World

The crew departed Indiana, Pennsylvania, on a flight to South Africa. A fuel stop was completed somewhere in Florida then the crew continued to Brazil. After takeoff from Recife-Guararapes Airport, en route to Libreville, Gabon, the crew informed ATC about his position some 150 km offshore and was cleared to climb to FL150 when radar contact was lost. SAR operations were initiated jointly between Brazilian and South African Authorities who dispatched a Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Following three unsuccessful days of research until the Ascension Island, the crew returned to South Africa. No trace of the aircraft nor both occupants was ever found.

The aircraft departed Moffett AFB on a combined survey mission over the Pacific Ocean with a second USN Orion registered 159325 carrying a crew of 13. While cruising at an altitude of 3,000 feet in marginal weather conditions, both aircraft collided and crashed in the sea. Few debris were found floating on water about 60 miles southwest of San Diego and all 27 crew members were missing and never recovered.

The aircraft departed Moffett AFB on a combined survey mission over the Pacific Ocean with a second USN Orion registered 158930 carrying a crew of 14. While cruising at an altitude of 3,000 feet in marginal weather conditions, both aircraft collided and crashed in the sea. Few debris were found floating on water about 60 miles southwest of San Diego and all 27 crew members were missing and never recovered.

On October 11, 1990, about 1730 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Gulfstream Aerospace 690C Turbine Commander airplane, N45Q, is presumed to have crashed in the Arctic Ocean about 200 miles north-northwest of Deadhorse, Alaska. Neither the airplane nor its occupants have been located. The airplane was being operated by the US Department of the Interior, as a visual flight rules (VFR) public use local game management flight, for the purpose of locating radio collared polar bears, when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to Bowhead Equipment Company of Seattle, Washington, and operated by Alaska Helicopters, Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska, is presumed to have been destroyed. The certificated airline transport pilot, and the two passengers, are presumed to have received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the point of departure. A VFR flight plan was filed by the pilot for a 5.5 hour flight originating and terminating at Deadhorse. The accident flight originated at the Deadhorse Airport about 1429. According to information received from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA), Air Route Traffic Control Center, radar contact was lost with the accident airplane while it was maneuvering at 22,000 feet msl, about 200 miles north-northwest of Deadhorse. The accident airplane did not reach the intended destination of Deadhorse, and was not located at any airport. The FAA issued an alert notice (ALNOT) at 2221. Search personnel began an extensive search effort that included a high altitude, special radar-equipped airplane, surface vessels, and ground search personnel. The search was suspended on October 26, 1990.

After being leased to Air Malta for few months, the aircraft was repatriated to Peru via London, Reykjavik, Gander and Miami. On the leg from Reykjavik to Gander, while at cruising altitude, the crew declared an emergency and elected to ditch the aircraft when contact was lost. Apparently, the aircraft crashed in the Atlantic Ocean about 290 km southeast from the Newfoundland coast. SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft was found.

During cruise flight, the right engine suddenly lost oil pressure. The pilot could see that oil was coming out of the engine area. The pilot shut the engine down. Due to high gross weight, the airplane was unable to maintain altitude on the remaining engine. The airplane was ditched in the ocean and not recovered. The pilot was rescued a day later.

During a flight at night from Majuro, Marshall Islands to Cairns, Australia, the pilot requested a descent from FL190 to 12,000 feet to remove ice from the airframe. Later, he requested a climb to FL200. After starting the climb, he made a mayday call to Sydney flight service and reported the aircraft was in an uncontrolled descent. No further transmission was received from the aircraft. The aircraft was presumed to have crashed at sea, about 370 miles east-northeast of Cairns. Neither the aircraft nor the pilot was found. Thunderstorms were reported in the area and the pilot reported being in the clouds during an earlier descent to 12,000 feet. An investigation revealed the aircraft was being ferried from Tulsa, OK. A previous pilot, who flew it to Oakland, refused to continue the flight due to a cabin pressurization problem. A 2nd pilot, who was going to continue the flight, returned to Oakland and landed the aircraft in an overweight condition, which resulted in structural damage. A 3rd pilot continued the flight, making stops in Hawaii and the Marshall Islands.

En route from Singapore to Subic Bay, the crew encountered technical problems with the navigation system. Eventually, the captain decided to ditch the aircraft in the South China Sea off the Spratly Island. The crew found refuge in a dinghy and was rescued few hours later by the crew of a Vietnamese ship. The aircraft sank and was lost.

Over the lower Persian Gulf when attacked the Danish tanker 'Kirsten Maersk' (or an Iranian warship) with a C.601 anti-shipping missile, the heavy bomber was shot down by an F-14A of the 81st TFW of the Iranian Air Force (piloted by Captain G. Esmaeli) with an AIM-54A air-air missile. The aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea, killing all six crew members.

The Beech 65-88 airplane was reported missing on February 7, 1988. It was on an IFR flight from Aruba to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The airplane departed from Aruba approximately 1223Z. According to air traffic authorities in Santo Domingo, the airplanes last reported position was over the DUSAN intersection at 1340Z. The airplane has not been located, and remains missing. No additional information is available.