Investigation Summary
During the takeoff roll from Kigali, the left thrust lever jammed at approximately 94% power. The crew continued the climb but were unable to retard the lever after reaching altitude. A maintenance engineer on board attempted to assist but could not free the mechanism. The investigation later found that a cowl core support strut, used during maintenance to hold open the engine cowlings, had not been properly stowed. This strut interfered with the throttle control linkage, and the stress of the jam caused the cable connecting the left thrust lever to the engine assembly to sever. Rather than following the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) procedure for a jammed thrust lever, which would have directed the crew to shut down the affected engine using the Fire Push switch at a safe altitude, the pilots elected to return for an immediate landing. This resulted in a high-speed approach and heavy braking to stop the aircraft. After successfully stopping on the apron, the crew followed standard shutdown procedures by turning off all hydraulic pumps and shutting down the right (functioning) engine. Because the left engine was still at takeoff thrust and the hydraulic systems powering the brakes were now depowered, the aircraft overcame the wheel chocks and accelerated into the VIP terminal. The left engine was eventually stopped by airport fire services using foam. The collision caused significant structural damage to the terminal and trapped the flight crew in the cockpit for several hours.
Final Conclusions
The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) concluded that the primary cause was the flight crew's failure to identify and execute the correct abnormal procedure for a jammed thrust lever. Their lack of systems knowledge led them to shut down the hydraulics and the only engine capable of providing braking power while the other engine was still at high thrust. A significant contributing factor was the maintenance error involving the unsecured engine cowl support strut that physically blocked the throttle mechanism.
Video Analysis
The Crash Caused By A False Sense Of Security | RwandAir Flight 205 — An analysis of the bizarre sequence of events where a CRJ-100 landed safely with a jammed engine only to crash into a terminal building minutes later.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
First Officer
Systems & Failure Modes
Hydraulic Systems 2 and 3
These systems power the aircraft brakes. System 2 is powered by the right engine; by shutting down the right engine and electric pumps, the crew inadvertently removed the pressure holding the brakes.
Thrust Lever Assembly
A mechanical linkage connecting the cockpit levers to the engine fuel control unit, which was physically obstructed by an unsecured maintenance strut.
Interesting Facts
- 01The left engine was stuck at 94% N1 power throughout the landing and taxi phases.
- 02The CRJ100 disc brakes and parking brake require pressure from hydraulic systems 2 or 3.
- 03The crew did not use the 'Thrust Lever Jammed' QRH checklist, which specifies shutting down the engine in flight.
- 04A maintenance strut was found to have interfered with the engine's throttle cable assembly, which eventually severed.
- 05One female passenger died at the hospital; another passenger suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung.
- 06Ten people sustained injuries in total, including both pilots who required extraction from the wreckage.
- 07The co-pilot was trapped in the wreckage for three hours before being rescued.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Operational Suspension
RwandAir suspended all operations with JetLink Express immediately following the accident.
Training Mandate
The RCAA directed JetLink Express to ensure all flight crews were fully trained on abnormal procedures and systems knowledge, specifically regarding hydraulic dependencies for braking.
Maintenance Procedure Revision
Maintenance protocols were updated to include a mandatory double-check of cowl support strut stowage before engine closure.