ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-406 PH-BTC Barcelona Airport (BCN)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 28 November 2004
Time:18:50
Type:Silhouette image of generic B734 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Boeing 737-406
Operator:KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Registration: PH-BTC
MSN: 25424/2200
First flight: 1992-01-09 (12 years 11 months)
Total airframe hrs:31756
Cycles:22156
Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-3C1
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 140
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 146
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:Barcelona Airport (BCN) (   Spain)
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM), Netherlands
Destination airport:Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN/LEBL), Spain
Flightnumber:KL1673
Narrative:
At 16:46 KLM Flight 1673 departed Amsterdam for Barcelona. Upon rotation from runway 18L the aircraft suffered a bird strike. A bird collided with the nose gear. The gear was retracted normally and there was no abnormal indication in the cockpit. The crew reported the impact to the ATC and the flight to Barcelona continued normally. The aircraft touched down on Barcelona's runway 25R. After touchdown of the nose landing gear, the aircraft started deviating to the left of the runway centreline. The veering to the left continued and the aircraft left the paved surface of the runway and went through an area of soft sand where some construction works were being carried out. The nose landing gear leg collapsed rearwards and the left main landing gear leg detached from its fittings shortly before the aircraft came to a stop close to the edge of a rain drainage canal. The final position of the aircraft was at a longitudinal distance of approximately 1606 m from runway 25R threshold, and at a lateral distance of approximately 84 m from the runway centreline.

Probable Cause:

CAUSES: "It is considered that the accident probably happened because during the takeoff a bird strike broke one of the cables of the nose wheel steering system of the aircraft and jammed the other, which made that the nose wheels were rotated to the left during landing, causing a veering to the left that could not be arrested by full rudder deflection as the aircraft decelerated. The subsequent application of brakes and other actions by the crew could not avoid that the aircraft went outside the runway surface.
The damages to the aircraft were increased by the condition of the runway strip due to the airport construction works.
Contributing to the breaking of the cable was the fact that it was severely worn locally. The wear could be traced back to the incorrect application of grease to the cable system during maintenance. Despite the training and experience of the flight crew, they were unable to quickly recognize the possible cause of the deviation of the aircraft and to keep the aircraft on the runway."

Classification:
Bird strike
Runway excursion

Sources:
» CIAIAC


Follow-up / safety actions

CIAIAC issued 2 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Boeing-737-406-PH-BTC
accident date: 28-11-2004
type: Boeing 737-406
registration: PH-BTC
photo of Boeing-737-406-PH-BTC
accident date: 28-11-2004
type: Boeing 737-406
registration: PH-BTC
photo of Boeing-737-406-PH-BTC
accident date: 28-11-2004
type: Boeing 737-406
registration: PH-BTC
photo of Boeing-737-406-PH-BTC
accident date: 28-11-2004
type: Boeing 737-406
registration: PH-BTC
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport to Barcelona-El Prat Airport as the crow flies is 1232 km (770 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Boeing 737-400

  • 486 built
  • 7th loss
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