Tucson

The flight departed without a flight plan or weather brief. En route deteriorating weather was encountered and an IFR flight plan was filed to a revised destination. Clearance was received for a VOR approach and the pilot was advised of 1/2 mile visibility in snow and fog. A missed approach was reported over the unicom frequency. Impact occurred with a heading of about 170° at 7,700 feet msl in mountainous terrain on the 173° radial, 7.3 miles from the VOR. The inbound course to the final approach fix was 170° with an inbound final approach course of 196°. Airport elevation was 5,914 feet msl. The airport was located on the 196° radial, 5.5 miles from the VOR final approach fix. The VOR approach to runway 21 called for a missed approach to be executed at 5.5 DME from the VOR and a minimum descent altitude of 6,600 feet. All five occupants were killed.

During approach, a fire erupted in the wheel well of the 22-year old airplane. The fire burned thru the hydraulic lines rendering the a, b, and standby hydraulic systems inoperative. The crew landed the airplane using the emergency manual reversion flight control system. However, the airplane was unable to stop on the runway because of the previous failures of the check valves in the backup hydraulic accumulator pressure systems for the #2 thrust reverser and the inboard pair of wheel brakes. During the 2 minutes rollout, the airplane traversed 14,000 feet, overran the runway end, and collided with a concrete structure which collapsed the nose gear. The airplane had recently undergone a 'C' check during which the operator's mechanics failed to observe and repair an electric wire which had been chafing against a hydraulic line. On the accident flight the energized wire arced, punctured the line, and ignited the escaping hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic check valves had failed earlier due to mechanical wear.

The pilot contacted the arsa controller for advisories after losing power on the right engine over an air force base. The controller advised the pilot that his position was near a civilian airport with limited maintenance facilities and an air force base. The pilot advised that he desired to continue to a larger civilian airport along his route where he could obtain service. The pilot then informed the controller that he could barley see the ground and that he was unable to maintain altitude due to the propeller not feathering. The aircraft overflew a small civilian airport and the pilot told the unicom operator that he would attempt to land on an interstate highway. The aircraft overflew the highway and impacted an electrical transmission line and collided with a residence. Post accident inspection revealed the right engine #3 cylinder head fractured allowing the head to displace outward 3/8 inch. Fracture resulted from fatigue at threaded area between head and cylinder. The propeller governor operated normally during functional testing after the accident. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

After landing at the aircraft's manufacturer facility with an asymmetric fuel condition and an inoperative yaw damper the crew elected to continue the flight to their destination without correcting the deficiencies. Enroute the captain informed air traffic controllers that he had fuel coming from one tank and that he doubted that had fuel available to reach his destination. The controller cleared the aircraft to land at a March AFB, the nearby airport. As the aircraft turned onto the final approach it rolled inverted and impacted the ground inverted short of runway 32. Both pilots were killed.

The pilot, executing an ILS approach, observed a primary hydraulic pressure drop and declared his intent to land without the use of flaps, speed brakes, reversers or nose wheel steering. The aircraft ran off the end of the runway during landing, traveled approximately 1,300 feet and came to rest on a golf course after striking two vehicles and a chain link fence. Post accident investigation revealed 0.8 quarts of hydraulic fluid (skydrol) in the reservoir. Reservoir capacity is 1.28 u.s. gallon. The pilot stated he pumped the brakes on approach to build pressure in the emergency brake system. The pilot announced he had no braked after touchdown. The Jet Commander 1121 operator's manual cautions against this practice. A functional check of the thrust reversers by on-scene investigators produced two complete cycles of operation. Two persons located in a ground vehicle were injured during the overrun landing.

Shortly after takeoff at about 800 feet agl, the left engine oil temperature became high and reportedly there was a loss of oil pressure. The pilot reported that he then feathered the left engine and declared an emergency. On final approach, he did not get a safe gear indication. The pilot started that he attempted to go around. But at about that time, he was committed to land. While maneuvering, the aircraft crashed in the desert. There was 2,700 lbs of cargo on board. The elevation was about 3,950 feet and the temperature was reported at 72 degrees Fahrenheit. All three occupants were uninjured.

En route from Tucson to Dodge City in good weather conditions, the right engine caught fire. The pilot shut down the engine and as he was unable to maintain a safe altitude, he attempted an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in a field near Cliff and came to rest in flames. The pilot, sole on board, escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

While on a taxi flight from Guaymas to Tucson, the pilot contacted ATC and reported an engine fire. He was cleared to divert to Magdalena de Kino Airport for an emergency landing when on final, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. Both occupants were killed, among them the American guitarist Norman Douglas Sholin aged 29.

The crew departed Tucson Airport in the early morning on a firefighting mission in the region of Safford. While flying at low height over the forest in fire, the airplane struck trees and crashed in a mountain slope. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both occupants were killed.

While approaching Sells, Arizona, the twin engine airplane was flying at a very low altitude (30 feet above the ground) when it struck a cactus and crashed in flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.