United States of America

The pilot bent down to retrieve the fire extinguisher between his feet and to replace it in the bracket located under the pilot's seat. When he looked up he saw a hill in front of the airplane. He pulled up and the airplane struck the hill but continued to fly. He pulled back on the yoke and added full power and the airplane entered the clouds. He noticed he was about to stall the airplane so he lowered the nose and the airplane immediately struck the hill again and nosed over.

The Sherpa departed Fort Rucker-Cairns AAF on a training flight, carrying three crew members who were supposed to test the aircraft in special configuration. Two hours and 45 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 5,336 feet in good weather conditions, the aircraft became unstable and rolled to the right to an angle of 12° then to the left to an angle of 35°. It entered an uncontrolled descent before crashing in an open field located 4 miles north of Colquitt, bursting into flames. All three occupants were killed. It was determined that control was lost while the aircraft' speed was 89 knots. Originally, the crew was supposed to simulate an engine failure at the altitude of 10,000 feet but apparently encountered problems as the aircraft' speed was dropping by the order of one knot per second before it became unstable. At the time of the accident, the total weight of the aircraft and its CofG were within limits.

The airplane rolled 200-300 feet before becoming airborne in a very nose high attitude. It maintained this attitude, made a right, then a left bank, and fell to the ground in a nose high attitude. The cargo consisted of eight 55-gallons drums of fuel, laid on their side and secured by one cargo strap running fore and aft and another cargo strap running diagonally across the barrels. The tie down ring ultimate strength rating was 1,600 pounds. The weight of the cargo was 2,863 pounds. Three of the cargo hooks associated with the cargo straps were found still attached to the tie down rings, and one hook and tie down ring were not located. Post-impact fire destroyed the cargo straps, and the barrels were strewn randomly through the cabin/cargo area. According to the manufacturer, the davis tie down ring installation is not approved by the manufacturer. The modification should have been accomplished under a supplemental type certificate. The logbooks showed only an entry. The certificated max gross weight was calculated to have been exceeded by 324.8 lbs. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The 74 year old pilot and his wife were on a trip to attend a funeral. A witness, who heard the airplane overhead, reported that it sounded low and at least one engine was operating. He reported that when he looked up, the airplane was in a dive, spinning slowly; however, the airplane did not make a complete revolution. Radar data showed the airplane in a left descending turn at approximately 2000 feet per minute. The airplane impacted the ground about 3 miles west of the airport in a near vertical descent, and much of the forward section had penetrated the ground. There was a post-crash fire. Examination of the airplane and various actuators confirmed that the landing gear was retracted, flaps were extended 5°, elevator and aileron trim were neutral, and the rudder was positioned 3° left. Examination of the engine confirmed internal/rotational damage. Both occupants were killed.

The pilot said he was on the takeoff ground roll at about 100 knots when he discovered that the control lock was still in place. The pilot said he attempted to remove the control lock but could not prior to the aircraft over running the departure end of the 3,400 foot long runway. The aircraft collided with a county sewage treatment building, separating the wings from the fuselage. The aircraft fuselage continued through the building and came to rest on rocks near the beach. All four occupants were seriously injured.

During the takeoff ground run, witnesses observed the airplane at a slow speed, using the full length of the 4,102-ft runway before it became airborne briefly. The left wing dipped, struck some power lines, and the airplane crashed on a highway striking a car. Metallurgical teardown examinations of the two left engine turbochargers disclosed evidence of extreme wear in the bearings from the turbine wheel shafts which resulted in obstructed oil ports. Both occupants were injured.

As the airplane was deviating around low intensity weather returns, and passing through 20,500 feet during climb out, it departed controlled flight and entered a right spiral. Descent rates exceeded 16,600 fpm during the descent from 18,300 feet to 3,900 feet and then slowed. Witnesses stated they saw the airplane descend from the clouds in a right flap spin. The empennage had separated from the airplane in pieces. Pieces of the wreckage were found up to 1.5 mile from the primary impact point. Both wings remained attached. The right engine was flamed out, and the propeller was feathered at impact. No mechanical reason for the flameout could be determined. At no time did the pilot indicate he was having difficulties. The NTSB weather study indicated that moderate turbulence was present in the area. The pilot's toxicology tests found 0.151 ug/ml of chlorpheniramine in the blood; normal therapeutic concentration is 0.01 to 0.04. Effects of overdosage include sedation, diminished mental alertness, and cardiovascular collapse to stimulation. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The flight had departed the Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport after a fuel stop. The pilot had earlier indicated to ATC that he was unfamiliar with the area. Prior to departure at 2321 the pilot was informed that departure radar was out of service. The flight departed with a VFR departure. At 2324 the pilot was advised that radar was back in service, and confirmed that the aircraft was climbing thru 5,300 feet. Discussion ensued between the pilot and controller concerning terrain clearance. At 2324 the pilot indicated he was turning left due to not being sure if a hill was in his path. The airplane impacted a mountain at 6,100 feet msl, 1,500 feet below the summit. The minimum vectoring altitude in the area was 11,000 feet. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all six occupants were killed.

The 3 occupants aboard were: the owner in the left front seat, his wife in the right front seat, and a man hired by the owner to fly the airplane (seat location could not be determined). Prior to takeoff a man telephoned FSS for a weather briefing and to file an IFR flight plan. He told FSS the pilot's name was J. Hamlett; a J. Hamlett was not aboard (it was found later that Hamlett was the maiden name of the wife of the man hired to fly the airplane). Two minutes after takeoff the pilot was told to contact departure; the pilot acknowledged. This was the last recorded radio contact. The airplane collided with a hill obscured by ground fog about 3 miles east of the airport. The man hired to fly the airplane did not possess an airman certificate; his certificate was revoked 2 years prior to the accident. The owner had obtained his private certificate for airplane single-engine land about 1 month prior to the accident, and had not received any multi-engine instruction. All three occupants were killed.

The pilot departed Columbia Airport on a fire fighting mission. After the retardant was dropped on the fire zone, the pilot increased engine power to gain height when the aircraft, flying in reduced visibility due to smoke, collided with trees. It rolled to the left and crashed inverted, bursting into flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.