National Airlines B747-400F Crashes In Afghanistan-Seven Crew Lost

[joeyb747]

The aircraft involved is Boeing 747-428M(BCF) N949CA. National Airlines is Headquartered in Orlando Florida. Until recently, the airline was based at Willow Run Airport (KYIP), in Ypsilanti Michigan. According to AvHerald, initial speculation points to a cargo shift on take-off. Names of the crew have not officially been released yet, but I am afraid that one of the pilots on this flight is a cousin of a friend of mine...RIP to all the crew members and condolences to their families.  

http://www.eturbonews.com/34652/national-airlines-b747-400-cargo-plane-crashes-afghanistan

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/national-air-cargo-confirms-747-400-crash-in-afghanistan-385280/

"The Taliban claimed responsibility for the crash, but the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement to The Associated Press: "Taliban's claims are false.""

From:

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130430/NEWS01/130439998/national-airlines-plane-crashes-in-afghanistan-5-dead-from-michigan#

The link below contains a dash cam RAW VIDEO view of the crash. The aircraft stalls and falls out of the sky. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!!

http://www.nycaviation.com/2013/04/national-air-cargo-747-crash-at-bagram-afghanistan/#.UX_tKqLlZ8E

AvHerald also has video and more images...:

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=46183bb4&opt=0

[zerok]

video

[joeyb747]

http://www.nationalaircargo.com/information_related_to_Flight_NCR102.aspx

[joeyb747]

Posted by Jpsoldier24:

http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/04/30/weather-may-have-played-role-in-horrifying-bagram-airfield-crash/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost

[joeyb747]

National Airlines has released the names of the crew:

"Pilots Brad Hasler of Trenton, Mich. and Jeremy Lipka of Brooklyn, Mich.; First Officer Rinku Summan of Canton, Mich.; loadmaster Michael Sheets of Ypsilanti, Mich.; First Officer Jamie Brokaw of Monroe, Mich.; and maintenance crew Gary Stockdale of Romulus, Mich. and Timothy Garrett of Louisville, Ky."

From:

http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/ypsilanti-man-killed-in-afghanistan-crash-remembered-as-a-loyal-family-man/#.UYFVEbtFWbx.facebook

May they rest in peace...

[UPRRSLO]

I cross posted.  Sorry about that.  Video is also available at live wire.com.

[joeyb747]

"The airline later added, that the aircraft had been loaded with all cargo in Camp Bastion (Afghanistan, about 300nm southwest of Bagram), the cargo had been inspected at Camp Bastion, the aircraft subsequently positioned to Bagram for a refuelling stop with no difficulty, no cargo was added or removed, however, the cargo was again inspected before the aircraft departed for the leg to Dubai Al Maktoum."

From the updated AvHerald...

[joeyb747]

Signs point to load shift...

"On Jun 2nd 2013 accident investigators by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan reported in a press conference that quickly shifting cargo, consisting of three armored vehicles and two mine sweepers totalling at 80 tons of weight, caused the accident. The cargo slammed so hard at the back of the aircraft, that parts of the aircraft separated and wiring in the back was severed. As result of the shift and loss of aircraft parts the center of gravity moved so far back, that the attitude of the aircraft could no longer be controlled, the nose of the aircraft rose beyond the flying envelope of the aircraft and the aircraft stalled destroying the aircraft and killing all crew in the resulting impact. Parts of the aircraft, that separated as result of the initial load shift, were recovered from the runway. The straps used to tie down the cargo were recovered from the accident site, although charred they provided evidence of having fractured before final impact, it was unclear however, whether the fracture(s) had happened before or after takeoff."

From:

http://avherald.com/h?article=46183bb4&opt=0

Also:

"On Jun 2nd 2013 accident investigators in Afghanistan confirmed that the tie downs of the heavy vehicles loaded on board of the Boeing 747-400 fractured and caused a load shift, which moved the center of gravity so far aft that the aircraft became uncontrollable."

http://avherald.com/h?article=4628deb1&opt=0