Texas

The pilot and 6 passengers were returning home after fishing in Mexico. After clearing customs at Laredo, TX, they departed on the next leg of the flight. The pilot was cleared to 11,000 ft, but got off course. He commented that an instrument had popped, he then requested 7,000 ft, but due to other traffic, his request was delayed. While still at 5,000 ft, he stated, "hey, i'm in the middle of the top of this stuff." Approximately 7 minutes after being cleared to 7,000 ft, controllers noted that the aircraft began descending. They attempted to call the pilot, but were unable. An investigation revealed the aircraft had crashed after the outer wing panels and the empennage had separated. The exact sequence of the in-flight break-up was not determined. Radar info indicated the aircraft had entered several vertical oscillations of several hundred feet before descending. An examination of the fracture surfaces revealed only overload failure. Other pilots reported clouds between 3,000 & 6,500 feet with only light turbulences. The aircraft was estimated to be approximately 65 lbs over the max gross weight limit and loaded near the aft CofG. All seven occupants were killed in the accident.

While descending near the destination, the left engine stopped running. The pilot attempted two airstarts which were unsuccessful. He feathered and secured the left engine and requested radar vectors to the nearest airport. A visual approach was made to the hunt airport at Portland, TX. The pilot stated that he was having no difficulty in maintaining airspeed even with the gear down until he was on final approach. On short final, he extended full flaps. He stated that as soon as he put the flap handle down, he realized he made a mistake, but it was too late to take any action to prevent the aircraft from landing Short. The aircraft touched down on rising terrain between the end of the runway and a nearby shoreline, traveled up the embankment and onto the runway, then burned. The pilot escaped with only minor injuries. The fire damaged left engine was disassembled, but no preimpact failure was found. Reportedly, the plane had not been flown since Feb 82. Before takeoff, the battery was dead. The pilot was slightly injured.

The aircraft was the second aircraft of a flight of two. The lead aircraft had received radio clearance for takeoff. The lead aircraft was to proceed to a visual checkpoint northwest of the airport and wait for this aircraft to join up. Witnesses observed the aircraft depart runway 17 and remain at low altitude. A left turn was completed with the aircraft passing over the witnesses at low altitude. They saw the pilot looking from side to side just prior to the aircraft colliding with a radio tower/antenna. The aircraft crashed and the pilot, sole on board was killed.

The pilot was trying to land after both engines failed during takeoff after the aircraft was refueled with jet fuel instead of gasoline. The weather was IFR with fog, low ceiling and rain. The aircraft collided with trees during a forced landing and was destroyed by fire after impact. All three occupants were killed.

About 18 minutes after takeoff, the pilot radioed that the n°2 engine had lost power and that he was returning to land at Mcallen. While approaching to land, the aircraft crashed in an open field about 400 yards short of the runway and 115 feet right of the approach lights. During impact, the aircraft was in an inverted attitude, in about a 150 degree right roll and 15 degrees nose down. After impact, an intense fire erupted. An examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact malfunction or failure except that the right propeller blades were set at 65 degrees. The angle of the blades should have been 86 degrees when in the full feathered position. The aircraft was estimated to be 753 lbs over its maximum gross weight limit at the time of the accident. With the gear down and flaps up, the vmc was calculated to be 92 mph with the propeller windmilling and 87 mph with the propeller feathered.

The aircraft crashed during takeoff from a clearing on a ranch and then was abandoned. The aircraft landing gear struck a concrete trough for watering cattle. Drugs were found on board the aircraft.

The aircraft was observed to be extremely slow throughout the approach and that the pilot appeared to be having some difficulty with overcontrolling the aircraft. It then leveled out at 50-80 feet on final over the threshold, entered a nose-high attitude and then stalled into a right spin. The pilot had flown to Memphis, two days prior to the accident with the other pilot to pick up the stol equipped aircraft. The vendor's chief pilot checked out the pilot in the aircraft during the return flight to Houston. On the day prior to the accident the two pilots who were onboard at the time of the accident flew a local flight for about two hours and then flow to Dilley for an additional 1.3 hours. When the accident occurred the pilot who had been checked out by the vendor's chief pilot was sitting in the right seat.

Prior to the FAF during a VOR/DME approach, the Merlin was cleared to change to the unicom frequency. The pilot of the Merlin contacted unicom and requested and airport advisory. The unicom operator replied that there was a pirep of 500 feet over the field with two miles visibility but 'zilch' over the water. Shortly after this contact the pilot of the AA-5A called on unicom turning final. The pilot of the AA-5A was given the same advisory as given to the Merlin and further advised that another aircraft was inbound for runway 14. The aircraft collided less than one mile northwest of the approach end of runway 14. AIM 157 recommends that VFR inbound flights broadcasting entering downwind and final. AIM 363 recommends that, when making an IFR approach to an airport not served by a tower or FSS and after ATC advises to change to advisory frequency, to broadcast intentions, including type approach, position and when over FAF inbound. All three occupants in both airplanes were killed.

The crew was completing a local training flight at Corpus Christi Airport. Following an approach in reduced visibility due to foggy conditions, the airplane landed hard on runway 10R. Upon touchdown, the aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All eight crew members evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft crashed and burned about half a mile from the approach end of runway 12. A witness reported that 'the plane just fell' while the pilot was making a sharp turn. An estimated 1,500 lbs of marijuana was on board.