Crash of a Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor in the Pacific Ocean: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1979 at 1529 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N145DC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
San Jose - Honolulu
MSN:
AF-564
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route from San Jose to Honolulu on a delivery flight, the pilot informed ATC about an engine failure and elected to ditch the airplane about 1,500 km northwest of Honolulu. The aircraft came to rest in water and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
Powerplant failure for undetermined reasons.
Final Report:

Crash of a Learjet 35 in Egypt: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 11, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N711AF
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Athens - Jeddah
MSN:
35-029
YOM:
1975
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
En route from Athens to Jeddah on a delivery flight, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances in a desert area in Egypt. SAR operations were quickly initiated but eventually abandoned after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the five occupants was found. On 6 March 1987, the wreckage was found about 100 km south of Katab.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Defender in Botswana: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
OA-2
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
783
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed UK on a delivery flight to Botswana. While flying over the northeast part of the country, the twin engine airplane was shot down by the crew of an Alouette III helicopter from the Rhodesian Army and crashed. Both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Alouette III helicopter from the Rhodesian Army.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando on Mt Tupungato: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N8040Y
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Buenos Aires – Santiago de Chile – Panama City – Miami
MSN:
30323
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
After being bought by a company based in Miami, the aircraft was transferred from Buenos Aires to Miami on a delivery flight via Santiago de Chile and Panama City. En route to Santiago, while cruising at an altitude of 5,000 meters, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Tupungato (6,750 meters high) located southwest of Mendoza, Argentina. The wreckage was found two years later by a Chilean rescue team. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all five occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft 65-A80 Queen Air in Karachi

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
G-BDKG
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
LD-194
YOM:
1975
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching Karachi-Quaid-e-Azam Airport following a delivery flight from UK. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou in the Caribbean Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GVYW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
291
YOM:
1970
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane was on a ferry flight from Guyana to Quebec (St Jean) following a 15 months period of storage in Guyana. While cruising south of Barbados Island, the crew informed ATC that an engine failed while the second was overheating. Few minutes later, the airplane crashed in the Caribbean sea about 77 km south of Bridgetown. SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the three crew members was found.
Crew:
Dave Holland, pilot,
Grant Davidson, pilot,
Richard Cusson, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2PF near Trebinje: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SP-TBB
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
1G159-02
YOM:
1974
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a delivery flight from Poland to Tunisia. En route, while cruising in poor weather conditions with low ceiling, the single engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Bjelanisca (1,370 meters high) located about 20 km northwest of Trebinje. The wreckage was found 25 meters below the summit and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-15-DK near Karima

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1978
Registration:
G-BFPU
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
London - Nice - Karima - Aden
MSN:
15247/26692
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a flight from London-Gatwick to Aden with intermediate stops in Nice and Karima, and was supposed to deliver the airplane to Alyemda in Aden. Technical problems occurred on the leg from Gatwick to Nice and the crew was forced to divert to Toulon where spark plugs and carburetor were changed on the left engine. While flying in the region of Karima, the right engine oil pressure and cylinder head temperature exceeded the limits and the propeller oversped. In such conditions, the crew feathered the propeller when the left engine backfired shortly later. The captain decided to make a belly landing in a desert area about 11 km northeast of Karima. While both pilots escaped uninjured, the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
Engine problems caused by and excessive oil pressure and cylinder head temperature.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 5BA off Santa Marta: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N4959N
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
04311
YOM:
1951
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route to Colombia on a delivery flight, the crew informed ATC about an engine failure and was cleared to divert to Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar Airport for an emergency landing. Few minutes later, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea few km off Santa Marta. The aircraft sank and both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in-flight for unknown reasons.