Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Bilogai-Sugapa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 2011 at 0942 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PK-VVG
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nabire - Bilogai-Sugapa
MSN:
208B-1308
YOM:
2007
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1859
Captain / Total hours on type:
1550.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
690
Copilot / Total hours on type:
231
Aircraft flight hours:
4331
Aircraft flight cycles:
5375
Circumstances:
The flight route was Nabire to Bilogai as an unscheduled cargo flight. There were two pilots on board and the freight load was a mixture of food, palm oil, and cement. The aircraft departed from Nabire at 2355 UTC (0855 LT), the estimate time of arrival of Bilogai was 0045 UTC. At 0042 UTC the aircraft was reported above touchdown zone and the altitude recorded of 6,960 feet, direction 277 degrees and air speed 94 knots. The aircraft executed a go around due to an unauthorized person entering the shoulder of the runway 27, the aircraft then continued to climb and headed left. It was reported while the aircraft initially was climbing with the nose up but following lost altitude. During go around manoeuvre the aircraft attitude was in high nose up position, caused the angle of attack was too high and beyond a stall margins caused the aircraft stall. The aircraft bank to the right and crashed on a corn farm at coordinate S 03 44.58 E 137 0.96 and altitude about 6,550 feet with heading about 260 degrees. The aircraft was destroyed on impact with the ground. The captain seriously injured and still on seat in the aircraft wearing the shoulder harness. The second in command was fatally injured outside of the aircraft at the crashed site.
Probable cause:
FINDINGS :
• The aircraft was airworthy prior the accident and there was no evidence of system malfunction during the flight.
• The crew had valid license and medical certificate.
• There were no fences at the airport perimeter.
• There was a local plantation area nearby the runway.
• Unauthorized person entering the shoulder of the runway 27.
• There was no warning signal to alert if unauthorized persons entering the runway, especially during any aircraft Takeoff and Landing.
• The valley (gap) on the south side of the runway was too narrow for successful go around manoeuvre by a caravan aircraft.
• The aircraft most probably stalled due to very high angle of attack, when the aircraft was manoeuvre to avoid the surrounding terrain and bank to the right.
• The communication of incoming and outgoing Susi Air aircraft from and to Bilogai was only to Susi Air ground handling Agent at Sugapa.
CAUSES :
The aircraft was executed a Go Around due to a unauthorized person entering the shoulder of the runway 27, after go around, crew tried to avoid terrain impact, increasing the aircraft attitude more pitching up caused the angle of attack was higher and beyond a stall margins , finally stall just before impact.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Talcha

Date & Time: Nov 21, 2011 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9N-AJM
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nepalgunj – Talcha
MSN:
208B-0561
YOM:
1996
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing on runway 36 at Talcha Airport, the single engine aircraft veered off runway, went down an embankment and came to rest against a house down the runway. All 12 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Downdrafts on final approach were reported, and the aircraft seemed to be unstable prior to landing.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Xakanaka: 8 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 2011 at 1355 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A2-AKD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Xakanaka - Pom Pom
MSN:
208B-0582
YOM:
1996
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Xakanaka Airstrip on a taxi flight to the Pom Pom Camp located in the Okavango Delta, the single aircraft lost height and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot and seven passengers were killed while four others were injured. The pilot was a British citizen as the seven passengers killed were respectively four Swedish, on British and two French. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire. For unknown reasons, the aircraft caught fire shortly after takeoff.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan near Lutsel K'e: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 4, 2011 at 1140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GATV
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Yellowknife - Lutsel K'e
MSN:
208B-0308
YOM:
1992
Flight number:
8T200
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
1950
Circumstances:
The Air Tindi Ltd. Cessna 208B Caravan departed Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, at 1103 Mountain Daylight Time under visual flight rules as regularly scheduled flight Air Tindi 200 (8T200) to Lutsel K'e, Northwest Territories. When the aircraft did not arrive at its scheduled time, a search was initiated, and the aircraft was found 26 nautical miles west of Lutsel K'e, near the crest of Pehtei Peninsula. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and two passengers were seriously injured. There was no post-impact fire, and no emergency locator transmitter signal was received by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre or search aircraft.
Probable cause:
Findings as to causes and contributing factors:
The aircraft was flown at low altitude into an area of low forward visibility during a day VFR flight, which prevented the pilot from seeing and avoiding terrain.
The concentrations of cannabinoids were sufficient to have caused impairment in pilot performance and decision-making on the accident flight.
Findings as to risk:
Installation instructions for the ELT did not provide a means of determining the necessary degree of strap tightness to prevent the ELT from being ejected from its mount during an accident. Resultant damages to the ELT and antenna connections could preclude transmission of an effective signal, affecting search and rescue of the aircraft and occupants.
Flying beyond gliding distance of land without personal floatation devices on board exposes the occupants to hypothermia and/or drowning in the event of a ditching.
Other findings:
Earlier on the day of the accident, the pilot flew the route from Fort Simpson to Yellowknife in cloud on a visual flight rules flight plan in controlled airspace.
With the ELT unable to transmit a useable signal, the SkyTrac system in C GATV was instrumental in locating the accident site. This reduced the search time, and allowed for timely rescue of the seriously injured survivors.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan near Notnare: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 2011 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PK-VVE
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Wamena - Kenyam
MSN:
208B-1287
YOM:
2007
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
1546
Captain / Total hours on type:
1315.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
927
Copilot / Total hours on type:
147
Aircraft flight hours:
3926
Aircraft flight cycles:
5267
Circumstances:
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan I was destroyed when it crashed in the Yahukimo District, Indonesia. Both crew members were killed. The airplane was being operated on a non-scheduled cargo flight from Wamena Airport to Kenyam Aerodrome in Papua, Indonesia. The flight was being conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) and the pilot reported to ATC that the planned altitude was 9,500 feet. On board the aircraft were two pilots, a manifested load of diesel drums and grocery items, and a non-manifested load of 25 bags of rice weighing 827 lb (375 kg). The takeoff weight, based on the manifested cargo and the additional load of rice was estimated by the investigation to be 9,681 lb (4,391 Kg) which was 619 lb (281 Kg) above the certificated maximum takeoff weight. Also, the aircraft Centre of Gravity (C of G) was outside the certificated C of G envelope. The aircraft took off from Wamena runway 15 at 12:17 local time. The aircraft was then flown along a track toward Kenyam which was consistent with the route used by other company pilots and previously flown by the pilot in command. The additional loading contributed to a reduced rate of climb during the flight which resulted in the aircraft being below 10,000 ft as it approached the high terrain. This altitude was 1,500 ft lower than the altitude specified in the operator's route guide for operations between Wamena and Kenyam, and lower than the altitude flown by other company pilots when operating in the area, including three other flights on the day of the accident which overflew the high terrain between 11,200 and 12,500 ft. At 12:29:43, as the aircraft approached the high terrain at an altitude of 9,538 ft, the airspeed commenced decreasing which was accompanied by the average rate of climb increasing to about 390 fpm. It is probable that the pilots recognized the proximity of the terrain and attempted to improve the aircraft's angle of climb by decelerating towards the best angle of climb speed of 72 kts. The recorded data showed that 31 seconds after the airspeed started to decrease, the engine power varied with a maximum engine torque of 1,675 ft/lb being recorded at 12:30:30 with changes in the other engine parameters being consistent with a selection of a higher power setting. This is likely to have been associated with the pilot's attempts to improve terrain clearance. The recorded data then showed the aircraft in a descending right turn for about 6 seconds. The altitude reduced over a period of 4 seconds from 9,865 ft to 9,728 ft at an average rate of descent of about 2,000 fpm. This turn was likely to have been initiated to either avoid cloud or improve terrain clearance. The aircraft subsequently commenced to roll to the left at 12:30:35 with the left roll continuing for the following 14 seconds. It was likely that the left turn was initiated to avoid either cloud or terrain. During the left turn, the angle of bank reached a maximum value of 46° and the aircraft descended from 9,728 ft to 9,045 ft at a high rate of descent. The airspeed also increased from 92 kts to 122 kts during the descent. The engine power was reduced to idle soon after the aircraft commenced descending which was most likely due to the handling pilot attempting to recover from the high descent rate and increasing airspeed. The recorded data indicated that three EGPWS alerts activated during the descent. The aircraft had stopped descending at 12:30:50 and had commenced climbing with a reducing left angle of bank when the airplane impacted terrain at an elevation of 9,100 feet.
Probable cause:
Factors that contributed to the accident are as follows:
a. The aircraft was loaded to a weight in excess of the maximum certificated takeoff weight.
b. The aircraft climb performance was adversely affected by the aircraft being operated above the certificated maximum takeoff weight.
c. The aircraft approached high terrain along the proposed route at an altitude which was below that specified in the operator's route guide.
d. The aircraft entered a high rate of descent during a terrain avoidance maneuver.
e. Recovery from the abnormal flight path was not achieved before the aircraft collided with terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan near Nightmute: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 2011 at 1335 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N207DR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Toksook Bay - Bethel
MSN:
208B-0859
YOM:
2000
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
3719
Captain / Total hours on type:
875.00
Aircraft flight hours:
8483
Circumstances:
A Cessna 208B and a Cessna 207 collided in flight in daylight visual meteorological conditions. The Cessna 208B and the Cessna 207 were both traveling in an easterly direction. According to the Cessna 207 pilot, the airplanes departed from two neighboring remote Alaskan villages about the same time, and both airplanes were flying along similar flight routes. While en route, the Cessna 207 pilot talked with the Cessna 208B pilot on a prearranged, discreet radio frequency, and the two agreed to meet up in flight for the return to their home airport. The Cessna 207 pilot said that the pilot of the Cessna 208B flew his airplane along the left side of her airplane while she was in level cruise flight at 1,200 feet mean sea level and that they continued to talk via the radio. Then, unexpectedly and unannounced, the pilot of the Cessna 208B maneuvered his airplane above and over the top of her airplane. She said that she immediately told the Cessna 208B pilot that she could not see him and that she was concerned about where he was. She said that the Cessna 208B pilot then said, in part: "Whatever you do, don't pitch up." The next thing she recalled was seeing the wings and cockpit of the descending Cessna 208B pass by the right side of her airplane, which was instantly followed by an impact with her airplane's right wing. She said that after the collision, the Cessna 208B passed underneath her airplane from right-to-left before beginning a gradual descent that steepened as the airplane continued to the left. It then entered a steep, vertical, nose-down descent before colliding with the tundra-covered terrain below followed by a postcrash fire. Unable to maintain level cruise flight, the Cessna 207 pilot selected an area of rolling, tundra-covered terrain as a forced landing site. An examination of both airplanes revealed impact signatures consistent with the Cessna 208B's vertical stabilizer impacting the Cessna 207's right wing. A portion of crushed and distorted wreckage, identified as part of the Cessna 208B's vertical stabilizer assembly, was found embedded in the Cessna 207's right wing. The Cessna 208B's severed vertical stabilizer and rudder were found about 1,000 feet west of the Cessna 208B's crash site.
Probable cause:
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance while performing an unexpected and unannounced abrupt maneuver, resulting in a midair collision between the two airplanes.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna C-98A Grand Caravan near Bom Jardim da Serra: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 2011 at 1327 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
2735
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Porto Alegre - Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
208B-2130
YOM:
2009
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Canoas AFB in Porto Alegre at 1145LT on a flight to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Airport, carrying six officers and two pilots on behalf of the 5th Air Transport Squadron. While cruising over the State of Santa Catarina, the crew encountered limited visibility due to poor weather conditions when the aircraft impacted a mountain near Bom Jardim da Serra. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 8 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Pukatawagan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 2011 at 1610 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-FMCB
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pukatawagan - The Pas
MSN:
208B-1114
YOM:
2005
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1900
Captain / Total hours on type:
400.00
Circumstances:
The Beaver Air Services Limited Partnership Cessna 208B (registration C-FMCB serial number 208B1114), operated by its general partner Missinippi Management Ltd (Missinippi Airways), was departing Pukatawagan, Manitoba, for The Pas/Grace Lake Airport, Manitoba. At approximately 1610 Central Daylight Time, the pilot began the takeoff roll from Runway 33. The aircraft did not become fully airborne, and the pilot rejected the takeoff. The pilot applied reverse propeller thrust and braking, but the aircraft departed the end of the runway and continued down an embankment into a ravine. A post-crash fire ensued. One of the passengers was fatally injured; the pilot and the 7 other passengers egressed from the aircraft with minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The emergency locator transmitter did not activate.
Probable cause:
Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors:
Runway conditions, the pilot's takeoff technique, and possible shifting wind conditions combined to reduce the rate of the aircraft's acceleration during the takeoff roll and prevented it from attaining takeoff airspeed. The pilot rejected the takeoff past the point from which a successful rejected takeoff could be completed within the available stopping distance. The steep drop-off and sharp slope reversal at the end of Runway 33 contributed to the occupant injuries and fuel system damage that in turn caused the fire. This complicated passenger evacuation and prevented the rescue of the injured passenger. The deceased passenger was not wearing the available shoulder harness. This contributed to the serious injuries received as a result of the impact when the aircraft reached the bottom of the ravine and ultimately to his death in the post-impact fire.
Findings as to Risk:
If pilots are not aware of the increased aerodynamic drag during takeoff while using soft-field takeoff techniques they may experience an unexpected reduction in takeoff performance. Incomplete passenger briefings or inattentive passengers increase the risk that they will be unable to carry out critical egress procedures during an aircraft evacuation. When data recordings are not available to an investigation, this may preclude the identification and communication of safety deficiencies to advance transportation safety. Although the runway at Pukatawagan and many other aerodromes are compliant with Aerodrome Standards and Recommended Practices (TP 312E), the topography of the terrain beyond the runway ends may increase the likelihood of damage to aircraft and injuries to crew and passengers in the event of an aircraft overrunning or landing short. TC's responses to TSB recommendations for action to reduce the risk of post-impact fires have been rated as Unsatisfactory. As a result, there is a continuing risk of post-impact fires in impact-survivable accidents involving these aircraft. The lack of accelerate stop distance information for aircraft impedes the crew's ability to plan the takeoff-reject point accurately.
Other finding:
Several anomalies were found in the engine's power control hardware. There was no indication that these anomalies contributed to the occurrence.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Barra do Vento

Date & Time: May 23, 2011 at 0750 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
PT-OSG
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Barra do Vento – Boa Vista
MSN:
208B-0300
YOM:
1992
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
6200
Captain / Total hours on type:
4800.00
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, departed Barra do Vento Airport on a ferry flight to Boa Vista-Atlas Brasil-Cantanhede Airport, Roraima. Shortly after rotation, he noticed abnormal vibrations. At the same time, the 'door warning' light came ON on the instrument panel. He decided to land back but lost control of the airplane that veered off runway to the right and collided with an earth mound, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire and the pilot was seriously injured.
Probable cause:
It is possible that the pilot applied the flight controls inappropriately when the aircraft returned to the runway, making it impossible to maintain direction. After the 'door warning' light activated, the pilot made the decision to land when, according to the manufacturer, the situation did not require such immediate action but a continuation of the climb. It is possible that the pilot's training was not adequate or sufficient, because after the 'door warning' light came ON and the abnormal vibrations, the pilot carried out a procedure different from the one recommended by the manufacturer, and placed the plane in an irreversible condition.
Final Report: