Cessna 401

The private pilot departed on a cross-country personal flight with five passengers, en route to an Alaskan coastal community. The airplane had about 140 gallons of usable fuel aboard. The flight's intended destination was located about 757 nautical miles away. The pilot planned to make one stop in order to purchase fuel before continuing on to the destination airport. As the accident flight progressed towards the intended fuel stop airport, the pilot requested to continue on to another airport located about 100 miles away, and closer to the final destination airport. As the flight neared the second fuel stop airport, the pilot again made a request to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) specialist on duty, and said, in part: "I'm going to change my destination ah...one more time, this will be the final time..." The flight was then cleared to the pilot's intended destination airport. When the flight was about 22 miles southeast of the destination airport, the pilot informed the ATC specialist that he was concerned about his remaining fuel. He stated, in part: " ... I'm really low on fuel, and still 30 miles out." When asked by the ATC specialist how much fuel he had remaining, the pilot responded by saying: " Well... lets see, its very low... Below 5 gallons in both tanks." The ATC specialist then informed the pilot of an alternate airport that was located closer to the flight's present position, but the pilot was not familiar with the airport, and he elected to proceed on. Shortly thereafter, the pilot reported to the ATC specialist he was "...out of gas, both engines." The pilot selected a forced landing site located about 12 miles short of his intended destination airport, in open ocean waters. According to the two surviving passengers, after the collision with the water, all of the airplane's occupants lost consciousness momentarily. When the two survivors regained consciousness, there was about 2 feet of water in the airplane, and the airplane was sinking. The survivors said four of the six occupants successfully evacuated the airplane into the water. They added that the pilot was one of the four occupants who exited the sinking airplane. The two remaining occupants remained inside the airplane as it sank. The four survivors then began to swim to the closest shoreline, located about 1 mile from the accident site. During the swim to shore, the two surviving occupants became separated from the other two other occupants. To date, neither the two occupants who remained in the airplane, nor the pilot and the one occupant who were able to exit the airplane before it sank, have been located.

On June 2, 2000, about 1240 Atlantic standard time, a Cessna 401, Dominican Republic registration HI-696CT, registered to and operated by Air Century, crashed shortly after takeoff from La Romana International Airport, La Romana, Dominican Republic, while on an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot received fatal injuries. The commercial-rated second pilot received serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. Civil aviation authorities stated that the flight was an instructional flight. Shortly after takeoff on runway 12, the pilot simulated the failure of the left engine. Control of the aircraft was lost and the aircraft crashed 350 meters from the runway. Examination of the aircraft and engines showed no mechanical anomalies.

En route from Santiago-Los Cerrillos Airport to Robinson Crusoe Island, the twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in the Pacific Ocean. Both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Luis Bochetti Melo,
Luis Bochetti del Canto.

Just after takeoff from Madrid-Cuatro Vientos Airport, while in initial climb, the pilot informed ATC about engine problems and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. He made a turn and elected to establish on the ILS runway 28 when the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a near vertical attitude in an orchard located 1,400 metres short of runway, some three minutes after takeoff. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both occupants were killed. The departed Madrid on an aerial photography mission to Alicante.

The pilot aborted the takeoff run after the airspeed indication rose to about 80 miles per hour, but would not go any higher. He could not stop the airplane, before it went off the end of the runway, over a berm, and into a drainage ravine. When the airplane was pulled out of the ravine, both pitot covers were still in place, around the pitot tubes. The runway was 4,553 feet long, calculated takeoff distance was about 2,525 feet, and calculated accelerate-stop distance was approximately 2,950 feet. Tire skid marks started around 3,600 feet from the approach end of the runway, and led to the wreckage. About a year earlier, another airplane was destroyed when it ran into the same ravine, which was located about 200 feet from the end of the runway.

Shortly after takeoff from Chaitén Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the sea near the La Puntilla harbor. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed. It was reported that the aircraft was on fire prior to impact with water, maybe after an engine caught fire.

After landing at the airport, the airplane was taxied to a fixed base operator to pick up a passenger. Rime ice, as thick as two inches was seen on the airplane, and the pilots of the airplane attempted to manually remove the ice. The airplane was topped off with fuel before departure. During departure from runway 31R, the airplane collided with a fence. Numerous areas of ice were found on the airplane following the accident. Both propellers had similar damage. The pilots had reported to the FAA that the left engine had sustained a loss of power. The passenger reported that he did not notice any loss of power from either engine. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the left engine was found.

The pilot received abbreviated weather briefing for emergency medical service (EMS)/air ambulance flight. Before flight, he expressed anxiety about possible low visibility for landing and timely transport of dying patient. During ILS runway 03 approach (rwy 03 approach), the aircraft remained well above the glide slope until close to the middle marker; aircraft's speed decreased from 153 to 100 kts, while vertical speed increased from 711 feet/min to about 1,250 feet/min descent. About 1 mile from runway and 500 feet agl (in fog), the aircraft abruptly turned left of localizer course and gradually descended with no distress call from pilot. The aircraft hit a pole, then flew into a building and burned. Low ceiling, fog and dark night conditions prevailed. Pilot (recent ex military helicopter pilot) had logged/reported 3,500 hours of flight time and about 150 hours in multiengine airplanes, but there was evidence he lacked experience with actual instrument approaches in fixed wing aircraft; he had difficulty with instrument flying during recent training and FAA check flights. No preimpact mechanical problem was found with aircraft/engines. No ILS anomalies were found. Flight nurse was using cellular phone, but no evidence was found of interference with aircraft's navigational system. Visibility and ceiling at destination were less than forecast at time of pilot's preflight weather briefing. Paramedic was only survivor.

The public use flight was being operated by the Indian Health Service of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. It departed VFR from Devils Lake, North Dakota, with an intended destination of Rolla, North Dakota. The pilot attempted two visual approaches at Rolla, but encountered whiteout conditions due to a snow storm. He obtained an IFR clearance and diverted to Minot. He flew two ILS approaches to runway 31 at Minot and reported a missed approach after each. Radio contact was lost after the second approach. About an hour later, a snow plow operator found wreckage on the airport. Investigation revealed the plane had impacted to the right of runway 31 with the gear retracted and the flaps extended 15°. The 0959 weather was in part: 600 feet obscured, visibility 1/2 mile variable in snow, wind 110° at 11 knots. No preimpact mechanical anomaly was found with the airplane or engines. All four occupants were killed.

The pic departed on a ferry flight in VFR conditions without a ferry permit. Witnesses stated they observed the airplane returning to the airport at about 150 to 500 feet. The airplane was observed to begin a left turn with the landing gear extended. A fire was observed in the vicinity of the left engine exhaust. The airplane continued in a steep descending left turn before it disappeared below the tree line and collided with the terrain. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was fatally injured.