Lockheed L-188 Electra

A Galaxy Airlines Lockheed L-188A Electra, registration N5532, was scheduled operate flights from Seattle (SEA) to Oakland as Flight 201, from Oakland to Reno (RNO) as Flight 202, from Reno (RNO) to Minneapolis (MSP) as Flight 203 and finally returning to Seattle using flight number 204. Scheduled departure time for Flight 201 had been 15:30, but had been delayed and the airplane departed Seattle at 20:19 on a ferry flight to Oakland, where it arrived at 22:25. Sixty-five passengers boarded the plane for the flight to Reno. Following ground servicing the ground handler supervisor signalled to the crew that they could commence engine starting. However, after engines one and four were started, he noticed that the other ground handler was unable to disconnect the air start hose. It was stretched taut from the power cart to the airplane’s air start access panel, located on the underside of the right wing leading edge, close to the fillet area. The supervisor gave the flightcrew an emergency stop signal, left his position, and disconnected the hose. None of the two ground crew members remembered closing the air start access door. At approximately 00:59 the first officer requested taxi instructions Reno tower almost immediately thereafter cleared Galaxy 203 to taxi to runway 16R. The aircraft taxied to the runway and at 01:01:32 the first officer requested takeoff clearance. Four seconds later Galaxy 203 was given clearance to take off from runway 16R. While accelerating through V1 speed, a "thunking" type sound was heard, followed by another one just after V2. Heavy airframe vibration started after liftoff. The captain reacted to the airplane’s vibration by reducing power significantly in all four engines, indicating that he believed the vibration was caused by the powerplants or propellers. The airplane reached an altitude of about 200-250 feet and started a right hand turn to return to the airport. The Electra then entered an aerodynamic stall buffet because of insufficient engine power to maintain flight. The Electra crashed into a field, bounced, slid into some mobile homes and burst into flames. Of the 71 occupants, three initially survived the crash. One died on January 29, while the second died of injuries on February 4. The sole survivor, a 17-year-old male, was thrown clear of the airplane onto the adjacent highway.

During arrival to the Kansas City Downtown Airport, the flight was vectored for a VOR runway 03 approach, then was cleared for the approach and to circle and land on runway 36. On final approach, the aircraft was high and was not in a position to land, so the flight was cleared to circle left for another approach to land. The aircrew acknowledged and began circling left which took them in the vicinity of the Fairfax Airport. A short time later, the ATC controller cautioned that the flight might be lining up for the Fairfax Airport. Subsequently, the crew initiated a missed approach and were instructed to turn to 360° and climb to 3,000 feet. The aircraft began a steep climb to 3,100 feet, stalled and entered a steep descent. Before the descent was arrested, the aircraft impacted in a public water treatment plant. CVR recordings indicated that the 1st officer was flying the aircraft during the en route descent, VOR approach and circling approach, then the captain took control during the missed approach. An exam of the wreckage revealed no evidence of an airframe or powerplant problem. Also, there was no evidence that the cargo had shifted. All three crew members were killed.

Zantop ground personnel completed the loading of Flight 931 at 00:40. All cargo was bulk loaded and tied down on the right side of the airplane for the full length of the cargo compartment. Flight 931 departed the gate at Baltimore/Washington International Airport at 01:05 and took off on runway 28 at 01:10. At 01:11:42, Flight 931 contacted Baltimore departure control and was cleared to 13,000 feet. After switching to Washington ARTCC, the flight was cleared further FL220. At 01:32 a no. 2 gyro malfunction made the crew select the no. 1 gyro to drive both approach horizons and the problem appeared resolved. At 01:43:09, Cleveland ARTCC cleared Flight 931 direct to the Dryer VOR. After the turn to the Dryer VOR, the first officer’s approach horizon may have displayed incorrect pitch and roll information. The flightcrew may have received conflicting pitch and roll information from the two approach horizons as they attempted to recover from an unusual attitude. The flightcrew overstressed the airplane in an attempt to recover from the unusual attitude as the aircraft spiralled down. The Electra broke up and falling wreckage damaged some houses; however, most of the wreckage fell in uninhabited, wooded areas.

Prior to takeoff from Guatemala City to Tegucigalpa, one of the engine failed as well as a generator. Passengers were disembarked and the captain decided to fly to Tegucigalpa on three engines only. Less than one minute after takeoff, while climbing, the pilot reported a critical situation and requested an immediate return. While making a last turn, the airplane lost height and crashed on a residential area located 1,500 meters from the airport, bursting into flames. All six occupants were killed and 38 people on ground were injured. The aircraft and several houses were destroyed.

The four engine airplane departed Ogden-Hill AFB at 0445LT on a cargo flight to Nellis AFB on behalf of the USAF, carrying three crew members and 27,552 lbs of cargo. While climbing from 12,000 to 13,000 feet, the flight indicated to Salt Lake departure control that they had lost all electrical power, the flight requested no-gyro vectors to visual flight conditions and clearance for an immediate descent to a lower altitude. During the descent, the aircraft attained a high airspeed and high rate of descent and disintegrated in flight. The three crewmembers were killed and the aircraft was destroyed. The wreckage was dispersed along a path about 1 1/2 miles long on an abandoned airport located about 4 nmi south of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

On final approach to Inigok Airstrip by night, the pilot-in-command failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the four engine airplane struck obstacle on final approach, undershot and crashed in flames. All 15 occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The takeoff procedure was abandoned after the propeller on engine n°2 autofeathered. During the second takeoff, while in initial climb, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in flames by the runway. All three crew members were killed.

The four engine airplane departed San José-Juan Santamaría Airport at 1400LT on a cargo flight to Caracas, carrying one passenger, three crew members and a load of 16,330 kilos of frozen meat. While in cruising altitude over the Caribbean Sea, the airplane plunged into the sea in unknown circumstances, about 65 km east of Bocas del Toro, Panama. SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the airplane nor the four occupants was found.

The aircraft lifted off the 10,015-foot runway about 7,500 feet down the runway. During or just after liftoff the n°3 propeller was feathered. The aircraft climbed to 100 feet while yawing to the right. The crew retracted the landing gear and flaps before the aircraft reached the apex of the climb. It then rotated to a nose-high attitude, appeared to become laterally unstable, and struck the rising terrain in a tail-low attitude. Impact was about 4,300 feet beyond the end of the runway. The aft portion of the aircraft fuselage dragged along the ground for 220 feet in a right wing down attitude, after which the aircraft slid off the brow of a 13-foot embankment, crashed through the chain link perimeter fence at Agana NAS, crossed a highway, and burst into flames. The aircraft came to rest in an open area between residential areas, about 4,900 feet beyond the end of runway 06L. As the aircraft slid across the highway, it struck an automobile on the highway; the driver of the car was killed. A woman and her son, who were standing outside their residence just south of the impact site, were seriously burned by the heat of the burning fuel and were seriously injured by flying debris. All 45 occupants on board the Electra were killed.

After landing on an frozen lake cleared of snow, the four engine airplane ran off the end of runway, lost its right main gear and came to rest in flames. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.