

August 21, 1995

Carrollton, GA

Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Flight 529

Embraer 120-RT Brasilia

N256AS



Shortly after taking off from Atlanta on a flight to Gulfport, the aircraft experienced propeller

separation in the left engine while climbing through FL 180. The aircraft crashed into trees

and burned while trying to make an emergency landing at Carrollton. The in-flight fatigue

fracture and separation of a propeller blade resulting in distortion of the left engine nacelle,

causing excessive drag, loss of wing lift, and reduced directional control of the airplane. The

fracture was caused by a fatigue crack from multiple corrosion pits that were not discovered

by Hamilton Standard because of inadequate and ineffective corporate inspection and repair

techniques, training, documentation and communication. Eight of 29 aboard killed.

THOT = Crew member "hot" microphone voice or sound source

HOT-M = Aircraft mechanical voice heard on all channels

RDO = Radio transmission from accident aircraft

CAM = Cockpit-area microphone

INT = Transmission over aircraft interphone system

CTR = Radio transmission from Atlanta ARTCC

ATLA = Radio transmission from Atlanta approach control

UNK = Radio transmission received from unidentified aircraft

-B = Sounds heard through both pilots' "hot" microphone systems

-1 = Voice identified as captain

-2 = Voice identified as first officer

-3 = Voice identified as flight attendant

-? = Voice unidentified

* = Unintelligible word

# = Expletive

( ) = Questionable insertion

[ ] = Editorial insertion

. . . = Pause

1243:25 CAM: [Sound of several thuds]

1243:26 CAM-1: ****.

1243:28 CAM: [Three chimes similar to master warning] Autopilot, engine control, oil [and continues to repeat.]

1243:29 CAM-?: *.

1243:32 CAM-2: Pack off.

1243:34 CAM-1: *.

1243:38 CAM-1: We got a left engine out. Left power lever. Flight idle.

1243:45 CAM: [Shaking sound starts and continues for 33 seconds.]

1243:46 CAM-1: Left condition lever. Left condition lever.

1243:48 CAM-2: Yeah.

1243:49 CAM-1: Feather.

1243:51 HOT-B: [Series of rapid beeps for one second similar to engine fire warning]

1243:54 CAM-1: Yeah we're feathered. Left condition lever, fuel shut-off.

1243:59 CAM-1: I need some help here.

1244:02 CAM: [Mechanical voice messages for engine control and oil cease. Chimes and autopilot warning continue.]

1244:03 CAM-2: OK.

1244:03 CAM-1: I need some help on this.

1244:05 CAM-?: (You said it's) feathered?

1244:06 CAM-1: Uh ...

1244:07 CAM-2: It did feather.

1244:07 CAM-1: It's feathered.

1244:09 CAM-2: OK.

1244:09 CAM: [Master warning chimes and voice warning continues.]

1244:10 CAM-1: What the hell's going on with this thing.

1244:13 CAM-2: I don't know ... got this detector inop.

1244:16 CAM-1: OK ***.

1244:18 CAM-?: OK, let's put our headsets on.

1244:20 CAM-1: I can't hold this thing.

1244:23 CAM-1: Help me hold it.

1244:24 HOT-2: OK.

1244:26 CAM-1: All right comin' on headset.

1244:26 RDO-2: Atlanta center. AC five twenty-nine, declaring an emergency. We've had an engine failure. We're out of fourteen two at this time.

1244:31 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, roger, left turn direct Atlanta.

1244:33 HOT-1: # damn.

1244:34 RDO-2: Left turn direct Atlanta, AC five twenty nine.

1244:36 HOT-?: [Sound of heavy breathing]

1244:41 HOT-?: ** back **.

1244:57 HOT-?: [Sound of squeal]

1245:01 CAM: [Tone similar to master caution cancel button being activated. All warnings cease.]

1245:03 HOT-1: All right turn your speaker off. Oh, we got it. Its ...

1245:07 HOT-1: I pulled the power back.

1245:10 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, say altitude descending to.

1245:12 RDO-2: We're out of eleven six at this time. AC five twenty-nine.

1245:17 HOT-1: All right, it's, it's getting more controllable here ... the engine ... let's watch our speed.

1245:32 HOT-1: All right, we've trimmed completely here.

1245:38 HOT-2: I'll tell Robin what's goin' on.

1245:39 HOT-1: Yeah.

1245:44 HOT-B: [Sound of two chimes similar to cabin call button being activated]

1245:45 INT-3: Yes sir.

1245:46 INT-2: OK, we had an engine failure Robin. We declared an emergency, we're diverting back into Atlanta. Go ahead and uh, brief the passengers. This will be an emergency landing back in.

1245:55 INT-3: All right. Thank you.

1245:56 HOT-1: Tell 'em we want ...

1245:58 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, say altitude leaving.

1246:01 RDO-2: AC five twenty-nine's out of ten point three at this time.

1246:03 CTR: AC five twenty-nine roger, can you level off or do you need to keep descending?

1246:09 HOT-1: We ca ... We're gonna need to keep con ... descending. We need a airport quick.

1246:13 RDO-2: OK, we uh, we're going to need to keep descending. We need an airport quick and uh, roll the trucks and everything for us.

1246:20 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, West Georgia, the regional airport is at your ... ten o'clock position and about ten miles.

1246:28 RDO-2: Understand ten o'clock and ten miles. AC five twenty-nine.

1246:30 CTR: 's correct.

1246:36 HOT-1: (* give me) [whispered]

1246:38 HOT-1: Let's get out the uh ... engine failure checklist, please.

1246:47 HOT-2: OK, I'll do it manually here.

1246:55 HOT-2: OK, engine failure in flight.

1246:57 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, say heading.

1246:59 RDO-2: Turnin' to about uh, three ten right now.

1247:01 HOT-2: Power level's, flight idle.

1247:03 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, roger. You need to be on about a zero three zero heading for West Georgia Regional, sir.

1247:07 RDO-2: Roger, we'll ("prob'ly," or possibly, "try ta") turn right. We're having uh, difficulty controlling right now.

1247:11 HOT-2: OK, condition lever's, feather.

1247:13 HOT-1: All right.

1247:14 HOT-2: It did feather ... NP's showing zero.

1247:18 HOT-1: 'K.

1247:19 HOT-2: OK.

1247:20 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, when you can, it's zero four zero.

1247:22 RDO-2: Zero four zero, AC five twenty-nine.

1247:25 HOT-2: 'K, electric, yeah OK it did feather. There's no fire.

1247:27 HOT-1: All right.

1247:28 HOT-2: OK.

1247:32 HOT-2: Main auxiliary generators of the failed engine off.

1247:35 HOT-1: 'K. I got that.

1247:40 HOT-2: 'K, APU ... if available, start. Want me to start it?

1247:45 HOT-1: We gotta, bring this down, bring those. Put the that off. Bring the ice off ...

1247:54 HOT-B: [Sound of chime similar to master caution starts and repeats at six-second intervals until the end of the recording.]

1247:56 HOT-?: *.

1247:56 CTR: AC five twenty-nine uh, say your altitude now sir.

1247:59 RDO-2: Out of seven thousand, AC five twenty-nine.

1248:00 HOT-B: [Sound of three chimes followed by voice message] Trim fail. [Warning starts and continues.]

1248:04 HOT-1: Good start.

1248:04 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, I missed that, I'm sorry.

1248:06 RDO-2: We're outta six point nine right now, AC five twenty-nine.

1248:09 CTR: AC five twenty-nine roger, West Georgia Regional, heading zero seven zero.

1248:13 RDO-2: Zero seven zero, AC five twenty-nine.

1248:20 HOT-B: [Sound of single beep]

1248:33 HOT-2: OK, it's up and running, Ed.

1248:34 HOT-1: All right, go ahead.

1248:35 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, West Georgia Regional is your closest airport. The other one's uh, Anniston and that's about thirty miles to your west, sir.

1248:40 HOT-1: How long, how far West Georgia Reg ... What kind of a runway they got.

1248:44 RDO-2: What kind of runway's West Georgia Regional got?

1248:54 HOT-1: Go ahead and finish the checklist.

1248:58 CTR: West Georgia Regional is uh, five say one six and three four and it's five thousand feet ...

1249:01 HOT-2: OK, APU started. OK, prop sync, off. Prop sync's comin' off.

1249:03 HOT-1: OK.

1249:04 HOT-2: Fuel pumps failed engine. You want uh, max on this?

1249:07 HOT-1: Go ahead, please.

1249:08 HOT-2: OK.

1249:09 CAM: [Sound similar to propeller increasing in RPM]

1249:09 CTR: ... and it is asphalt sir.

1249:11 HOT-2: Hydraulic pump, failed engine? As required. Put it to the on position?

1249:15 HOT-1: Correct.

1249:17 HOT-2: 'K. Engine bleed failed engine is closed and the pack is off.

1249:19 HOT-1: 'K.

1249:26 HOT-2: 'K, cross-bleed open.

1249:29 HOT-1: 'K.

1249:32 HOT-2: Electrical load, below four thousand amps.

1249:38 HOT-1: It is. Put the ice ba ... (well you) don't need to do that just leave that alone.

1249:45 HOT-1: All right, single-engine checklist please.

1249:48 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, I've lost your transponder. Say altitude.

1249:52 RDO-2: We're out of four point five at this time.

1249:54 CTR: AC five twenty-nine, I've got you now and the airport's at your, say say your heading now sir.

1249:59 RDO-2: Right now we're heading uh, zero eight zero.

1250:01 CTR: Roger, you need about ten degrees left. Should be twelve o'clock and about eight miles.

1250:05 RDO-2: Ten left, twelve 'n eight miles and uh, do we got a, ILS to this runway?

1250:10 CTR: I'll tell you what. Let me put you on the approach. He works that airport and he will be able to give you more information. Contact Atlanta approach on one two one point zero, sir.

1250:15 HOT-1: We can get in on a visual.

1250:17 RDO-2: One more time on the freq ...

1250:20 RDO-1: Say again on the frequency?

1250:22 CTR: Atlanta approach one two one point zero.

1250:24 RDO-2: Twenty one zero, see ya.

1250:26 UNK-?: Good luck guys.

1250:27 RDO-2: 'preciate it.

1250:28 HOT-B: [Single beep similar to radio frequency change]

1250:29 RDO-2: Atlanta approach, AC five twenty-nine's with you out of three point four.

1250:36 HOT-1: Engine's exploded. It's just hanging out there.

1250:43 RDO-2: Atlanta approach, AC five twenty-nine.

1250:45 ATLA: AC five twenty-nine, Atlanta approach.

1250:48 RDO-2: Yes sir, we're with you declaring an emergency.

1250:49 ATLA: AC five twenty-nine, roger. Expect localizer runway three four approach and uh, could you fly heading one eight zero uh no sorry, one six zero?

1250:56 RDO-2: Yeah we can do that. Give me the loc freq ...

1250:59 ATLA: Localizer frequency, runway three four localizer frequency is uh, one one one point seven.

1251:05 HOT-1: We can get in on a visual. Just give us vectors.

1251:07 RDO-2: One one one point seven. ... Just give us vectors. We'll go the visual.

1251:17 HOT-1: Sing, single, single-engine checklist, please.

1251:28 HOT-2: Where the # is it?

1251:29 ATLA: AC five twenty-nine, say altitude leaving.

1251:31 RDO-2: We're out of nineteen hundred at this time.

1251:33 HOT-1: We're below the clouds. Tell 'm ...

1251:35 ATLA: You're out of nineteen hundred now?

1251:36 RDO-2: 'K we're uh, VFR at this time. Give us a vector to the airport.

1251:39 ATLA: AC five twenty-nine. Turn left uh, fly heading zero four zero. Bear, the uh, airport's at your about ten o'clock and six miles sir. Radar contact lost at this time.

1251:47 RDO-2: Zero four zero, AC five twenty-nine.

1252:07 HOT-M: Five hundred.

1252:10 HOT-M: Too low gear. [Starts and repeats.]

1252:11 ATLA: AC five twenty-nine, if able, change to my frequency, one one eight point seven. The airport uh, in the vicinity of your ten o'clock at twelve o'clock and about four miles or so.

1252:20 HOT-1: Help me, help me hold it, help me hold, help me hold it.

1252:56 ATLA: AC five twenty-nine, change frequency, one one eight point seven if able.

1252:32 HOT-B: Too low gear. [Warning stops.]

1252:32 HOT-B: [Series of rapid beeps similar to aural stall warning]

1252:32 CAM: [Vibrating sound similar to aircraft stick shaker starts and continues for four seconds.]

1252:36 CAM: [Vibrating sound similar to aircraft stick shaker starts again and continues to impact.]

1252:37 HOT-2: Amy, I love you.

1252:40 HOT-B: Landing gear.

1252:41 CAM-?: [Sound of grunting]

1252:45 CAM: [Sound of impact]

1252:46 HOT-B: Landing gear.