Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo off Hilo

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1993 at 1414 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N7079J
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Christmas Island - Hilo
MSN:
31-663
YOM:
1970
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3500
Captain / Total hours on type:
100.00
Aircraft flight hours:
4356
Circumstances:
During an oceanic ferry flight, the right engine developed magneto problems which resulted in only residual power being available. The pic increased the power on the remaining left engine, but it soon overheated. The pic elected to ditch the airplane into the pacific ocean. Both crewmembers were successfully rescued.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine's magnetos for undetermined reasons and the resulting overtemperature of the remaining left engine.
Final Report:

Crash of a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 Marquise near Beucherling: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1993
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N407MA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cologne - Vienna
MSN:
1503
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While in cruising altitude in a flight from Cologne-Bonn to Vienna, the pilot lost control of the airplane that entered a dive. He was able to send a brief maybay message but give no indication about the situation he was facing. The aircraft crashed in a field located near Beucherling and was destroyed. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-3 Otter at Patriot Hills Base Camp

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1992
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N58JH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
131
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane has to be ferried back to its base following repairs after it suffered an incident last February 1992. It crashed upon takeoff in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Cessna 425 Conquest I off Málaga

Date & Time: Sep 4, 1992
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
EC-ETH
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Melilla - Málaga
MSN:
425-0151
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a ferry flight from Melilla to Málaga. While on approach to Málaga-Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport runway 32, both engines stopped simultaneously. The pilot reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft 80 metres offshore. The pilot was quickly rescued while the aircraft sank.
Probable cause:
Failure of both engines on final approach due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 798D Viscount near Mexico City: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1992 at 1612 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-SCM
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Puebla - Mexico City
MSN:
392
YOM:
1958
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
1839
Captain / Total hours on type:
63.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2639
Aircraft flight hours:
17213
Circumstances:
While approaching Mexico City-Benito Juarez Airport, the crew was cleared to descent from FL150 to FL120. In poor weather conditions, the crew continued the descent below FL120 when, at an altitude of 10,130 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Xocotlihuipa located 30 km east of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew failed to maintain FL120 as instructed by ATC while completing an IFR approach. It was reported that the copilot was not certified to act as a pilot on this type of aircraft. Also, the experience of the captain was limited.
Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 690B in Konawa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1992 at 0833 LT
Registration:
N690JC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Norman - Fort Lauderdale
MSN:
690-11479
YOM:
1978
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
8857
Captain / Total hours on type:
98.00
Aircraft flight hours:
3355
Circumstances:
As the airplane was deviating around low intensity weather returns, and passing through 20,500 feet during climb out, it departed controlled flight and entered a right spiral. Descent rates exceeded 16,600 fpm during the descent from 18,300 feet to 3,900 feet and then slowed. Witnesses stated they saw the airplane descend from the clouds in a right flap spin. The empennage had separated from the airplane in pieces. Pieces of the wreckage were found up to 1.5 mile from the primary impact point. Both wings remained attached. The right engine was flamed out, and the propeller was feathered at impact. No mechanical reason for the flameout could be determined. At no time did the pilot indicate he was having difficulties. The NTSB weather study indicated that moderate turbulence was present in the area. The pilot's toxicology tests found 0.151 ug/ml of chlorpheniramine in the blood; normal therapeutic concentration is 0.01 to 0.04. Effects of overdosage include sedation, diminished mental alertness, and cardiovascular collapse to stimulation. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane which resulted in an inadvertent spiral and subsequent rapid descent. The design stress limits of the airframe were exceeded resulting in an overload failure of the empennage. Factors related to the accident were: turbulence and the pilot's physical impairment due to drugs.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 401 in New Port Richey: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1992 at 1606 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N3271Q
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
New Port Richey - Gainesville
MSN:
401-0071
YOM:
1967
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
12600
Circumstances:
The pic departed on a ferry flight in VFR conditions without a ferry permit. Witnesses stated they observed the airplane returning to the airport at about 150 to 500 feet. The airplane was observed to begin a left turn with the landing gear extended. A fire was observed in the vicinity of the left engine exhaust. The airplane continued in a steep descending left turn before it disappeared below the tree line and collided with the terrain. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was fatally injured.
Probable cause:
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed (vs) while maneuvering for a forced landing following an in flight left engine fire for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot in command's inadvertent shutdown of the wrong engine.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Calcutta

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1992 at 1520 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-26154
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hanoi - Yangon - Calcutta
MSN:
51 01
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
An Antonov 26 was ferried from Hanoi to Calcutta with a refueling stop at Rangoon. The aircraft took-off from Hanoi at 9:00 hours with estimated time of arrival Calcutta at 14:50 hours. On initial contact with Calcutta, the aircraft informed about minimum fuel on board and requested radar vectors for straight-in approach. However, Calcutta ATC did not pay much attention to the problems faced by the aircraft and made no serious attempt to assist the aircraft on radar. The pilot deviated from the track and became lost. The aircraft exhausted its fuel and force landed 28nm NE of Calcutta airport. All seven occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The accident caused by forced landing due to flight crew failure by carrying marginal fuel to reach Calcutta and not making use of correct navigational facility (EA NDB at Calcutta) combined with lack of assistance from Calcutta ATC by not providing radar facilities vectoring/VDF guidance and advising the aircraft to use NDB not having adequate range.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune near Dixon: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1992 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N70600
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tucson - Greybull
MSN:
726-7227
YOM:
1958
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
6000
Captain / Total hours on type:
180.00
Aircraft flight hours:
8401
Circumstances:
The flight had departed Tucson, AZ, on a special VFR ferry flight to Greybull, WY. The airplane was not instrumented for IFR flight. When the flight reported over Winslow, it was advised that VFR flight was not recommended northbound from its present position. Surface weather conditions in southcentral wyoming/northwestern Colorado at the time of the accident were consistent with low ceilings, clouds and snow as reported by witnesses and surface weather observations. The witnesses, located near the Dixon Airport, reported hearing a low flying aircraft travelling west to east, and another witness northeast of the arpt heard an aircraft 'revving' its engines. Radar data shows the aircraft tracking northbound slightly east of the Dixon airport, and executing a clockwise 360° turn northeast of the airport and in the vicinity of one of the witnesses. The last radar target received placed the aircraft approximately one mile north-northeast of the accident site. The aircraft impacted snow covered terrain in a steep nose-down attitude. Both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot-in-command's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in a loss of control due to the lack of aircraft attitude indicators and resultant pilot spatial disorientation. A factor which contributed to the accident was the weather condition(s).
Final Report:

Crash of a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando near Bogotá: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1991 at 1520 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-2716
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Medellín – Bogotá
MSN:
22478
YOM:
1945
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was ferried from Medellín to Bogotá after repairs were conducted at Medellín Airport following a gear problems last September 23. On approach to Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 20 km north of the airport. All eight occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
For unknown reasons, the crew was approaching the airport at an insufficient altitude. Lack of visibility due to clouds was a contributing factor.