Waukesha

The airplane sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Thedford, Nebraska. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during landing, when the nose wheel made contact with the runway, the airplane began to veer right. He attempted to use left rudder and brake to keep the airplane on the runway, but as the airspeed decreased, directional control became harder to maintain and the airplane subsequently departed the right side of the runway. During the runway excursion, the airplane impacted a runway light, spun left and the landing gear collapsed. During a post accident examination, it was determined that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

The airplane departed New Orleans-Lakefront Airport on a cargo flight to Waukesha, carrying three crew members and a load consisting of 53 dogs in dog crates. On final approach to Waukesha Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with limited visibility due to snow falls. The airplane crash landed into the third hole on the Western Lakes Golf Course located about 5,5 km short of runway 10 threshold. The airplane slid on its belly for few dozen metres on a snow covered ground before colliding with trees. There was no fire. All three crew members and all 53 dogs were uninjured. Both wings were severely damaged due to the collision with trees.

Shortly after takeoff at less than 200 feet above ground level the pilot reported an engine failure, and requested to return to the airport. The controller saw the airplane in a right turn, descending, and observed the airplane level its wings just prior to impact with the tips of trees. The airplane collided with terrain approximately 2,000 feet east of the approach end of runway 20L. A post crash fire ensued and consumed a majority of the airplane. Examination of both engines displayed contact signatures to their internal components characteristic of the engines being powered, with the propellers out of feather at the time of impact, and a low power range. Examination of the propellers found the left propeller blades showed more damage then the blades from the right propeller. Both propellers were rotating with considerable rotational energy. However, examination showed that the left propeller had more power then the right.

During the activation of the crew oxygen system a fire erupted which consumed the entire pressure vessel. Representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC), White Sands Testing Facility (WSTF), Las Cruces, New Mexico, examined the retained oxygen system components. Examination of these components revealed that the fire's initiation location was the first stage pressure reducer located in the oxygen regulator assembly.

While in normal cruise over Lake Michigan, the pilot reported engine problems. He lost control of the airplane that entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into Lake Michigan off Muskegon. The wreckage and all five occupants were not recovered.

While descending into the traffic pattern to Waukesha Airport, at an altitude of 800 feet, the Cessna 402 collided with a Cessna 150 registered N6175G with two people on board. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in flames in a field. All three occupants were killed.