Piper PA-31-310 Navajo

The aircraft was being operated on a regular freight carrying run between Dysart and Rockhampton. On the evening preceding the accident, the aircraft departed Dysart at 2045 hours, arriving at Rockhampton at 2139 hours. At 0222 hours on the following morning the pilot telephoned Brisbane Flight Service Centre to obtain an update on the weather for the return flight to Dysart. The forecast indicated that at the time of arrival at Dysart, light rain with 5 oktas of cloud at 700 feet above ground level, could be expected. The pilot nominated Rockhampton as the alternate for Dysart in the event that weather conditions at the latter aerodrome precluded a safe approach and landing. The aircraft was refuelled to give a total fuel endurance of 290 minutes, and after loading departed Rockhampton at 0354 hours. At 0435 hours, the pilot reported that descent had been commenced into Dysart and because of poor reception on High Frequency radio channels further communications with VH-CLU were relayed by another aircraft in the area, VH-EEF on Very High Frequency channels. After communications with VH-CLU, the pilot of VH-EEF advised Brisbane Flight Service Unit (FSU) at 0453 hours, that the runway lighting was not yet displayed. The runway lighting at Dysart was provided by a number of hand-lit flares. The lighting of these flares was carried out by an employee of the company operating VH-CLU, and normally took about ten minutes. On this occasion the employee had overslept and arrived at the aerodrome at about the same time that the aircraft flew overhead. At 0501 hours further attempts by the pilot of VH-EEF and Brisbane FSU to contact VH-CLU were unsuccessful. The wreckage of the aircraft was later located about 800 metres to the west of the aerodrome. The aircraft had struck trees while heading in a direction aligned with runway 14 but displaced to the west of the runway. It had been destroyed as a result of the impact forces. Witnesses reported that when VH-CLU arrived at Dysart it was not raining, however, low cloud was present. The aircraft was observed to complete three orbits of the aerodrome and at times during these orbits it was obscured by cloud. Both occupants were killed.

The aircraft crashed at night near a private strip in marginal weather conditions. The gear was found in the up position, the right engine was broken off, the nose section was crushed back to the windshield, and both propellers were bent and twisted. About 1,300 lbs of marijuana was found on board.

The aircraft crashed and burned about half a mile from the approach end of runway 12. A witness reported that 'the plane just fell' while the pilot was making a sharp turn. An estimated 1,500 lbs of marijuana was on board.

The airplane crashed while attempting an approach to Tompkins County Airport, Ithaca, New York, an en route stop from schedule flight 141 from Utica to Washington DC. The flight crew had contacted Elmira approach control and had received instructions for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 32 at Tompkins County Airport. About 07:40 EST, the copilot declared an emergency stating that the airplane had a landing flap problem; he later stated that only one flap was down. He also stated that they were not able to maintain altitude and that the airplane was descending. Elmira approach lost radar contact with the airplane about 07:41 EST; the last radio transmission from the flight was recorded about 07:45 EST. The airplane crashed in a wooded area near three suburban residences. The pilot and copilot, the only persons aboard, were killed. There were no injuries to personnel on the ground. The airplane was destroyed by impact and post impact fire.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in a canal near Homestead. The aircraft ground looped and came to rest in water. It was unable to contact the registered owner and injury index is presumed.

The pilot, sole on board, departed Fayetteville, NC, on a flight to Wilmington to demonstrate the airplane to potential customers. After being cleared for a VOR approach to runway 34, the pilot started the descent in bad weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. In severe turbulences, control was lost and the airplane stalled and crashed in a field. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

The twin engine airplane departed Carnarvon on an ambulance flight to Mount Augustus to evacuate a sick child. On board were one nurse and one pilot. The approach to Mount Augustus was initiated in limited visibility due to a moonless night and six vehicles were dispatched on the ground with lights on. While turning on final, the airplane was too low, struck trees and crashed. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff from Ajaccio-Campo dell’Oro Airport. The pilot, sole on board, was rescued while the aircraft was lost.

En route from Houston to Mineral Wells, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulences. While flying in adverse weather conditions, he suffered a spatial disorientation and lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in a field near Hammond, bursting into flames. All three occupants were killed.

The pilot acted as a relief pilot for the Eastern Goldfields Section of the Royal Flying Doctor Service based in Kalgoorlie. On 30 April 1981 he had been rostered as the duty pilot from 1100 hours to 1700 hours. He was advised by the chief pilot soon after 1100 hours that a flight to Jameson and return was required. The flight was planned to include a refuelling stop at Warburton en-route to Jameson. The pilot expressed concern that the flight might not be completed in daylight, but after discussing the problem with the chief pilot, it was concluded that the flight should return to Kalgoorlie about ten minutes before last light. The aircraft subsequently departed Kalgoorlie at 1221 hours, and the flight proceeded uneventfully. However, delays en-route and in refuelling resulted in the aircraft not departing Jameson until 1609 hours. Based on the flight plan time intervals, the expected arrival time at Kalgoorlie was 1844 hours which was an hour after last light. The pilot did not hold the necessary qualification allowing him to operate a multiengined aircraft at night, although he held such a rating for single-engined aircraft. He elected to proceed as planned, and declared the last section of the flight a Mercy Flight. At 1828 hours, when 55 km from Kalgoorlie, the pilot contacted Kalgoorlie Flight Service Unit and received details of the weather, as recorded thirty minutes earlier. This information included an observation of lightning to the west-south-west and a line of thunderstorms from north-west to south of the aerodrome. At 1840 hours, when about 13 km from Kalgoorlie he advised that he would use runway 28. No further communication was heard from the aircraft. Witnesses at Boulder, 4 km east of Kalgoorlie, subsequently reported that a severe squall entered the area shortly before the aircraft was seen turning on to final approach for the runway. The strong wind had generated dust clouds and the aircraft was seen to enter one of these, whilst executing a number of sudden attitude changes. It then collided with a mineshaft headframe. The left wing was torn from the aircraft which then crashed to the ground nearby. A passenger was seriously injured while four other occupants were killed.