Beechcraft H18

The airplane was loaded with mail & freight within 57 lbs of its max takeoff weight limit. No malfunction was noted during start or taxi. The pilot made a near-midfield intersection departure from runway 08L at 0622:35 local time. Seconds earlier, a Boeing 747 had completed its landing roll-out on runway 4R, which crossed runway 8L near its departure end. Winds were from 285° at 2 kts. The pilot and loader (a private pilot) said nothing unusual occurred during takeoff until the aircraft climbed to 100 feet agl, then 'suddenly the airplane yawed to the left as though the left engine had lost power.' Despite use of full right rudder, directional control was lost, and the pilot decreased the pitch attitude because of 'severe yawing and rolling tendencies.' The airplane's left wing tip impacted the right side of the runway, the tricycle gear collapsed, and the airplane slid to a stop and was consumed by fire. Due to fire damage and lack of accurate records, neither the total fuel load, the freight's actual weight, the cargo's preimpact location within the aircraft, nor the adequacy of the cargo tie down system could be validated. Weight and balance documents filed with the FAA were at variance with 'duplicate' documents held by the operator. Exam of the engines did not reveal evidence of a preimpact failure. Propeller ground scars on the runway indicated both engines were operating during impact. The accident occurred during the pilot's last flight as an employee with the company.

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, one of the engine failed. The aircraft lost height and crashed near the airport. All four occupants were injured.

The commercial pilot was on a part 135 cargo flight. Since the destination airport had no weather reporting facility, company policy and far 135 required a VFR descent and landing from the MVA. The pilot requested and received clearance for a localizer approach to the airport, although a nearby airport was reporting 400' broken/3 miles with fog. The pilot reported to ATC that he had missed his first approach, and requested a second approach to the same airport. After executing the missed approach, the aircraft impacted mountainous terrain while aligned with the extended centerline of the localizer. Cap personnel reported that the accident site was obscured in clouds at the time of the accident. The investigation revealed that the aircraft descended about 1,500 feet below a minimum altitude on the first approach attempt. Mode c altitude data was lost during the missed approach. Four years earlier, this pilot descended below glidepath on an ILS approach and crashed into trees with weather below approach minimums. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The pilot said that the approach to the airport was normal, with a 100 knot indicated airspeed. The pilot said the winds were about 110° at 10 knots during the approach; however, on short final he encountered a very strong gust from the right. The pilot corrected for the wind gust then it stopped and the aircraft suddenly dropped hard to the runway without warning. The pilot said he suspected a windshear encounter was responsible for the accident. Witnesses said the approach seemed normal when the aircraft suddenly dropped to the runway and bounced. The witnesses said that a thunderstorm had passed through the area just prior to the aircraft's approach.

Scenic Air Tours flight 21 (Beech H18, N34AP) was on an air taxi, sightseeing flight from Hilo to Kahului, HI. The pilot took off at approximately 1300 hst. After takeoff, flight 21 proceeded northwest along the coastline at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. The aircraft subsequently crashed in a scenic canyon area near a waterfall in Waipio Valley, approximately 50 miles northeast of Hilo. Impact occurred at an elevation of about 2,800 feet, approximately 600 to 900 feet below the rim. No preimpact mechanical problem of the aircraft or engines was found. A passenger, who was on a previous sightseeing flight, reported the pilot had maneuvered below the rim of a canyon. Company officials reported that flying below rims of canyons was against company policy; however, the operations manual did not contain any guidance or cautions about such operations. All 11 occupants were killed.

The cargo flight departed Cincinnati en route to Wichita, KS with an intermediate stop at Kansas City Downtown Airport. The flight progressed normally to a VOR runway 03 instrument approach, circling to runway 01. The pic had been cleared to commence the approach. Tower personnel subsequently advised the pic of a low altitude alert, to which the pic responded he had ground contact. The pic subsequently declared a missed approach, then said, 'I got it all right,' and he requested a 360° turn and landing on runway 01. Witnesses observed the aircraft approach from the west at a low altitude. Then, while over airport property, the aircraft turned sharply. The left wing dropped quickly as the aircraft banked nearly 90°. The aircraft impacted the ramp area 400 feet right of runway 01, in front of a fixed base operator and burst into flames. The aircraft slid about 200 feet before coming to a stop. The company chief pilot stated that the pic was deficient in VOR approaches. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The commercial pilot was on a repositioning flight from Kenosha, Wisconsin to Atlanta, Georgia, after having been without sleep for about 20 hours. Witnesses observed the aircraft circling a subdivision near Rockford, Illinois at a low altitude, just above the treetops. The aircraft was in a steep left bank, described as 70-90°, when it reversed direction into a steep right bank and descended into the trees. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The aircraft suffered a right landing gear leg breakage due to a fracture in the area where the fork assembly separated during landing roll. The pilot, sole on board, was uninjured.

The aircraft collided with the ground after stalling during takeoff. Witnesses reported that the aircraft pitched up in two increments, climbed sharply to about 200 feet agl, stalled dropped the right wing and descended, impacting the ground in a flat attitude.