Military

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Iquitos. Occupant's fate unknown.

After takeoff from Laayoune Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed. The occupant's fate remains unknown. It is reported the aircraft has been shot down by rebels from the Polisario Front.

The crew was completing a flight from Tancos Airbase to Lisbon. While on an instrument approach to runway 21 at Lisbon-Portela de Sacavém Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in Calhandriz, about 16 km north of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Cpt José Luis Lopo Tuna,
Lt Amândio Jorge Almeida Cardoso.

Crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere in India.

Crashed in unknown circumstances.

The four engine airplane departed Kenneth Ingalls Sawyer AFB in the early morning on a flight to Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport. En route, the partially disintegrated in the air, entered a dive and crashed in a swampy area located 12,5 miles southwest of Alpena. 15 occupants were killed while five others were rescued.

After takeoff, the airplane struck trees just past the runway end. The captain decided to return for a safe landing. There were no injuries among the occupants but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Few minutes after takeoff from La Piragua, the single engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a wooded area. A passenger was killed while eight other occupants were injured. The aircraft was recovered in February 1979 but eventually considered as damaged beyond repair.

While returning to his base by night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions, lost his orientation and was unable to locate the destination airport. In such conditions, all six crew members were instructed to bail out and to abandon the aircraft that crashed into the White Sea. Few debris were found but only one crew member survived. All five other occupants were never found.

The Starlifter registered 67-0006 had a recent history of weather radar problems. It had been written up by crew members eight times previously. On the day of the accident the maintenance crewman, unaware of the previous problems, checked the radar. It seemed to be working, so it was signed off as "Ops Check Okay". Shortly after takeoff from McGuire AFB, the crew noticed that the radar was inoperative. Since severe weather was not forecast, they elected to continue to RAF Mildenhall, UK. Two hours after takeoff, British forecasters issued a SIGMET for "Moderate to occasional severe clear air turbulence from FL240 to FL400", but the crew never got this report. Four hours after takeoff the crew updates the weather forecast. They receive a weather forecast of "3/8 at 3000 feet, 4/8 at 4000 feet with an intermittent condition of wind 030/12 gusting 22, visibility five miles in thunderstorms, 2/8 at 2000 feet 5/8 at 2500 feet". The crew then attempted to get an update one hour from Mildenhall, but was unable to contact the base. Another station reported "4/8 Thunderstorms tops to FL260". During the enroute decent they entered the clouds. At FL150, they requested vectors around the weather. Because the primary radar was inoperative, the controller advised that he would have difficulty providing avoidance vectors. The aircraft then entered the leading edge of a very strong line of thunderstorm cells. One estimate indicated they encountered a 100 mph downward vertical airshaft. The right wing had failed, followed quickly by the upper half of the vertical stabilizer, and the four engines.
Source: C-141 Lifetime Mishap Summary / Lt. Col. Paul M. Hansen