Crash of a Beechcraft A90 King Air in Crestview: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 13, 1990 at 0831 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2EP
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Crestview - Crestview
MSN:
LJ-284
YOM:
1967
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
9726
Captain / Total hours on type:
135.00
Circumstances:
The pic/cfi was conducting a public use instructional flight with two military rated student pilots. The airplane was observed at about 60 to 80 feet agl south of the approach end of an active runway. It yawed to the right, and back to the left, colliding with the terrain in a 45° leftwing-low attitude, and disappeared from view. He flight had been in the pattern making touch-and-go's, and had earlier reported a single engine approach. This landing was to be a full-stop. All three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot-in-command/cfi improper supervision of the dual student. This resulted in an in flight loss of control, and collision with terrain for failure to maintain minimum control airspeed (VMC) while conducting a simulated emergency procedure.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air in Blantyre: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1990
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7Q-YMM
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Blantyre - Blantyre
MSN:
LJ-880
YOM:
1980
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew (one instructor and one pilot under training) departed Blantyre-Chileka Airport on a local training flight. Few minutes after takeoff, the instructor shut down the right engine to simulate a failure and the crew continued the flight when, shortly later, the left engine lost power and failed. The crew elected to restart the right engine but without success. In a such situation, the pilots decided to return to Blantyre Airport when, on final approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed 1,300 meters short of runway. One pilot was killed while the second occupant was seriously injured.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Beechcraft B90 King Air near Iglesia de Quircan: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jul 31, 1990
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
OB-1362
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
LJ-448
YOM:
1969
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
En route, the pilot informed ATC about technical problems and apparently attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a mountainous terrain located near Iglesia de Quircan, about 25 km southwest of Huánuco. All nine occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft E90 King Air in Wondai: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1990 at 2248 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-LFH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cairns – Wondai – Camden
MSN:
LW-255
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
2654
Captain / Total hours on type:
285.00
Circumstances:
Beech E90 VH-LFH was being flown by the owner as pilot-in-command for the flight. The pilot had submitted a flight plan nominating a private category, single pilot, instrument flight rules (IFR) flight, from Cairns to Wondai and thence to Camden. VH-LFH, with six passengers on board, departed Cairns at 1830 hours EST and arrived at Wondai at 2142 hours after an uneventful flight. One passenger left the aircraft at Wondai. The aircraft was refuelled with 800 litres of aviation turbine fuel and the pilot reported taxying for Runway 36 at Wondai to Brisbane Flight Service at 2243 hours EST. The aircraft was issued an airways clearance at 2245 hours which the pilot acknowledged correctly. The last radio contact with the aircraft was at 2248 hours when the pilot reported airborne. Witnesses observed the aircraft take-off and a short time later heard the sound of impact. The aircraft struck a line of small trees slightly left of the runway extended centreline and 600 metres from the end of the runway in a wings level attitude and in a very shallow descent. Forty-eight metres beyond this point, the aircraft impacted the ground and began to break up. It then contacted a number of large trees and caught fire, finally coming to rest 90 metres further on. A passenger was seriously injured while five other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The circumstances leading to the development of this accident could not be established conclusively. However, the evidence supports the following as probable factors:
- The pilot might not have been aware of the human factors aspects associated with dark night take-offs.
- The pilot could have been influenced by stress and/or fatigue.
- The aircraft was taking off towards dark textureless terrain and no visible horizon.
- By transmitting his airborne call very soon after lift-off, the pilot was not devoting his full attention to flying the aircraft.
- The pilot became disoriented and placed the aircraft in a shallow descent as it accelerated after take-off.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C90A King Air in Manaus: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1990 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N31434
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Pitinga - Manaus
MSN:
LJ-1186
YOM:
1988
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The approach to Manaus-Eduardo Gomes was completed in heavy rain falls. On short final, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft struck an element of the approach light system and crashed 200 meters short of runway, bursting into flames. All seven occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft A90 King Air in Tamanrasset: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 29, 1990
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N707CE
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lyon – Algiers – Tamanrasset – Niamey – Port Harcourt – Libreville – Luanda
MSN:
LJ-314
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Lyon on a flight to Luanda, Angola, with intermediate stops in Algiers, Tamanrasset, Niamey, Port Harcourt and Libreville, carrying five passengers and one pilot. On final approach to Tamanrasset Airport by night, the aircraft stalled and crashed 4,300 meters short of runway 21. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot was on duty since 14 hours without any rest time. He obtained his licence on this aircraft the day prior to the accident and completed a test flight in Brussels before returning to Lyon to start the flight to Angola. Due to lack of experience and intense fatigue, the pilot failed to realize his approach speed was too low, causing the aircraft to stall at a too low altitude to expect recovery.

Crash of a Beechcraft E90 King Air off Anguillara Sabazia: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1990
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-RWWW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
LW-220
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft and its crew were taking part to a green event in a natural reserve located by Anguillara Sabazia. The pilot made a first low pass over the ecologists then completed a second pass at a height of about 15 meters according to eyewitnesses. While preparing for a third pass, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in the Lake of Bracciano. Both occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air in Burlington: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1990 at 1830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N110LT
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Teterboro - Burlington
MSN:
LJ-729
YOM:
1977
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
13800
Aircraft flight hours:
5976
Circumstances:
The pilot transmitted on unicom that he was on final for runway 24. Following a double fuel starvation power loss the airplane impacted nose low with trees and terrain about 2.6 miles from runway 24. Last fueling occurred on the previous day at Albermarle, NC, the pilot's primary source of fuel, 50 miles from Burlington. The flight proceeded to Burlington, Teterboro, and was returning to Burlington. Total estimated flight time was 4 hours 32 minutes. Fuel burn was calculated to be 361 gallons. Usable fuel was 384 gallons and 24 gallons were recovered from the right center tank. If the fuel transfer pump does not operate 28 gallons will be unusable. That pump was found in the off position. No fuel spillage occurred at the scene. On 2/8/90 the pilot purchased 361 gallons of fuel for N110LT. Lower fuel prices at the favored location were the pilot's reason for fueling there. Examination of engines, propellers, fuel pumps, and other relative components did not reveal any significant discrepancy. Both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The double engine power loss due to fuel starvation, the pilot's failure to follow procedures and directives by not engaging the right fuel transfer pump, and the inadvertent stall during the forced landing approach. A factor was the pilot's failure to refuel before adequate fuel reserves were exhausted.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft F90 King Air in Ruidoso: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1989 at 1435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N9PU
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Carlsbad - Ruidoso
MSN:
LA-57
YOM:
1980
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
569
Captain / Total hours on type:
92.00
Aircraft flight hours:
921
Circumstances:
Witnesses heard the airplane circling in the vicinity of the NDB. Other witnesses saw the airplane exit the cloud base in a near-vertical dive and impact the ground approximately one mile east and 1/2 mile north of the NDB. Both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control due to pilot disorientation while conducting a non precision instrument approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of instrument and multi engine experience, and the existing adverse weather.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air in Gadsden: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1989 at 1138 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N3804F
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Gadsden - Greer
MSN:
LJ-947
YOM:
1981
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
10000
Aircraft flight hours:
3449
Circumstances:
A Beech C90 (N3804F) and a Cessna 172 (N52244) collided at an altitude of about 200 to 300 feet agl as the two aircraft were taking off on intersecting runways at an uncontrolled airport. The Beech pilots were departing from runway 06 with an IFR flight plan, while the Cessna pilots were in the pattern on an instructional flight, performing a touch and go. Two ATP pilots were in the Beech; an instructor pilot (cfi) and a low-time student were in the Cessna. Based on witness information, the Cessna crew made at least one radio call on unicom while in the pattern before landing, and another call while taking off. The Beech crew reportedly made a radio call as the takeoff roll was begun. Neither flight crew appeared to take any evasive action until just before impact. The Beech pilots had received a flight plan clearance on another frequency shortly before taking off. Both pilots in the Beech were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the pilots of both aircraft to maintain adequate visual lookout to see-and-avoid the other aircraft.
Final Report: