Crash of a Howard Super Ventura in Austin

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1972 at 0923 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N446DD
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Laredo - Dallas
MSN:
5696
YOM:
1943
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
20470
Captain / Total hours on type:
308.00
Circumstances:
En route from Laredo to Dallas, one of the engine lost power due to oil exhaustion. The pilot was cleared to divert to Austin-Robert Mueller Airport but following a wrong approach configuration, the aircraft was not properly aligned. After touchdown on a wet runway, the airplane suffered hydroplaning then veered off runway and came to rest. All three occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
In-flight engine failure or malfunction. The following factors were reported:
- Inadequate maintenance and inspection,
- Oil exhaustion, engine lubrication system,
- Improper IFR operation,
- Failed to initiate a go-around,
- Lack of familiarity with aircraft,
- Wet runway,
- Rain,
- Poorly planned approach,
- Not aligned with runway,
- Hydroplaning on wet runway,
- Partial loss of power on one engine,
- Cause of oil exhaustion not determined,
- Annual maintenance check performed the day before the accident,
- Other runway available,
- Wrong switch used for wipers.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft A60 Duke in Roy

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1972 at 0730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N147E
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
El Paso - Roy
MSN:
P-148
YOM:
1970
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
6000
Captain / Total hours on type:
750.00
Circumstances:
After landing at Roy, the twin engine airplane did not decelerate as expected, continued its course then went through fences and came to rest in flames. Both occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Spontaneous and improper action on part of the pilot who remained the engine power full ON after landing for unknown reason. Improper operation of powerplant and powerplant controls.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo off Milwaukee: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1972 at 0810 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N212AD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Detroit - Milwaukee
MSN:
31-160
YOM:
1968
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
4100
Circumstances:
While flying over Lake Michigan on a flight from Detroit to Milwaukee, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed into Lake Michigan, few miles off Milwaukee. The plane wreckage and the pilot's body were never found.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, the cause of the accident could not be determined.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle near Chetwynd: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
CF-XWI
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Edmonton - Chetwynd
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Edmonton, carrying engineers and employees from the Western Construction & Lumber Company en route to Chetwynd on a mining prospective program. En route, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions and informed ATC about his position vertical to Dawson Creek, this was the last radio contact. While approaching Chetwynd in poor weather conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Wartenbe located 14 km southeast of the airport. Due to the ELT transmitter, the wreckage was quickly localized but unfortunately, all six occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, the mountain was shrouded in clouds and the visibility was poor due to heavy rain falls.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain. It was determined that the pilot was flying under VFR mode in IMC conditions.

Crash of a Cessna 421B Golden Eagle II in Pataskala: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 3, 1972 at 1132 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N5977M
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ann Arbor - Columbus
MSN:
421B-0220
YOM:
1972
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1563
Captain / Total hours on type:
500.00
Circumstances:
While approaching Columbus-John Glenn in marginal weather conditions, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck power cables and trees, stalled and crashed in Pataskala, about 10,5 miles east of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the incapacitation of the pilot. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling and fog,
- The pilot had moderate to severe arteriosclerosis.
Final Report:

Crash of a MBB HFB-320 Hansa Jet in Blackpool: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1972 at 1810 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
D-CASY
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Blackpool – Rotterdam – Munich
MSN:
1029
YOM:
1968
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Captain / Total flying hours:
4936
Captain / Total hours on type:
910.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1615
Copilot / Total hours on type:
869
Aircraft flight hours:
2274
Circumstances:
The aircraft was one of a number of aircraft of this type used for the carriage of company employees and goods for Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH. A twice-weekly charter service was operated from Germany to Warton Aerodrome in the United Kingdom or, alternatively, to Blackpool civil airport. D-CASY left Munich on the morning of 29 June 1972 and landed at 09:04 hrs at Blackpool, as Customs facilities were not available at that time at Warton. During the day the aircraft remained on the ground at Blackpool and for most of the time the captain and co-pilot were with it. At 15:20 hrs six of the eight passengers to be carried on the return trip to Germany arrived at Blackpool Airport and, as it was raining, sat in the aircraft, the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) of which was running. Two more passengers were expected. A flight plan was prepared for Munich via Rotterdam and filed at 15:30 hrs. The two passengers did not turn up at the appointed time and the APU was shut down while the passengers and crew waited in the aircraft. About 16:30 hrs word was received that the two extra passengers were not coming. This meant that extra fuel could be accommodated and a new flight plan direct to Munich could be prepared. It was filed by the first officer, while the captain carried out the pre-flight check. The captain then started the APU and sat in the left hand seat with the first officer in the right hand seat and, according to the passenger who survived the accident, indicated that the first officer should operate the aircraft in command under supervision. The aircraft taxied out and lined up and the surviving passenger saw the right hand wing slat extended when the first officer applied power with the brakes 'on' at the start of the take-off. The port side wing slat and the flaps were outside this passenger's field of view. During the take-off run the aircraft reached its normal rotation speed in the usual distance. However, although the aircraft was travelling fast enough, rotation did not take place and it did not become airborne. The surviving passenger saw the first officer's hand holding the throttles fully open and wondered why the aircraft did not take-off. Then he saw a gesture from the captain indicating that the take-off should be abandoned. The first officer immediately closed the throttles. Observers on the aerodrome heard the engine noise die down approximately 300 metres from the end of the runway. Subsequently brake marks were found commencing in the same area. Braking was not effective, however, and the aircraft left the end of the runway at high speed, in a level attitude with its nose wheel and main wheels in contact with the ground. Shortly before the first impact the surviving passenger noticed the captain's hand on the controls and saw aileron movement. The first collision occurred when the starboard wing tip struck and severed a post supporting one of the airfield runway approach lights. The aircraft continued, colliding with and badly distorting the double track railway lines at the edge of the airfield. The nose wheel of the landing gear was broken off by this impact and some structural damage was done to the underside of the fuselage. Almost immediately beyond the railway lines the aircraft broke through a wall and collided with a row of single storey masonry chalets in the adjacent holiday camp, demolishing six of them and setting them on fire. The wings were broken off during this impact, spilling fuel over the area, but the main part of the aircraft continued its progress, sustaining further structural damage as it did so. The forward part of the fuselage, including the flight deck, was twisted to starboard and progressively destroyed. The final impact brought the aircraft to rest against a second row of chalets which were also badly damaged. The wreckage caught fire and was destroyed. The crew of two and five of the six passengers on board were killed. The sixth passenger, although thrown clear, was seriously injured.
Probable cause:
A failure to unstick, most probable because the elevator gust lock had not been removed during the pre-flight checks. The take-off was abandoned at too high a speed for the aircraft to be brought to rest before colliding with obstructions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 560A in Greenwood

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1972 at 0620 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N2754B
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Greenwood - Greenwood
MSN:
560-254
YOM:
1955
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
30070
Captain / Total hours on type:
120.00
Circumstances:
Shortly after liftoff from Greenwood-Leflore Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed. The pilot, sole on board, was seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The pilot-in-command exercised poor judgment and failed to obtain sufficient flying speed while trying to take off in single engine configuration.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 414 Chancellor in Merritt Island: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 15, 1972 at 1449 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N8137Q
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Miami - Merritt Island
MSN:
414-0037
YOM:
1969
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1248
Captain / Total hours on type:
91.00
Circumstances:
On final approach to Merritt Island Airport, while completing a steep turn, the pilot lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in a river. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot failed to obtain/maintain flying speed while completing a steep turn to final approach.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed 18-56 LodeStar in Okeechobee: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1972 at 1112 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N211L
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Fort Lauderdale - Raleigh
MSN:
2626
YOM:
1943
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Captain / Total flying hours:
2300
Circumstances:
En route from Fort Lauderdale to Raleigh, North Carolina, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. Control was lost and the airplane entered a dive during which both wings separated as well as the stabs and tail. The airplane crashed near Okeechobee and disintegrated on impact. All eight occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The crew continued under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions. The following factors were reported:
- Exceeded designed stress limits of aircraft,
- Overload failure,
- Thunderstorm activity,
- Turbulences associated with clouds and thunderstorms,
- Separation in flight,
- Flight and navigation instruments failure (corroded),
- Inadequate maintenance and inspection,
- Gyro instrument had rust and corrosion,
- Both wings, horizontal stabs and vertical stab separated.
Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 520 near Burnsville: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1972 at 1030 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N9051R
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Augusta - Bristol
MSN:
520-22
YOM:
1952
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
3390
Captain / Total hours on type:
27.00
Circumstances:
While cruising in level altitude in poor weather conditions, the twin engine airplane struck a mountain and crashed in flames near Burnsville, North Carolina. The wreckage was found two days later near the mountain top and both occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot continued under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling,
- Visibility down to zero,
- Clouds obscured site.
Final Report: