Page:CAB Accident Report, Allegheny Airlines Flight 604.pdf/8

- 8 - The final opportunity to possibly avert the accident was lost when the crew did not comply with the Company procedure of lowering the flaps to offset the loss of climb capability as the airspeed decayed. It is not known whether the airspeed was permitted to decrease in an effort to trade airepeed for altitude, or if it was lost prior to feathering the propeller and while the crew attempted to retrim the aircraft. Obviously the crew reaction compounded rather than controlled the emergency situation that confronted them when the right engine failed, thereby precipitating an accident.

2.2 Conclusions

a. Findings

1. A power loss occurred in the right engine shortly after the flaps were raised on takeoff.

2. The left engine was developing takeoff power at impact.

3. The crew failed to execute a straight-ahead single-engine climb to an altitude which would-enable them to clear obstructions.

4. The crew failed to lower the flaps to improve climb capability when the airspeed decayed below 126 knots.

5. This was a survivable accident.

b. Probable Cause

The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the crew to impiement proper procedures for an engine failure on takeoff.

BY THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD:

/s/ CHARLES S. MURPHY Chairman

/s/ ROBERT T. MURPHY Vice Chairman

/s/ G. JOSEPH MINETTI Member

/s/ WHITNEY GILLILLAND Member

/s/ JOHN G. ADAMS Member