Crash of a Partenavia P.68C-TC in Meyrin: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1985 at 1904 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-GEML
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Geneva - Stuttgart
MSN:
257-15
YOM:
1982
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
234
Captain / Total hours on type:
28.00
Aircraft flight hours:
631
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Geneva-Cointrin Airport runway 23 in poor visibility due to foggy conditions, the pilot initiated a right turn. While flying at an altitude of 100 feet, the twin engine aircraft struck the concrete block of a lift cable system located on the roof of a residential building of seven floors located in the city of Meyrin. Out of control, the aircraft lost height and crashed on a second building located less than 2 km west of the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all three occupants were killed. Both buildings were damaged and 51 vehicles in few parkings were damaged or demolished.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the aircraft was in an uncontrolled attitude while in a right turn in flight conditions of limited visibility due to fog. Given his low height, the pilot was unable to restore the situation in time and to gain sufficient altitude. One or more of the following factors may have played a role in the accident:
- A too sharp turn during initial climb,
- The pilot was distracted in the aircraft handling,
- The pilot's lack of experience,
- Possible residuals wake turbulence caused by a Boeing 737 that departed shortly before the accident, and
- A possible failure of the artificial horizon.
Final Report:

Crash of a Partenavia P.68B Victor near Adelaide: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1985
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-YIH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
134
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in an open field located about 80 km south of Adelaide and burnt. Both occupants were killed.

Crash of a Partenavia P.68C Victor near Tilden

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1985 at 1300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N76L
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Corpus Christi - Houston
MSN:
292
YOM:
1983
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
6020
Captain / Total hours on type:
712.00
Aircraft flight hours:
727
Circumstances:
After approximately 1.5 hours of pipeline patrol flight at a planned altitude of 500 feet agl the aircraft flew into the flat terrain in a landing attitude. The aircraft went through a wire fence, heavy brush and small trees before coming to rest 437 feet from initial ground contact with all 3 gear collapsed. A physical examination and the pilot's statement indicate that the pilot was operating under an extreme amount of stress which may have resulted in chronic fatigue at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, he was accustomed to a very heavy flight schedule. The chief pilot attempted to assign an additional pilot but company budget constraints prevented such an assignment.
Probable cause:
Occurrence #1: in flight collision with terrain/water
Phase of operation: descent - uncontrolled
Findings
1. (c) proper altitude - not maintained - pilot in command
2. (c) descent - inadvertent - pilot in command
3. (f) fatigue (chronic) - pilot in command
4. Company-induced pressure - company/operator management
5. Terrain condition - ground
----------
Occurrence #2: complete gear collapsed
Phase of operation: other
Findings
6. Landing gear - overload
Final Report:

Crash of a Partenavia P.68 off Kinshasa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1983
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
9Q-CEZ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
197
YOM:
1979
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Kinshasa-Ndolo Airport, while climbing in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in the Zaire River few hundred meters offshore. The pilot, sole on board, was killed and the aircraft sank.

Crash of a Partenavia P.68C in Strasbourg: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1983 at 1135 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HB-LNK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Strasbourg - Paris
MSN:
224
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
700
Captain / Total hours on type:
187.00
Aircraft flight hours:
193
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Strasbourg-Entzheim Airport on a private flight to Paris-Le Bourget, carrying one pilot and one passenger. After takeoff from runway 23, while in initial climb, the aircraft crossed the clouds twice then entered a nose-down attitude and crashed one km from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The loss of control seems to be essentially due to the spatial disorientation from which the pilot must have suffered when entering the cloud layer only a few seconds after rotation, disorientation which led him to follow an erratic trajectory both in heading and in altitude. This disorientation can be explained by the pilot's non-qualification for IFR flights and his lack of experience in IMC conditions. The assumption of a malfunction of the autopilot system causing the aircraft to perform inappropriate maneuvers that the pilot would have been unable to counter cannot be ruled out, although the pilot was aware of the dysfunction of this equipment.
Final Report:

Crash of a Partenavia P.68C in Plainview: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1983 at 1425 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N29561
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Plainview - Plainview
MSN:
266
YOM:
1982
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
342
Circumstances:
The pilot was executing a high speed pass over the runway at about 250 feet agl. The pilot then began a rapid pull-up and both wings separated just outboard of the engine nacelles. Reconstruction of the sequence from a videotape revealed that the aircraft's speed at the time of the wing separations was 220 knots. Vne for the aircraft is 193 knots. It was calculated that, at 220 knots and an 8° nose-up pitch, the 'g' load at the time of the wing separations would have been 8.3 g's. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
Occurrence #1: airframe/component/system failure/malfunction
Phase of operation: maneuvering
Findings
1. (c) in-flight planning/decision - improper - pilot in command
2. (c) overconfidence in aircraft's ability - pilot in command
3. (c) airspeed - exceeded - pilot in command
4. (c) wing - overload
5. (c) design stress limits of aircraft - exceeded - pilot in command
6. (f) wing - failure,total
7. (f) wing - separation
----------
Occurrence #2: in flight collision with terrain/water
Phase of operation: maneuvering
Final Report:

Crash of a Partenavia P.68B Victor in Biberach an der Riss: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1983 at 1126 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-GFPH
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Stuttgart – Biberach an der Riss
MSN:
166
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While approaching Biberach an der Riss Airport on a short flight from Stuttgart, the twin engine airplane collided with a French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) Mirage IIIR registered 342/33-CA. Both aircraft entered a dive and crashed onto several houses located between the villages of Assmannshardt and Birkenhardt, north of the airfield. Both occupants of the Partenavia, the pilot of the Mirage and four people on the ground were killed. A dozen other people on the ground were injured, some of them seriously.

Crash of a Partenavia P.68B Victor near Rimini: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1983
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
I-IEAC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
135
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route, one of the engine failed. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed on highway Bologna - Rimini. Both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Partenavia P.68 in Breendonk: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 18, 1982
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
OO-TPN
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
88
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane was flying at a very low altitude when it struck the top of a house and crashed. All six occupants were killed.

Crash of a Partenavia AP.68TP-100 off Gatea: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1982
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-RAIO
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Naples - Naples
MSN:
6002
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft (second P.68 prototype) departed Naples-Capodichino on a local test flight. While cruising over the gulf of Gaeta, the pilot encountered controllability problems. The airplane entered a dive and crashed into the sea off Gaeta. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
During the second experimental flight, due to turbulences generated by both turpoprop engines, stabilizers were damaged in an extensive manner, causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable on its pitch axis.