Estonian CAA lifts ban, but imposes heavy restrictions, as investigations continue to establish the cause of the An-28 crash (393 words)

Published: 11/27/2001

Estonia's Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) has lifted its ban on flights by Estonian An-28s. The ban was imposed on 24th November, a day after the country's most serious aircraft accident since 1991, involving an Estonian Enimex An-28 with the loss of one and the hospitalisation of eight of the 17 people on board in a crash on Hiiumaa Island.The CAA has, however, stipulated that An-28 captains must have at least 300 hours of flying time on the aircraft type. Flights are also restricted to circumstances in which visibility is at least 3,000 metres and a cloud ceiling of least 300 metres. This could mean that the operations of the five An-28s in service in Estonia (3 Enimex and 2 Air Livonia could be significantly curtailed. Reports vary widely as to the cause of the crash. The management of Enimex, that owned the aircraft, but leased it to Eesti Lennukompanii (ELK), says that it believes that the cause was ice on the aircraft's fuselage, although the de-icing equipment had cleared it from the control surfaces. It rejects the CAA's claim that the captain's limited experience with the type may have been the reason. According to Enimex, Alexander Nikolayev, who flew the aircraft is an experienced pilot 10,000 hours of flying time (although only 90 hours on the An-28) with extensive experience of the Estonian islands. Nikolayev is reported to have managed to land the “nearly uncontrollable” aircraft in a flooded forest, after it had rapidly lost altitude and failed to respond to efforts to restore control. Sources claim that, by crashing in a flooded forest, he probably saved lives. Other sources have suggested a severe shift in wind direction may have caused the crash. There is as yet no further information on a criminal enquiry reported to have been launched in parallel with the CAA's own investigation. Nikolayev received facial and spinal injuries in the crash and is undergoing treatment. The co-pilot, Alexander Golovko, is still in coma with serious head and spinal injuries. Another victim, a ten-year-old boy, is also in coma and in a critical condition. The aircraft was insured for Kroon 6.2m ($350,000) with Russian insurance company, Ingosstrakh. Passenger insurance amounts to kroons 2.2 m ($125,000).

Article ID: 2930