Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain

At 2015 the flight contacted ARTCC and requested Dubuque weather. They were advised that Dubuque was 500 feet indefinite ceiling, sky obscured, visibility 1/2 mi fog and they would be vectored for a back course runway 13 approach. The flight then requested the front course approach to runway 31 and the controller advised the flight that it would be vectored to the ILS front course approach to runway 31. Approximately 40 seconds later the flight advised the controller that it would take the back course approach to runway 13. The landing minima for a straight-in ILS runway 31 is 1/2 mile visibility and for a straight-in LOC/DME back course approach to runway 13 3/4 mile visibility. The aircraft's wreckage was found in a valley about 3/4 mile short of runway 13 and approximately 100 feet below the runway elevation about two days after the crash. Both occupants were killed.

The twin engine airplane was performing a taxi flight from Rotterdam to Montceau-les-Mines with an intermediate stop in Troyes, carrying eight businessmen and two pilots. After leaving Troyes-Barberey Airport, the crew continued bound to the south under VFR mode at an altitude of 4,000 feet. About half an hour into the flight, the crew informed ATC he was descending to 2,000 feet. About six minutes later, while cruising in clouds, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located in the Bois de la Ravière, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found near Uchon, about 25 km northwest of Montceau-les-Mines Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 10 occupants were killed.

The aircraft departed Oakland, CA at 1733 PST on a night flight to Honolulu, HI. The flight proceeded without incident until approximately 0050 PST when the pilot advised that the left engine was slowly losing oil pressure. At that time, the aircraft was at an altitude of 6,000 feet. At 0205, the pilot reported he shut down the engine and was unable to maintain 6000 feet. A descent was started. In his last transmission at 0228 PST, the pilot reported that he was at 500 feet, barely maintaining altitude. Radio contact was lost when the aircraft was approximately 500 miles east of Honolulu. At 1559, the crew of a search aircraft sighted floating debris and one body floating in that area. A marker buoy was deployed, but no recovery was accomplish. The aircraft was presumed to have been destroyed and both occupants were presumed to have been fatally injured. The aircraft crashed in moderate sea conditions with waves heights estimated at three to five feet.

The twin engine aircraft was engaged in a crop spraying flight on behalf of the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources (Secretaría de Agricultura y Recursos Hidráulicos). One engineer and two pilots were on board. While flying at low height to spray screwworm, the airplane went out of control and crashed. All three occupants were killed.

After a missed approach at Asheville the flight was cleared to the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport at Greer, SC. Enroute to Greer radar contact was lost. In response to a query from Atlanta artcc the pilot verified his position as being on the 235° radial of Spartanburg VOR and 11.9 miles southwest. He was then cleared to descend to 2,700 feet and execute an ILS approach. The aircraft impacted a mountain at the 3,200 feet level. The wreckage was found on the 235° radial of the Sugarloaf mountain vortac and at 24 miles. Review of the aircraft's logbook revealed that mechanical irregularities reported were not corrected for long periods of time. No corrective action was listed for an "outer marker inop aural and visual (needs to be fixed now, since ADF is also inoperative) and 'light in #2 VOR head out'. The marker beacon was described as inoperative on three dates beginning 22 August 1981 and the ADF was described as inoperative on seven dates beginning 8 May 1981. No corrective action was listed for any entry about the marker beacon or ADF. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The aircraft crashed and burned shortly after taking off in darkness on an IFR flight plan. The weather was reported as indefinite ceiling, zero obscuration, visibility 1/4 mile with fog, wind 120° at 5 knots. A number of witnesses heard the aircraft, both before and after takeoff. The consensus of their statements indicated that one engine lost power while the other continued running at a high power setting. An investigation revealed that an intense post crash fire had consumed most of the aircraft. There was evidence that the plane had crashed in a steep nose down, right wing low attitude and did not move after impact. The right propeller was found in a feathered position. The left propeller blades were curled and twisted. Both engines were disassemble, but no evidence of a mechanical failure was found. The gear and flaps were retracted and the cowl flaps were closed. All three occupants were killed.

The flight was conducting single-engine flight tests with the inboard gear doors removed and was being photographed by a chase aircraft. At the end of the tests the pilot was unable to restart the left engine and returned for a single-engine landing. The pilot overshot the landing attempt and executed a single-engine go-around. The pilot then reported he had a gear problem. An occupant of the chase aircraft reported that the main gear were hanging 75 to 80 degrees from the horizontal. A company employee at the airport reported that the nose gear was about 10° aft of the normal down and locked position. The aircraft continued on a wsw heading away from the airport, passing over several suitable emergency landing sites while in a slow descent until colliding with the guy/grounding wire atop a powerline pole located 4 miles wsw of the arpt. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.

The twin engine airplane departed Lanseria Airport on a short flight to Pretoria-Wonderboon, carrying four passengers and one pilot. On approach, it collided with a South African Air Force Swearingen SA226AT Merlin IVA registered ZS-JLZ. On a flight from Windhoek, the Merlin was descending to Waterkloof AFB with six passengers and two pilots on board. Following the collision, both aircraft entered a dive and crashed between the districts of Laudium and Erasmia, southeast of Pretoria. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 13 occupants were killed.

The twin engine airplane departed Barrancabermeja-Yariguíes Airport on a charter flight to Cimitarra, carrying four passengers and a crew of two. On final approach, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances few km short of runway. All six occupants were killed.

On final approach to Pikangikum Airport, one of the engine failed. The pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed few km from the airfield. All four occupants were killed.