ATR safety

The pilot's decision to take-off in known adverse weather conditions and failure to execute the proper windshear recovery procedure resulted in operating the aircraft outside the safe flight regime, causing the aircraft to stall very close to the ground from which recovery was not possible.

On 27 January 2009, an ATR 42-300 on a scheduled cargo flight from Fort Worth Alliance (USA) to Lubbock (USA) was making a night ILS approach in IMC to runway 17R at destination when it stalled and crashed short of the runway. The aircraft caught fire and was in any case effectively already destroyed by the impact. Both crew members were injured, one seriously.

On 29 March 2006 at about 1 mile from touchdown when in VMC on a night approach to destination Geneva, an ATR 42-300 freighter experienced a sudden electrical fire in the flight deck and an emergency was declared to ATC. Despite this situation the aircraft was able to land normally and vacate the runway via an RET after which it was forced to stop. A significant loss of onboard systems was reported to have occurred due to many CBs tripping. However, because of this, the fire on board had lasted for only a few seconds and external intervention was not necessary to fight the fire.

Deficiencies in the performance of the flight crew and the air traffic controller were among the causes cited by the report on the controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) accident. Crew fatigue and an inoperative ground-proximity warning system were factors

n December 21, 2002, an ATR72-200 Freighter encountered a severe icing during its flight and crashed into the sea 17 kilometers southwest of Makung city, Penghu Islands (Taiwan). Both pilots on board were missing.

The captain took control from the first officer after the airplane 'skipped' on touchdown but did not take appropriate recovery action or conduct a go-around, the report said. Injuries and substantial damage resulted when the airplane bounced twice and veered off the runway.

The US NTSB determined that the probable cause of this accident was the captain's failure to execute proper techniques to recover from the bounced landings and his subsequent failure to execute a go-around.

The US National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of this accident were the loss of control, attributed to a sudden and unexpected aileron hinge moment reversal that occurred after a ridge of ice accreted beyond the deice boots.

The accident occurred in 2005 and involved an ATR 72-200 aircraft, from Bari (Italy) to Djerba(Tunisia). The aircraft had ditched into the sea off the coast of Capo Gallo (Palermo) following the failure of both engines. The aircraft had taken off from Bari at 12.32 UTC with 39 people on board (4 crew members and 35 passengers, among which 1 airline engineer). While cruising, approximately 50 minutes after takeoff, at flight level 230 (FL 230, 23.000 feet), the right engine shut down (no. 2) and after approximately 100 seconds also the left engine shut down (no. 1). The flight crew decided to divert to the airport at Palermo, Punta Raisi, to make a precautionary landing. The crew referred to having tried to restart both engines, but without success. After gliding for approximately 16 minutes, the aircraft ditched approximately 23 nautical miles northeast from Palermo's airport, Punta Raisi, within Italian territorial waters. On impact with the surface of the sea, the aircraft broke into three pieces; 14 passengers, the airline engineer and a member of the crew (senior flight attendant) reported fatal injuries. The other occupants suffered serious to minor injuries.

The aircraft bounced on touchdown due to insufficient landing flare being applied. In an attempt to cushion the second touchdown the co-pilot, who was the handling pilot, over-pitched the aircraft resulting in the tail bumper making contact with the runway surface.