Seattle

The pilot-in-command (PIC) departed Lake Union seaplane base with four British Broadcasting Company passengers aboard the De Havilland DHC-2 'Beaver.' The passengers were engaged in aerial videography of an east/west geological fault line crossing from south Seattle through Blakely Harbor near the south end of Bainbridge Island. An onboard video recorder captured a voice instructing 'Keep as low as you can and slow as you can while we're doing this please... .' The PIC's first pass over the south end of Bainbridge Island was uneventful and the aircraft was maneuvered for a second pass. The PIC reported that approaching the upsloping, tree covered terrain he applied climb flaps and power but shortly thereafter realized the climb rate was less than he expected. He attempted a shallow left turn towards down sloping terrain and then leveled the wings as the aircraft descended into the treetops. The scenario was corroborated by two onboard video recordings. The pilot reported no powerplant or control system malfunction during the accident flight. He also reported encountering a downdraft condition over the tree covered terrain. Winds remained below 12 knots throughout the day at reporting stations near the accident site, and the video recordings showed no wind streaking and only sporadic whitecaps on the surface of Puget Sound during the transit from Seattle to the south end of Bainbridge Island.

Aircraft was performing test flight maneuvers when problems with the modified fuel system occurred. Ice blocking a fuel vent line caused a partial collapse of the main (engine feed) fuel cell which produced an erroneous fuel quantity reading. In addition, the main tank overflow shut off valve was leaking, so tank overflow occurred. The fuel overflow caution light illuminated and auxiliary tank fuel pump feed to main automatically shut down. Due to miscalibration, this system overrode pilot attempts to restart aux fuel pumps. Pilot remained in test area troubleshooting rather than immediate return to base, finally noted main tank gage continuing to read 'full.' En route to Boeing Field, fuel starvation occurred. Pilot opted to attempt forced landing in small athletic field in residential area rather than ditch in puget sound. The aircraft touched down in intended landing area, then bounced across an adjacent street. The arresting action of telephone wires on the vertical fin brought the aircraft to rest in a residential backyard. All three occupants were injured, one seriously.

The aircraft collided with a hilltop during a missed approach in IMC weather. The aircraft was on an IFR flight plan. The pilot stated visual contact was established at about 2,000 feet msl but ground features were masked in snow. When the pilot did not see the airport at the proper time he commenced a missed approach and the aircraft struck the ground. Investigation revealed that the obs (vor course indicator) was set on 222° instead of 202° for the published inbound heading. The resultant course passed directly over the accident site. The aircraft was not observed on radar because of its low alt. The pilot, sole on board, was seriously injured.

The four engine airplane departed Columbus-Municipal (Bakalar) Airport on a cargo flight to Seattle, carrying a load of aircraft spare parts. After takeoff, during initial climb, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, struck power cables, stalled and crashed in flames in a soybean field. Both pilots and a passenger were killed while five other occupants were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Columbia Pacific Airlines Flight 23, a Beech 99 (N199EA), was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR 135 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Richland to Seattle, Washington. The crew arrived at Richland at 1525 P.s.t. on Flight 18 from Seattle. When they arrived, N199EA was being inspected to fulfill the requirements of an Airworthiness Directive. The aircraft was not available to the crew for preflight inspection until 1630; Flight 23 was scheduled to depart at 1640. At 1628, the captain was briefed on weather by the Walla Walla, Washington, Flight Service Station (FSS), and he filed a dispatch release which contained aircraft weight and balance, route of flight, and weather information. About 1630, the aircraft was fueled and 600 lbs of baggage was loaded. About 1635, the first officer left the terminal building and connected the auxiliary power unit to the aircraft. He then inspected the aircraft and boarded; the captain boarded shortly thereafter. When the passenger boarding call was made, the captain left the aircraft to obtain magazines for the passengers. He was seen getting into his seat when the first passenger boarded. At 1646, the first officer contacted the Pasco Airport Traffic Control Tower, using Flight No. 29, and advised that they were taxiing and would request an instrument flight rules clearance to Seattle via Yakima, Washington, when airborne. The Pasco Control Tower received no further calls from Flight 23. The first officer informed operations on company frequency that they would be departing shortly and would relay their estimated time of arrival in Seattle when airborne. There were no further radio communications with the crew. The aircraft daily flight log for February 10 showed that the aircraft left the ramp at 1645 and took off at 1648. In general, witnesses described the aircraft's attitude at liftoff as normal and estimated the point of liftoff between 1,173 and 1,486 ft; however, immediately thereafter the aircraft began a steep climb at an angle of 20' to 45" to an altitude of 300 to 400 ft above the runway and then appeared to decelerate. The wings rocked or wobbled at the top of the climb, and the aircraft turned or yawed to the left.
The nose dropped and the aircraft descended to the ground at a flightpath angle estimated to have been 45°. Fuel from ruptured fuel tanks caught fire after the aircraft hit the ground. Fire consumed the aircraft within 7 minutes. All 17 occupants were killed.

While approaching San Antonio Airport by night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low ceiling, rain and fog. Too low, the airplane struck trees and crashed in flames few miles short of runway 12R. It was destroyed by a post crash fire and both pilots were killed.

While in cruising altitude on a flight from Salem to Seattle, the pilot encountered icing conditions and was cleared to divert to Portland. Shortly later, control was lost and the airplane entered a dive. Both wings and elevators separated prior to final impact. All three occupants were killed.

Just after liftoff from Port Angeles-Callam County Airport, the twin engine aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height then stalled and crashed in flames. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 10 occupants were killed.

While cruising at an altitude of 12,000 feet on a flight from Buckley AFB, Denver, and Seattle, the navigator informed ATC about difficulties to maintain the assigned altitude and was cleared to descend to 10,500 feet. Few minutes later, the copilot reported icing conditions to ATC and requested the permission to gain altitude. About 20 minutes later, while cruising at the altitude of 10,000 feet in marginal weather conditions, the four engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Tobin (2,980 meters high). The wreckage was found few hours later about 300 meters below the summit and all 19 occupants have been killed.

Flight 2 was scheduled daily between Seattle, Washington. and New York, New York, with intermediate stops at Portland, Oregon, and Chicago., Illinois. It departed Seattle-Tacoma Airport at 0806 on an IFR flight plan to Portland, Oregon, via Victor Airway 23 to cruise at 6,000 feet. There were 32 passengers arid a crew of six consisting of Captain Robert Reeve Heard, First Officer Gene Paul Johnson, Flight Engineer Carl Vernon Thomsen, Flight Service Attendant David V. Razey, Senior Stewardess Elinor A. Whitacre. and Junior Stewardess Dorothy L. Oetting. Takeoff was made on runway 20 and the flight climbed to an altitude of 1,000 to 1,200 feet. At this time power reduced and the wing flaps which had been set at the normal 25-degree takeoff position, were retracted at an airspeed of 145 knots. Immediately the crew became aware of severe buffeting and a strong tendency of the aircraft to roll to the left. Because the buffeting began almost immediately after the flaps ware retracted, the captain believed that it was due to a split-flap condition, i. e., the wing flaps on one side of the aircraft being retracted while the flaps on the other side remained partially or fully down. Power was reduced momentarily in an attempt to alleviate the buffeting but this was not effective and maximum continuous power was again restored. After being cleared by the Seattle tower for return the captain decided not to turn the aircraft because of control difficulty and advised that he would proceed to McChord Air Force Base at Tacoma. Thereafter, the captain testified the trouble became worse and the aircraft continued to lose altitude. The captain elected to ditch and did so at approximately 0810. Touchdown was on smooth water at an airspeed of approximately 120 knots and there was no abrupt deceleration. Passengers and crew members, except the captain and first officer, left the aircraft through the main cabin door and emergency exits. The captain and first officer, after a passenger count, left the aircraft through cockpit windows and swam to the left and right wings, respectively. The aircraft sank in approximately 15 minutes and by that time all persons on the wings had been supplied with buoyant cushions from the cabin seats. Those who survived were rescued by surface craft from the 42-degree F. water within 30 to 35 minutes from the time of ditching.