Positioning

Landing (descent or approach)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Tula – Novomoskovsk – Moscow-Bykovo

MSN:

1G88-39

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

6772

Aircraft flight cycles:

12175

Circumstances:

On the leg from Tula to Novomoskovsk of a positioning flight from Tula to Moscow-Bykovo, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and attempted an emergency landing in a field near Ogaryovka (Uzlovaya district of the Tula region) when control was lost. At a speed of 140 km/h, the single engine airplane dove into the ground from a height of some 50-70 metres and was destroyed. Both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident could not be determined.

Crash of a Fairchild F27 in Baguio

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1975

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild F27

Operator:

Registration:

RP-C874

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Rockwell Grand Commander 680

MSN:

YOM:

1958

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Upon touchdown at Baguio-Loakan Airport, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane slid on runway for few meters before coming to rest. All five crew members who were completing a positioning flight were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of the lower lug of the oleo strut due to corrosion.

Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 680 into the Pacific Ocean

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1975

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

ZK-DHF

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Pago Pago - Honolulu

MSN:

680-1429-71

YOM:

1964

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a positioning flight from Pago Pago to Honolulu. While approaching Honolulu from the south, the crew informed ATC about the failure of both engines and reduced his altitude in an attempt to ditch the aircraft about 100 km south of Honolulu. Both pilots were quickly rescued while the airplane sank and was lost.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion. It is believed that the fuel quantity was insufficient to cover the distance or that the crew encountered strong headwinds, increasing the fuel consumption.

Crash of a Cessna 411 in Buenos Aires: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1975 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 411

Operator:

Agrocom Servicios Aéreos

Registration:

LV-LXW

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Buenos Aires-Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini

Survivors:

Site:

City

Location:

Buenos Aires City

Country:

Argentina

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Buenos Aires-Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a residential area located in González Catán, about 8 km northwest of the airfield. The airplane was destroyed and both occupants were killed. There were no injuries on the ground.

Probable cause:

Loss of control following an engine failure.

Crash of a Dornier DO.28A-1 in Vernier: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1975 at 0905 LT

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.28A/B

Operator:

Real Aero Club de Barcelona

Registration:

EC-BNH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Geneva - Sion

MSN:

3030

YOM:

1962

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3381

Captain / Total hours on type:

1.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2990

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1400

Aircraft flight hours:

2530

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane departed runway 23 at Geneva-Cointrin Airport at 0903LT. During initial climb in limited visibility due to foggy conditions, the crew encountered technical problems with instruments and the airplane completed several turns at a height between 10 and 40 meters. The crew spotted a building of nine floors and elected to make an evasive manoeuvre when the airplane stalled and crashed on a railway track located in Vernier, about three km from the airport. The accident occurred about two minutes after takeoff. At the time of the accident, the horizontal visibility was 500 meters, the vertical visibility 65 meters with a runway visual range of 750 meters for runway 23.

Probable cause:

Investigations determined that after departure, the pilots were confronted with various technical issues on several instruments. Indeed, the crew had started the flight under instrument flight rules but was forced to continue under VFR mode, which was impossible due to the lack of visibility caused by the presence of fog. The aircraft maintenance did not comply with the published requirements due to corrosion detected on the bearings of the electrical turn indicator that led to the assumption that this instrument was not working at takeoff, and probably for a long time. In addition, the artificial horizon was blocked at the time of impact and investigators believe that this instrument was partially deficient at the time of departure. The pilot-in-command accumulated 3,381 flight hours in total but had only 45 minutes of experience on this type of aircraft. The copilot had a total of 2,990 flying hours including 1,400 on type. Given the presence of fog, the pilot's lack of experience and the malfunctioning of two vital instruments, the crew should not have started the flight, especially since neither pilot had a valid license under IFR mode.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-54P Skymaster at Davis Monthan AFB

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1975 at 1358 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Transvall Corporation

Registration:

N39AP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Davis-Monthan - Barstow-Daggett

MSN:

10430

YOM:

1944

Location:

Davis-Monthan AFB

Arizona

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6409

Captain / Total hours on type:

20.00

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Davis Monthan AFB, the four engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It struck power cables, stalled and crashed in flames. All three occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Inadequate preflight preparation on part of the crew. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Collision with wires,
- Lack of familiarity with aircraft,
- Failed to abort takeoff,
- Gust locks engaged,
- Operational supervisory personnel: inadequate supervision of flight crew,
- Unqualified person operated aircraft,
- Airport conditions,
- Checklist: failed to use,
- Downwind,
- Mechanic acting as copilot,
- 3,060 feet soft dirt strip.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 727-251 near Thiells: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1974 at 1926 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 727-200

Operator:

Registration:

N274US

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Landing (descent or approach)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

New York - Buffalo

MSN:

20296/777

YOM:

1969

Flight number:

NW6231

Location:

Thiells

New York

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7434

Captain / Total hours on type:

1973.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1938

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1611

Aircraft flight hours:

10289

Circumstances:

Flight NW6231 departed New York-JFK at 19:14 for a ferry flight to Buffalo and was cleared by departure control to climb to FL140. At 19:21 the flight was cleared to climb to FL310. The aircraft began to climb 2,500 fpm at an airspeed of 305 knots. As the aircraft climbed through FL160, both the airspeed and the rate of climb began to increase. Reaching FL230, the airspeed had reached 405 knots and the rate of climb had exceeded 6,500 fpm. The overspeed warning horn sounded a little later, followed 10 seconds later by a stick shaker stall warning. The aircraft then leveled at 24800 feet with a speed of 420 knots until it turned rapidly to the right, 13 seconds later. The airplane started to descend out of control, reaching a vertical acceleration of +5g until it struck the ground in a slightly nose down and right wing-down attitude. The aircraft had descended from 24000 feet to 1090 feet in 83 seconds.

Probable cause:

The loss of control of the aircraft because the flight crew failed to recognize and correct the aircraft's high-angle-of-attack, low-speed stall and its descending spiral. The stall was precipitated by the flight crew's improper reaction to erroneous airspeed and Mach indications which had resulted from a blockage of the pitot heads by atmospheric icing. Contrary to standard operational procedures, the flight crew had not activated the pitot head heaters.

Final Report:

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20E in Kermanshah: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Dassault Falcon 20

Operator:

Air Taxi Company (Iran)

Registration:

EP-AGX

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou

Schedule:

Tehran - Kermanshah

MSN:

283

YOM:

1973

Location:

Kermanshah

Country:

Iran

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Kermanshah Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. Apparently to establish a visual contact with the ground, the crew decided to reduce his altitude when the airplane struck a hill located 3 km short of runway threshold. Out of control, the airplane crashed in flames 300 meters further. Two crew members were killed while a third occupant was injured.

Probable cause:

The crew decided to continue the approach in foggy conditions without any visual contact with the ground. At the time of the accident, Kermanshah Airport was not equipped with a control tower.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-4A Caribou in Valence

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1974 at 1645 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Masin Aircraft Company

Registration:

N90569

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: