W SLP103 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290755Z 12025G37KT 9999 SCT032CB BKN070 BKN150 17/06 A2995 RMK PK WND 10037/0747 CB W MOV N SLP114 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290655Z 12015G27KT 9999 VCTS SCT036CB BKN050 BKN080 15/08 A2998 RMK CB N MOV N SLP135 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290630Z 12016G24KT 5000 -TSRAGS FEW030 BKN050CB 15/07 A3000 RMK CB OHD MOV N WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290628Z 10015G20KT 9999 -SHRA SCT043 BKN050 BKN080 16/06 A3000 RMK LTG DSNT SE WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD=
KQSA 290555Z 31007KT 9999 BKN050 15/04 A3001 RMK SLP134 WND DATA ESTMD ALSTG/SLP ESTMD 58010=

more info and all the updates about this crash can be found at: www.avherald.com

here below the video caught by a car driver when the aircraft crash shortly after take-off:

---

I report here below the article that you can find at Flight Global website of DAVID LEARMOUNT:


The first sight of the aircraft on film shows it in an apparently steady climb through about 200ft (60m) above airfield level, just after take-off, but with an extremely high nose-up attitude.

Within about 3s of appearing on film the aircraft's port (left) wing begins to drop, and 1s later the roll reverses, the right wing dropping. Simultaneously, the 747 begins a dramatic yaw to the right, the nose dropping fast. The roll stops at an angle of about 110deg to the horizontal, by which time the forward airspeed is well below flying speed and the aircraft is just falling sideways through the air. As some airspeed is recovered in the fall, the pilots manage to roll the wings level.

But recovery would have been impossible, and the big freighter impacts the ground.


Crews taking off from military bases like Bagram in hostile territory normally plan to climb at the maximum climb angle, to put them at the greatest height above ground level achievable by the time they cross the airfield boundary. This entails a high nose attitude that is maintained for longer than normal, rather than trading climb angle for greater airspeed to make the aircraft easier to handle and safer in the event of an engine failure.

In this film there is no clear visual evidence of a missile travelling toward the aircraft, nor of the explosion or fire that a missile would cause if it were to detonate.

The risks of a maximum angle of climb departure are many. If an engine fails very soon after take-off there is a lower airspeed than normal. Slower speed reduces the rudder authority that keeps the aircraft straight and lowers the margin above stalling speed. In the event of an engine failure it is essential for the crew to push the nose down fast to maintain a safe speed with the lower power output.

Another major risk is that if any cargo is not adequately secured in the hold, the high climb angle will cause the payload to slide backward. This could unbalance the aircraft and cause the nose to pitch up, possibly overwhelming the elevator authority available to the pilots if they attempt to push the nose down.

Whatever the crew may have faced, and whatever they may have tried to do, once the aircraft had begun to show signs of being in trouble, the nose remained very high. Whether this was the result of a cargo shift or another factor, the inquiry will provide the answer. The aircraft, although on military operations, carries a flight data and cockpit voice recorder.

The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to Bagram to launch an investigation of the incident. All seven crew members were killed in the crash.


As already said, I join everyone and express my most sincere condolences to all the families' crew.