Cessna 402

This aircraft disappeared on a flight from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Bimini, Bahamas. After departure, the aircraft flight plan was activated by radio. This was the last communication with the aircraft. An itap radar readout revealed an aircraft flight that departed at the appropriate time. This target headed for Bimini, and after about 10 minutes, slowed to 90 knots airspeed. About 4 minutes later the target entered a 5,400 fpm rate of descent and disappeared off radar. Two witnesses saw an aircraft crash into the water near Bimini between 0830 and 0900 on 3/31. The missing aircraft departed Fort Lauderdale at 0823 on 3/31/84. Th aircraft and all six occupants were not recovered. The injury index and acft damage are presumed.

The aircraft collided with trees and the ground during flight in adverse weather. There is no record of the pilot receiving a pre-flight briefing and no flight plan was filed. Witnesses heard an aircraft flying low followed by a loud thud. About 16 miles north at Sarasota, FL, the 2128 est weather was: 200 feet partial obscuration, visibility 3 miles with fog. Persons in the vicinity of the accident stated that the area had heavy, patchy ground fog. All four occupants were killed.

The pilot had filed an IFR flight plan; however, he took off in VFR conditions and did not activate the flight plan. Radar data showed that the latter part of the flight was flown at 6,300 feet, then at 1712:39 est, a descent was begun. One minute later, the flight was last recorded at 3,700 feet. Subsequently, the aircraft crashed near the top of a 3,165 feet mountain. The elevation of the crash site was about 3,000 feet. The terrain was rocky and covered with ice and snow when the investigators arrived at the crash site. Approximately 8 miles west-northwest at Keene, NH, the 1755 est weather was, in part, 3,200 feet broken, 5,500 feet overcast, visibility 10 miles, wind from 130° at 10 knots. The elevation of the Dillant-Hopkins Airport at Keene was 487 feet. Both occupants were killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in the Ngong Hills National Reserve located south of Ngong. Occupant fate unknown.

Crashed in unknown circumstances while taking off from a soggy airfield at Mayo. Occupant fate unknown.

While approaching Tarapoto-Comandante Guillermo del Castillo Paredes Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The twin engine airplane crashed in unclear conditions few km from the airport, killing both occupants.

The pilot, Lorance Weinberg, had a history of logging hours on aircraft he had not been trained to fly as well as logging hours on aircraft in which he had only traveled as a passenger. On 4 June 1983 he booked a Cessna 402 under false pretenses to fly to Durban, but in fact took a party of 9 to Cape Town for a wedding. The following day he filed an IFR flight plan to return to Johannesburg when he was not IFR rated, but had trouble filling in the forms. He took off just before 13:00 in deteriorating weather with his 8 passengers and immediately ran into trouble. He did not follow any instructions from air traffic control and evaded their questions when they decided it would be best to bring him back for landing. It was noted on radar that he was flying in ever decreasing circles until the aircraft finally crashed onto the Polkadraai Road running between Kuils River and Stellenbosch. Weinberg, five adult passengers and a baby were killed, but two adults survived.
Source: Fields of Air by James Byrom.

The aircraft was ditched in the Atlantic Ocean following engine failure. The pilot estimated fuel on board during pre-flight from the electronic fuel gauges. The aircraft flew two hours and 16 minutes before the engines quit in a mode of fuel exhaustion with surging prior to stopping. Post accident investigation using fuel slips revealed a fuel burn within 10 to 15 gallons of fuel exhaustion. The fuel gauges failed on the last leg of the flight and the passengers stated the pilot paid a lot of attention to these gauges. The pilot wanted to divert to Freeport but did not because the weather was below minimums. After ditching the aircraft sank in 800 feet of water. All three occupants were rescued.

The aircraft was engaged in operating a night freight flight from Brisbane to Gladstone and Rockhampton. The pilot departed Rockhampton as a passenger in another company aircraft at about 2100 hours the night before the accident and was flown to Caloundra. He then flew VH-DIL to Brisbane and after arriving submitted a flight plan for the return flight to Rockhampton giving an estimated time of DEPARTURE Brisbane of 0230 hours. Before DEPARTURE, however, the pilot was required to await the arrival of another aircraft so that freight could be transhipped to his aircraft. DEPARTURE from Brisbane was made at 0301 hours and at 0400 hours the pilot reported the aircraft's position over Gayndah, the pilot was instructed to call on another radio frequency at 0410 hours. No further transmissions were heard from the aircraft. The wreckage was located two days later in mountainous terrain. The aircraft had impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude. Subsequent investigation did not reveal any fault with the aircraft or its systems that could have contributed to the accident. The day before the accident the pilot rose at about 0730 hours after spending the previous night and day at a friends property near Rockhampton. He spent the day at leisure at the property before returning to Rockhampton in the afternoon. After dining at his parents home he proceeded to the airport for the flight to Caloundra. Before departing Brisbane to return to Rockhampton the only sleep the pilot would have had was about an hour on the flight to Caloundra and possibly another short period at Brisbane Airport while waiting for his aircraft to be loaded.

The pilot approached high and fast for landing on runway 04. The wind was from 240° at 10 to 12 knots. The aircraft floated and after touchdown, the pilot was unable to stop on the wet, downsloping runway. After departing the runway, the aircraft continued down a steeper slope and into an area of brush and trees. All three gear collapsed, there was leading edge spar damage on both wings, and the right side fuselage skin, forward of the right wing, was damaged.