Ambulance

The single engine airplane departed Kostanay on an ambulance flight to Arkalyk, carrying two doctors and two pilots. On final approach to Arkalyk Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. In low visibility, the airplane impacted the ground and crash landed in a snow covered field located 1,5 km short of runway. All four occupants were uninjured and rescued.

The airplane departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 1805LT on an ambulance flight to Springfield-Branson Airport, Missouri, under callsign MTS56 (Med Jets 56). On board were two pilots, one pediatric patient, her mother and two paramedics. After takeoff from runway 24, the airplane continued to climb to the altitude of 1,650 feet. In marginal weather conditions (light rain and mist), the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed with a high rate of descent on Cottman Avenue, near Roosevelt Mall, about 4,7 km southwest from the end of runway 24. The airplane disintegrated on impact and several buildings and vehicles were destroyed. All six occupants were killed as well as one people on the ground.

The twin engine airplane departed Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz Airport at 1651LT on an ambulance flight to Salvador, carrying three passengers (a doctor, a nurse and a mechanic) and two pilots. A technical stop for refueling was scheduled in Belo Horizonte. While flying in cruising altitude in reduced visibility (almost night and heavy rain falls), the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a wooded area located in Santa Branca. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all five occupants, all employees of the company, were killed.

Few minutes after takeoff from Bogotá-Guaymaral Airport, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and declared an emergency. He attempted an emergency landing when the airplane nosed down and crashed on hilly and wooded terrain located in Yerbabuena, about 10 km northeast of Guaymaral Airport. All four occupants were injured and the airplane was destroyed. It was en route to La Macarena on an ambulance flight, carrying two pilots and a medical team.

The twin engine airplane departed Montería-Los Garzones Airport on an ambulance flight to Medellín, carrying two pilots, a doctor and a nurse. About 30 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 19,000 feet, the airplane initiated a descent and the speed started to decrease until it stalled and crashed in a prairie, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.

The airplane departed U-Tapao Airport, Thailand, in the early morning, on an ambulance flight to Moscow-Zhukovsky Airport. Chartered by Gazpromavia, it was carrying four passengers and two crew members. A first fuel stop was made in Gaya, Bihar, and a second fuel stop was scheduled in Tashkent. After three hours and 45 minutes into the flight, while cruising at FL380 over the Afghan mountains, the crew declared an emergency and elected to divert to Kulob, southeast Tajikistan. Few minutes later, one of the engine failed, followed shortly later by the second one. In such conditions, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed on the slope of Mt Topkhana located in the province of Badakhshan, bursting into flames. Four people were rescued and two passengers were killed.

The airplane was operated on an ambulance flight from Valledupar to Bogotá-Guaymaral Airport, carrying six people, a mother and son, a doctor, a nurse and two pilots. After takeoff from runway 02/20, the airplane reached the altitude of 50 metres then stalled and crashed near trees, bursting into flames. Five occupants were injured and the doctor was killed. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire.

The crew of flight JL516 from Sapporo-New Chitose Airport was on a night approach to Tokyo-Haneda Airport Runway 34R when he was informed about traffic holding by taxiway C5. Weather conditions were considered as good. A De Havilland DHC-8-315Q MPA of the Japan Coast Guard was dispatched from Tokyo to Niigata, carrying a crew of six who were on a support mission of the victims of the recent earthquake in the north Peninsula. This crew was instructed by ground ATC to hold short at taxiway C5. After touchdown on runway 34R, the Airbus A350 collided with the Dash-8 that was aligned on the runway centerline. Upon impact, the nose gear of the Airbus was torn off and a violent explosion occurred. The Airbus caught fire, slid for approximately 2,400 meters then veered to the right and came to rest in a grassy area located near taxiway C11, about 200 meters from runway 16L threshold, bursting into flames. All 379 occupants evacuated the airplane, among them 15 were injured. The Airbus was later consumed by fire and totally destroyed. The Dash-8 was also totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Among its crew of six, only the captain survived, critically injured. The five other crew members were killed. According to preliminary report released by the Japan Minister of Transport, the crew of JL516 have been cleared to land on runway 34R and the crew of the Japan Coast Guard Dash-8 have been instructed to hold short at taxiway C5. It was also reported that the stop bar lights for taxiway C1 to C14 were unserviceable since December 25 as per Notam published.

The crew was preparing for instrument flight rules (IFR) flight THU890 from Thunder Bay Airport (CYQT), Ontario, to Sault Ste. Marie Airport (CYAM), Ontario. The flight included a stop at Wawa Aerodrome (CYXZ), Ontario, to pick up a patient for a medical transfer to CYAM. As part of the pre-flight preparations, one of the flight crew members contacted CYXZ at 0549 to check the runway conditions and spoke with an aerodrome employee who was on duty for after-hour inquiries. During the call, the flight crew member learned of ongoing light snowfall and understood that the runway would be plowed by about 0730. At approximately 0653, during the hours of darkness, the aircraft departed CYQT for CYXZ with 2 flight crew members and a paramedic on board. The cruise portion of the flight was uneventful. The flight crew maintained radio contact with air traffic control (ATC) and received clearance for the approach to CYXZ. At about 0726, ATC instructed the flight crew to switch to the Wawa aerodrome traffic frequency (ATF). Between 0715 and 0730, aerodrome staff, including the employee to whom the flight crew member had spoken and a trainee, arrived at CYXZ. An ambulance carrying the patient who would be transferred also arrived at the aerodrome in that time. It had snowed overnight, and aerodrome staff were aware of the potential arrival of flight THU890, but had not yet plowed the runway. The staff began their morning duties, which included preparing the snow removal vehicles to clear the runway. There was no radio communication between aerodrome staff and the occurrence flight crew. The approach to CYXZ occurred during civil twilight,Footnote3 before sunrise. The flight crew activated the runway lights using the aircraft radio control of aerodrome lighting system and performed the RNAV (GNSS) [area navigation (global navigation satellite system)] approach to Runway 03. They visually spotted the runway when they were about 10 nautical miles away on final approach. As the aircraft approached the runway, the flight crew had a clear view of the runway lights and saw that the runway was covered in snow. The aircraft touched down on Runway 03 at 0739, and shortly after, it suddenly began sliding to the right. The flight crew attempted to correct this using rudder pedals, as well as differential propeller and power control, but were unsuccessful. The aircraft rotated almost 180° before sliding off the runway’s right side. The aircraft continued sliding sideways off the runway while facing the opposite direction of landing and came to rest on its left side in a drainage ditch, about 78 feet from the runway’s edge. The aircraft was extensively damaged; the right engine propeller blades penetrated the cabin before the engines were shut down. After the engines were shut down, the occupants began evacuating. The right emergency exit was damaged and would not open, so they egressed through the aircraft’s main door, which was located at the rear, on left side of the aircraft. A significant fuel leak was noted. The occupants walked the short distance to the runway, where the snow was between 6 to 8 inches deep on the runway surface. The flight crew called 911 and the London Flight Information Centre (FIC) to report the accident. The aerodrome staff observed the aircraft land and slide off the runway. They drove the snow removal vehicle down the runway, plowing snow along the way. They stopped to check on the occupants and then continued down the remaining runway length before turning around at the end and continuing to plow snow back toward the terminal building. Another vehicle transported the aircraft occupants to the terminal building, where they were assessed by emergency medical services and then transported to the local hospital for examination. There were only minor injuries.

The airplane departed Toluca-Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport on a positioning flight (Ambulance) to Cuernavaca, carrying two doctors and two pilots. After landing on runway 20 at Cuernavaca Airport, the crew initiated the braking procedure but the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, went down a steep embankment and crashed in bushes, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all four occupants were killed. It is believed that the airplane landed too far down the runway, causing the landing distance to be insufficient.