North Carolina

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Charlotte - Charlotte

MSN:

31-230

YOM:

1968

Location:

Charlotte-Douglas

Country:

Region:

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3950

Captain / Total hours on type:

800.00

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local training mission at Charlotte-Douglas Airport. Just after liftoff, while in initial climb, the instructor pilot cut the right engine mixture. The airplane encountered difficulties to gain height then stalled and crashed near the airport. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Stall during initial climb after the crew exercised poor judgment. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Inadequate supervision of flight,
- Failed to follow approved procedures,
- Misused or failed to use flaps,
- Failed to maintain flying speed,
- Diverted attention from operation of aircraft,
- Aircraft flaps remained down,
- Pilots preoccupied with engine restart.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Candor: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1978 at 2145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Coast Air

Registration:

N76214

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Fort Bragg - Fort Bragg

MSN:

236

YOM:

1969

Location:

Candor

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane departed Fort Bragg AFB on a training flight for the US Army, carrying three passengers and two pilots. While flying by night, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck a tree and crashed in Candor, about 43 miles northwest of Fort Bragg.

Crash of a Beechcraft G18S in Rockingham

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1978 at 2020 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft G18S

Operator:

Wyman Pilot Services

Registration:

N180P

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Rockingham - Pontiac

MSN:

BA-478

YOM:

1959

Location:

Rockingham-Hamlet

Country:

Region:

Rockwell Grand Commander 680

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6500

Captain / Total hours on type:

2825.00

Circumstances:

Shortly after a night takeoff from Rockingham-Hamlet Airport, the twin engine airplane struck wires and crashed in flames in a snow covered field. The pilot, sole on board, was seriously injured.

Probable cause:

Collision with wires during initial climb due to inadequate preflight preparation on part of the pilot-in-command. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Failed to abort takeoff,
- Selected unsuitable terrain,
- Disregard of good operating practice,
- Airport conditions: snow on runway,
- Launched from snow covered runway with half inch of snow on wings.

Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 680 in Morrisville: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1978 at 2002 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

N26511

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Bedford - Raleigh

MSN:

680-1408-60

YOM:

1964

Location:

Morrisville

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1061

Circumstances:

On final approach to Raleigh-Durham Airport, the twin engine airplane stalled and crashed. The pilot and three passengers were killed while two others were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

Stall and spin on final approach after the pilot failed to maintain flying speed. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Lack of familiarity with aircraft,
- Low ceiling,
- Fog,
- Improperly loaded aircraft, W&B and CofG.
- Visibility one mile or less,
- Aircraft heavy,
- No record of any pilot training type aircraft found,
- Narcotics and over 24,000 $ found in aircraft.

Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 402B in Greensboro: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1978 at 1520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 402

Operator:

Registration:

N69284

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Gulfport – Winston-Salem – Raleigh

MSN:

402B-0407

YOM:

1973

Location:

Greensboro

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7408

Captain / Total hours on type:

540.00

Circumstances:

While approaching Winston-Salem Airport, the pilot informed ATC about engine problems. Shortly later, the twin engine airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in flames in a field located in Greensboro. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Probable cause:

Stalled and spiraled while descending to Winston-Salem Airport due to foreign material affecting normal operations. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Ice in fuel,
- Fuel starvation,
- Failed to maintain flying speed,
- Failure of both engines.

Final Report:

Crash of a Grumman E-2C Hawkeye in Supply: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1978

Type of aircraft:

Grumman E-2C Hawkeye

Operator:

Registration:

159108

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

A015

Location:

Supply

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a flight from USS John Fitzgerald Kennedy to the New River MCAS in Jacksonville, North Carolina. En route, the airplane went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances in Supply, NC. All five crew members were killed.

Crash of a Learjet 25B in Sanford: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1977 at 2020 LT

Type of aircraft:

Learjet 25

Operator:

Registration:

N999HG

Flight Phase:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sanford - Flint

MSN:

25-178

YOM:

1974

Location:

Sanford

Country:

Region:

Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9364

Aircraft flight hours:

700

Circumstances:

About 2020 EST, on September 8, 1977, Champion Home Builders Company, Gates Learjet 25B, N999HG, crashed shortly after takeoff at Sanford, North Carolina. All five persons aboard were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft departed Sanford Airport about 2018 EST, for a flight to Flint, Michigan. In accordance with departure instructions from Fayetteville departure control, the flight was about 3 mi west of the airport, climbing through 3,000 ft, on a heading of 270°, when it disappeared from radar. There were no distress calls, but several witnesses west of the airport saw the aircraft on fire below the 600 feet suddenly dove to the ground. People in the immediate vicinity reported that the overcast ceiling. The flight completed a right turn to a northeasterly heading and aircraft was on fire before it crashed.

Probable cause:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was one or more low-order explosions in the aircraft's aft fuselage determine conclusively the fuel and ignition sources of the initial explosion; which resulted in a fire and loss of control capability. The Safety Board could not however, gases from the aircraft's batteries or fuel leakage from fuel system components, or both, could have been present in the area of the initial explosion.

Final Report:

Crash of a Grumman TC-4C Gulfstream I at Cherry Point MCAS: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1975

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

155723

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Cherry Point MCAS (Cunningham Field)

Schedule:

Cherry Point - Cherry Point

MSN:

178

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after lift off, a low torque sensing switch failed precipitating an auto feather of an engine. The crew mis-handled the required feathering procedure, allowing the propeller to unfeather and windmill. Subsequently, the crew retracted the flaps. This disabled a spring tab on the rudder which was designed to give additional rudder authority for high power/low airspeed situations. The result of the windmilling propeller and the loss in rudder authority was that V(mca) increased from 101 kts to 138 kts. The airplane rolled inverted and crashed. Witness marks on the operating engine's propeller reportedly indicated that the airplane's speed when it crashed was less than 90 kts. All on board, four crew men, four students and one instructor, were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft E18S in Charlotte: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1975 at 1152 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft E18

Operator:

Greenville Air

Registration:

N882L

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Charlotte – Columbia

MSN:

BA-102

YOM:

1955

Location:

Charlotte-Douglas

Country:

Region: