Volpar Turboliner 18

After rotation, during the initial climb, the nose of the airplane pitched up to approximately 60° above the horizon. The airplane continued to climb until about 250 feet above the ground, then rolled right, pitched down and descended. The airplane impacted the ground, approximately 45° nose down, 650 feet to the right of the runway. Post accident investigation of the wreckage revealed the elevator jammed in the full up deflection. The upper end of the elevator control rod was found not connected to the elevator, but was found laying aft, wedged between the tail cone and the elevator faring, holding the elevator in the full up position. The control rod connecting bolt was found laying in the bottom of the tail cone undamaged. The washer, nut and cotter pin related to the control rod connecting bolt were not found. The elevator had been removed, recovered and then installed by company maintenance personnel 166 flight hours prior to the accident. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The pilot supervised the loading of the airplane. According to info from a person that helped load the plane, the bill of loading, and actual weights and measurements of the cargo after the accident, the plane was loaded to a gross weight of 11,979 lbs with the cg 2.7 inches behind the aft limit. At the destination, the flight was vectored for an ILS runway 10 approach. About 3 miles from the runway, the pilot was told to make a missed approach due to inadequate separation from traffic. The pilot acknowledged, but soon thereafter, radar contact with the plane was lost. Witnesses saw the plane descend from a low cloud layer before it crashed. One witness said its wings were moving from side to side and the plane was falling faster than it was moving forward. There was evidence the plane had impacted in a flat attitude with little forward movement. Four cargo straps were found loose with no sign of tensile overload; 3 others and a restraining board were found loose as if they had not been used. No preimpact mechanical problem was found. The wind was from 090° at 21 gusting 32 kts. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

While enroute to home base after delivery of revenue cargo, the pilot experienced a total loss of engine power in both engines due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot performed emergency procedures and set the aircraft up for a forced landing in a grassy field on the edge of a lake. The aircraft initially impacted a tree and the rocky berm of the shoreline. The contact with the berm caused the landing gear to break off, the aircraft swerved around and skidded backwards before coming to a rest about 150 feet from the lakeshore. Post accident investigation revealed less than 2 gallons of fuel in each wing tank.

After takeoff pic was told by tower that tail stand, used to prevent aircraft from tipping on tail when loaded, was still attached to aircraft. Pic requested teardrop turn back to departure runway. Approach controller stated he saw mode C indication of 700 feet. Airport elevation is 332 feet. Aircraft was returning to runway 36R when it stalled, recovery was attempted, and aircraft impacted ground prior to completion of level off. Aircraft was 379 lbs over max takeoff weight and cg was at least 3 inches forward of the limit. No record of load manifest was found. Pic had low pic experience and received 2.7 documented flight hours with the operator's instructor pilot including his 135 competency check ride of 1.1 hours. Operator's initial training certification of pic showed 5 hours of flight training. Aircraft was a modified Beechcraft TC-45J initially built in 1943 and rebuilt by Hamilton in 1971. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Jeddah.

On approach to Dutch Harbor, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. On final, the twin engine airplane was too low and struck the ground few miles short of runway and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Lost without trace while completing a ferry flight from Midway Island to Adak, Aleutians Islands. The pilot did not send any distress call. SAR operations did not find any trace from the aircraft nor the pilot.

On approach to Lupine Airstrip, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low ceiling, fog and snow falls. On final, he decided to make a low pass and reduced his altitude when the airplane stalled and crashed. All six occupants were killed.

After takeoff from Johannesburg-Jan Smuts Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane exploded in mid-air and crashed in flames 12 km north of the airfield. All three occupants were killed.

Shortly after a night takeoff from Cleveland-Hopkins Airport, the left engine lost power. The airplane lost speed and height, struck trees and the roof of a house and crashed. A pilot was killed while the second occupants was seriously injured.