Crash of a Beechcraft E90 King Air near Palenque: 9 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 2024 at 1322 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
XB-SKA
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tuxtla Gutiérrez - Palenque
MSN:
LW-43
YOM:
1973
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Tuxtla Gutiérrez-Francisco Sarabia Airport, the crew initiated the descent to Palenque Airport in limited visibility. On approach, the twin engine airplane impacted the slope of a wooded terrain located in the Cerro Norte about 12 km southwest of the destination airport. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all occupants were killed, among them Juan Pablo Montes de Oca, Federal Deputy who was flying to Palenque with his family.
Crew:
Roberto Villanueva Valdez, pilot,
Carlos Alberto Culebro Esquinca, copilot.
Passengers:
Juan Pablo Montes de Oca,
Sofía Montes de Oca, Juan Pablo's daughter,
Pablo Montes de Oca, Juan Pablo's son,
Guillermina Rincón Cruz, Juan Pablo's wife,
Rosalía, Juan Pablo's sister,
Daniela, Juan Pablo's nephew,
Eduardo, juan Pablo's nephew.

Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air near Yarumal: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 21, 2024 at 0720 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4684
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Montería - Medellín
MSN:
LJ-934
YOM:
1981
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Montería-Los Garzones Airport on an ambulance flight to Medellín, carrying two pilots, a doctor and a nurse. About 30 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 19,000 feet, the airplane initiated a descent and the speed started to decrease until it stalled and crashed in a prairie, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft C90GTi King Air in Bom Futuro: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 4, 2023 at 1307 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
PS-JCO
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
LJ-1875
YOM:
2008
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff from runway 35 at Bom Futuro Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine airplane rolled to the left, descended and impacted the surface of the apron with its left wing. Upon impact, the undercarriage were torn off then the airplane slid for few dozen metres before it crashed against a hangar under construction, bursting into flames. Both passengers were injured while the pilot and one person on the ground were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft E90 King Air near Fayetteville: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 2023 at 1243 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N522MJ
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
University-Oxford – Fayetteville
MSN:
LW-80
YOM:
1973
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot departed University-Oxford Airport on a private flight to Fayetteville. On approach to Drake Airport Runway 34, the twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in rugged terrain located south of the airfield. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft C90A King Air off Hana: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 2022 at 2127 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N13GZ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kahului – Waimea
MSN:
LJ-1590
YOM:
2000
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane was completing an ambulance flight from Kahului to Waimea, carrying two doctors and one pilot. While approaching Maui Island at night, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea some 15 miles south off Hana. All three occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft E90 King Air in Slidell

Date & Time: Nov 6, 2022 at 2145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N809DM
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nashville – Slidell
MSN:
LW-334
YOM:
1980
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
4800
Captain / Total hours on type:
325.00
Aircraft flight hours:
7111
Circumstances:
The pilot flew a visual approach to his home airport but did a go-around due to ground fog. After receiving an instrument flight rules clearance, he flew an RNAV/GPS approach that he also discontinued due to ground fog. After executing a missed approach, the pilot flew another RNAV/GPS approach. The pilot reported that during this last approach he lost visual references and initiated a go-around, during which the airplane impacted trees about 800 ft to the right of the runway. The main wreckage came to rest upright and was consumed by a post-impact fire. The postaccident examination revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he observed the right engine was slower to accelerate than the left engine during the attempted go-around, and that he was distracted looking at the engine indications. He reported that he did not notice if the airplane yaw to the right and, before he could correct for the altitude loss, the airplane descended into and struck the trees.
Probable cause:
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during an attempted go-around in low visibility conditions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft E90 King Air in Marietta: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 18, 2022 at 0709 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N515GK
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Columbus – Parkersburg
MSN:
LW-108
YOM:
1974
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
1940
Captain / Total hours on type:
15.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2500
Copilot / Total hours on type:
250
Aircraft flight hours:
9521
Circumstances:
Shortly after departure to pick up a passenger at their destination airport about 75 nm away, the pilots climbed and turned onto a track of about 115° before leveling off about 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl), where the airplane remained for a majority of the flight. Pilot and controller communications during the flight were routine and there were no irregularities reported. As the airplane descended into the destination airport area, the airplane passed through areas of light to heavy icing where there was a 20 to 80% probability of encountering supercooled large droplets (SLD) during their initial descent and approach. While level at 4,000 ft msl, the flight remained in icing conditions, and then was cleared for the instrument approach to the runway. The flight emerged from the overcast layer as it crossed the final approach fix at 2,800 ft msl; the flight continued its descent and was cleared to land. The controller informed the flight that there was a vehicle on the runway but it would be cleared shortly, which was acknowledged; this was the final communication from the flight crew. Multiple eyewitnesses and security camera footage revealed that the airplane, while flying straight and level, suddenly began a steep, spinning, nearly vertical descent until it impacted a commercial business parking lot; the airplane subsequently collided with several unoccupied vehicles and caught fire. The airplane was certified for flight in known icing conditions and was equipped with pneumatic deice boots on each of the wings and tail surfaces. The pneumatic anti-icing system was consumed by the postimpact fire; the control switches were impact and thermally damaged and a reliable determination of their preimpact operation could not be made. Further examination of the airframe and engines revealed no indications of any preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation or performance. During the approach it is likely that the airframe had been exposed to and had built-up ice on the control surfaces. It could not be determined if the pilots used the pneumatic anti-icing system, or if the system was inoperative, based on available evidence. Review of the weather conditions and the airplane’s calculated performance based on ADS-B data, given the speeds at which the airplane was flying, and the lack of any discernable deviations that might have been expected due to an extreme amount of ice accumulating on the airframe, it is also likely that the deice system, if operating at the time of the icing encounter, should have been able to sufficiently remove the ice from the surfaces. Although it is also uncertain when the pilots extended the landing gear and flaps, it is likely that the before-landing checklist would be conducted between the final approach fix and when the flight was on its 3-mile final approach to land. Given this information, the available evidence suggests that the sudden loss of control from a stable and established final approach was likely due to the accumulation of ice on the tailplane. It is likely that once the pilots changed the airplane’s configuration by extending the landing gear and flaps, the sudden aerodynamic shift resulted in the tailplane immediately entering an aerodynamic stall that maneuvered the airplane into an attitude from which there was no possibility to recover given the height above the ground. Postaccident toxicological testing detected the presence of delta-8 THC. Delta-8 THC has a potential to alter perception and cause impairment, but only the non-psychoactive metabolite carboxy-delta-8-THC was present in the pilot’s liver and lung tissue. Thus, it is unlikely that the pilot’s delta-8-THC use contributed to the accident.
Probable cause:
Structural icing on the tailplane that resulted in a tailplane stall and subsequent loss of control.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C90A King Air in Gravestown

Date & Time: Sep 3, 2022 at 1021 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N342ER
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tupelo - Tupelo
MSN:
LJ-1156
YOM:
1987
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
31
Circumstances:
The uncertificated pilot stole the accident airplane at Tupelo Airport with the intent of crashing it into a department store located 2 miles southeast of the airport. However, he continued to fly the airplane in the area for several hours until he performed an off-airport landing in a field 32 miles northwest of the departure airport that resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage.
Probable cause:
The uncertificated pilot’s criminal act of stealing the airplane and later performing an off-airport landing that resulted in an impact with terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C90A King Air in Cuernavaca: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 2022
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N426EM
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Acapulco – Cuernavaca
MSN:
LJ-1352
YOM:
1993
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Acapulco-General Juan N. Álvarez Airport on a private flight to Cuernavaca, carrying six passengers and one pilot. On final approach to Cuernavaca Airport runway 20, the airplane crashed on a supermarket located in Temixco, some 2 km short of runway. The pilot and two passengers were killed while four other occupants were injured.