Crash of a Lockheed C-130A Hercules off Trujillo: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1985 at 0935 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-0501
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Howard – Trujillo – Comayagua
MSN:
3109
YOM:
1957
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Howard Airbase in Panama, the crew started the approach to Trujillo Airport in marginal weather conditions. While completing a left turn at low height with gear and flaps retracted, the aircraft struck the water surface with its left wingtip. Out of control, it crashed in the sea about 13 km from the airport. All 21 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was estimated to be 2,500 meters in haze with a 1,500 feet ceiling and a northerly wind gusting to 25 knots.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130E Hercules at Giebelstadt AFB

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
68-10946
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Giebelstadt AFB - Giebelstadt AFB
MSN:
4326
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Giebelstadt AFB. For unknown reasons, the four engine aircraft landed hard, causing the undercarriage and both right engines n°3 and 4 to be torn off upon landing. The aircraft slid on its belly and came to rest in flames. All four crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130E Hercules in Lajes

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
64-0539
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lajes - Lajes
MSN:
4029
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crash on landing in Lajes in the following circumstances, according to the following testimony:
I was the Maintenance Job Controller on duty when the day this occurred. The incident aircraft had declared an inflight emergency (IFE) for (if I recall correctly) #3 engine shutdown. In any case it was right wing engine that was out of service. Fire trucks were standing by as this was SOP for IFEs. The aircraft came in from south to north. On landing roll the crew reversed all three operating engines instead of only the running symmetrical engines of each wing. Having twice the reverse thrust action exerted on the left wing caused the aircraft to yaw left and depart the runway. After going through the perimeter fence off to the left of the runway, it rode up some rock walls and nearly impacted two dwellings on the other side before coming to rest. The left wing caught on fire. In pictures that are available you can see where one of the propellers that departed on impact sliced a hole in the fuselage just in front of the red prop plane of rotation line on the left hand side. Fortunately, because the fire trucks were already lined up on the runway, the fire was extinguished quickly. The only injury to the aircrew was a broken finger. Some side notes. The aircraft was carrying the produce flown in weekly for the commissary on base, No big deal in the scope of things but fruits and veggies were in short supply unless you went local. Also, in one of those oddities of life that made it all the more surreal, the Line Chief had said over the maintenance radio just before it landed, “I hope he remembers to reverse only one and four when he lands.” The next words I heard from him were, “We have a 130 in the dirt!” “We have a 130 on fire!” You just can’t make that stuff up. It was almost prescient. The aircraft was eventually mated with the cockpit section of C-130 that was written off due to a hard landing in Germany. They flew that in on a C-5 with replacement wings etc. Robbins Depot Maintenance came in and bolted it all together. It eventually flew out on a onetime flight to the depot in Italy.
Thanks to Bill Hewett, maintenance controller on duty when it occurred.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130E Hercules near Borja: 18 killed

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1984 at 1930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
68-10944
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Ramstein - Zaragoza
MSN:
4324
YOM:
1969
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
Inbound from Ramstein AFB, Germany, the four engine airplane was descending to Zaragoza Airport, carrying nine passengers and nine crew members, among them a high ranking officer from the Spanish Air Force. Arriving in the Spanish Airspace, the crew was supposed to take part to a joined exercise with the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force). While cruising at an altitude of 2,200 feet in marginal weather conditions with flaps down at 50° and at a speed of 250 km/h, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located in the Sierra de Moncayo, west of Borja. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 18 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was estimated to 6 km with a ceiling at 1,200 feet.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Lockheed L-382E-21C Hercules near Dundo: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1983
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N17ST
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
4333
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While descending to Dundo Airport, the crew encountered limited visibility due to foggy conditions. At an altitude of 2,650 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 50 km from the airport and disintegrated upon impact. All seven occupants were killed. For unknown reasons, the crew started the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to continue the approach below MDA.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Nevada: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1983 at 1210 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
74-2068
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Nellis - Nellis
MSN:
4694
YOM:
1976
Location:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew departed Nellis AFB in Las Vegas on a training mission consisting of heavy equipment drop. While flying at low height, the pilot initiated a turn when the aircraft stalled and crashed. The wreckage was found in an uninhabited and hilly terrain located about 100 miles northwest of Nellis AFB. All six occupants were killed.

Crash of a Lockheed L-382E-37C Hercules in Puerto Maldonado: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1983 at 0815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FAP383
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lima - Puerto Maldonado
MSN:
4708
YOM:
1976
Country:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
On final approach to Puerto Maldonado-Padre Aldamiz Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions and failed to realize his altitude was too low. The four engine aircraft struck the roof of a house then crashed onto several houses located few hundred meters short of runway. All eight occupants as well as one people on the ground were killed.

Ground explosion of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules at Pope AFB: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1983
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
74-1693
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
4693
YOM:
1976
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While parked at Pope AFB, the crew started the engine when an explosion occurred. The aircraft caught fire and was totally destroyed, killing all six crew members.
Probable cause:
An APU connected to the aircraft overheat and exploded for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules at Namao AFB: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1982 at 1350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
130329
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Namao - Namao
MSN:
4553
YOM:
1974
Flight number:
Boxtop 29
Country:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
On final approach to runway 29, the crew attempted to drop the load that jammed on the rear ramp. The aircraft banked left, causing the left wing to hit the ground. The aircraft went out of control and crashed. All seven crew members (six Canadians and one American) were killed.
Probable cause:
During a LAPES drop mission, the load got hung up, catastrophically changing the CofG to a point at which it was impossible to recover the aircraft.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130B Hercules in the Atlantic Ocean: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1982 at 1430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-1003
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Madrid - Lajes - Hamilton - Bogotá
MSN:
3572
YOM:
1960
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane was completing a flight from Madrid to Bogotá with intermediate stops in Lajes (Azores Islands) and Hamilton, Bermuda. En route from Lajes to Hamilton, the navigation system failed and the crew became lost and disoriented. While cruising in strong head winds (up to 55 knots), the aircraft ran out of fuel and the crew was forced to ditch the aircraft about 330 km east of Cape May, New Jersey. The airplane remained afloat for about 56 hours before it sank and was lost. Eight occupants were rescued and evacuated while five others were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the navigation system in flight for unknown reasons. The crew got lost and disoriented and a forced landing was necessary after the airplane ran out of fuel due to an excessive fuel consumption caused by strong head winds (up to 55 knots)