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9V-STB, the aircraft involved, seen in October 2014
Bloxapore Airlines Flight 068 (BQ068/BIE068) was a scheduled passenger flight operated by Bloxapore Airlines from Changi Airport, Bloxapore to Ro-Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, Ro-Taipei, Republic of Luobu. On 30 December 2015, the Robus R330-343 (registered 9V-STB), with 224 passengers and 12 crew members, set off for Ro-Taipei, leaving the landing gear fully extended, as a precaution, since a malfunction had prevented its proper retraction after take-off. The plane eventually ran out of fuel while attempting a diversion to its origin at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, crash-landing just short of runway 25R. All 236 passengers and crew survived, no fatalities resulted, although the aircraft was written off.
Following an extensive investigation by the Robloxia Transportation Safety Bureau (RTSB) and the Ro-Taipei Aviation Safety Council (RTASC) determined that the landing gear malfunction on Flight 068 was caused by a combination of mechanical failure and flight crew factors. The investigation had revealed that a hydraulic leak in the aircraft’s center hydraulic system led to a failure of the main landing gear retraction mechanism. The crew attempted to troubleshoot the issue using the aircraft’s emergency procedures but were unable to resolve it. As a result, the landing gear remained extended throughout the flight.
Aircraft[]
The aircraft involved was a Robus R330-343, registered 9V-STB, with serial number 983. Its first flight was performed on January 23, 2009, and it was delivered to Singadoor Airlines on February 17, 2009. It was powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engines, and it was configured to carry 285 seats capacity for passengers.
Accident[]
The flight departed from Changi Airport, Bloxapore, at approximately 04:45 SST (20:45 UTC) on 30 December 2015. Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew attempted to retract the landing gear but received a warning indicating a gear retraction failure. The crew followed standard troubleshooting procedures but were unable to resolve the issue. As a precaution, they elected to leave the landing gear extended and continued toward their destination, Ro-Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. The flight crew contacted Bloxapore Airlines' operations and maintenance control, who advised them to cycle the gear manually. Multiple attempts were unsuccessful. Given that the aircraft was currently stable and fully controllable, the pilots opted to continue the flight towards Ro-Taipei, monitoring fuel consumption closely.
With the landing gear fully extended, the aircraft experienced significantly higher drag, leading to increased fuel consumption. Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes into the flight, the flight crew determined that the aircraft might not have enough fuel to reach Ro-Taipei safely. After consulting with Bloxapore Airlines dispatch and air traffic control, the decision was made to divert to Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Ro-Vietnam, which was closer and had full emergency services available.
As the aircraft approached Tân Sơn Nhất, the situation had worsened. At approximately 06:49 ICT (23:50 UTC) while on approach to runway 25R, both engines were flamed out due to fuel exhaustion, leaving the aircraft in a powerless glide. The pilots declared a mayday call and attempted to glide the aircraft toward the runway. At 06:52 ICT (23:52 UTC), the Robus A330 passes the Quang Trung Road, it then crash-landed approximately 500 meters short of runway 25R. The fuselage remained largely intact, but the main landing gear collapsed on impact, causing structural damage to the underbelly and the left wing. The aircraft skidded across a field before coming to a stop near the runway threshold.