Boise

Shortly after departure and level off, the pilot reported an engine malfunction and initiated a return to the airport. About 2 minutes later, he reported an engine fire and declared an emergency. Approximately one minute thereafter, the right wing separated from the aircraft and the plane crashed. An exam of the wreckage revealed extensive inflight fire damage in the area of separation. A 2.5 by 3 inches hole was found in the right inboard exhaust tube, pn 0850712-6. It was oriented toward the accessory compartment with numerous fuel and oil lines which were fire damaged and charred. Also, much of the engine support structure and wing spar were melted in that area. An exam of the exhaust tube revealed its walls were thin, brittle and discolored in the area of the rupture and several areas of cracks and small holes were found. The exhaust tube had 5,862 hours of total service and 1,762 hours since it was overhauled. Records showed that ad 75-23-08 had been complied with during the last inspection, 25 flight hours prior to the accident. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

About 1100 mst, on February 15,1983, a Sierra Pacific Airlines DHC-6, operating as Transwestern Flight 868, crashed during its final approach to a landing on runway 31, 1.7 mile south of the Friedman Memorial Airport at Hailey, Idaho. Flight 868 was a regularly scheduled commuter passenger flight between Boise and Hailey, Idaho. There were two flightcrew members and six passengers on board the flight. One passenger escaped with minor injuries, but all the other occupants sustained serious injuries in the accident. There was no fire. About 800 feet above the small town of Bellevue, 2 miles south of the airport, the captain reduced power in order to configure the airplane for its final approach. Immediately afterward, the captain realized that he had lost eleva control of the airplane. The airplane nosed over and descended steeply. The captain attempted to control the pitch of the airplane by adding power; it began to recover but it crash landed on a highway in a slight nosedown attitude, with the right wing slightly down The airplane then veered off the highway, struck a 4-foot-high snowbank, and broke apart.

Before takeoff, the pilot filed a company flight plan for a VFR flight from Boise to Salmon, ID. He reported that during initial climb, the engine surged, then seemed to return to normal operation. He reduced the power to 33 inches of manifold pressure and set the propeller to 2,550 rpm. Shortly thereafter, the engine began losing power again, there was a second surge, then the propeller stopped. During an emergency landing, the pilot elected to cross over a road and land in an open field. He saw a power line along the road at the edge of the field and elected to cross under it to land. However, he did not see a single telephone pole on the opposite side of the road. The left wing struck the pole and the plane cartwheeled and crashed. Three occupants escaped with minor injuries and four others were uninjured. An investigation revealed that the crankshaft had failed from fatigue.

While descending by night to Twin Falls, both engines stopped simultaneously. Due to loss of speed, the airplane lost height. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing when the airplane struck power cables and crashed in a snow covered field. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The pilot, sole on board, was preparing for a local fire fighting mission. While taxiing on the apron, the Invader collided with a private Beechcraft M24R registered N2529W with one pilot on board. Following the collision, both aircraft caught fire and were destroyed. The pilot on board the Beechcraft was killed instantly while the pilot on board the Invader was seriously injured. He died three days later from his injuries.

While in cruising altitude, the left engine caught fire and exploded. Shortly later, the left wing separated. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed near Fairfield, killing all five occupants.

While descending to Boise International Airport by night and marginal weather conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck a mountain located 10 miles northeast of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both pilots were killed.

On approach to Boise Airport, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure when the aircraft struck a dirt bank and crashed, bursting into flames. Both occupants, performing a demo flight, were killed.

On final approach to Billings-Logan Airport, one of the engine failed. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in flames onto a house. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

On the non stop leg from Boise to Denver, while flying by night and poor visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Elk located southeast of Elk Mountain, south Wyoming. The wreckage was found few hours later in a deep snow and in poor weather conditions, about 340 feet from the summit. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 21 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight path by 4,5 miles and its altitude was 11,000 feet.