Ambulance

The Raytheon Beech 200C Super King Air, registered VH-FMN, departed Adelaide at 2240 hours Central Summer Time (CSuT) under the Instrument Flight Rules for Mount Gambier, South Australia. The ambulance aircraft was being positioned from Adelaide to Mount Gambier to transport a patient from Mount Gambier to Sydney for a medical procedure, for which time constraints applied. The pilot intended to refuel the aircraft at Mount Gambier. The planned flight time to Mount Gambier was 52 minutes. On board were the pilot and one medical crewmember. The medical crewmember was seated in a rear-facing seat behind the pilot. On departure from Adelaide, the pilot climbed the aircraft to an altitude of 21,000 ft above mean sea level for the flight to Mount Gambier. At approximately 2308, the pilot requested and received from Air Traffic Services (ATS) the latest weather report for Mount Gambier aerodrome, including the altimeter sub-scale pressure reading of 1012 millibars. At approximately 2312, the pilot commenced descent to Mount Gambier. At approximately 2324, the aircraft descended through about 8,200 ft and below ATS radar coverage. At approximately 2326, the pilot made a radio transmission on the Mount Gambier Mandatory Broadcast Zone (MBZ) frequency advising that the aircraft was 26 NM north, inbound, had left 5,000 ft on descent and was estimating the Mount Gambier circuit at 2335. At about 2327, the pilot started a series of radio transmissions to activate the Mount Gambier aerodrome pilot activated lighting (PAL).2 At approximately 2329, the pilot made a radio transmission advising that the aircraft was 19 NM north and maintaining 4,000 ft. About 3 minutes later, he made another series of transmissions to activate the Mount Gambier PAL. At approximately 2333, the pilot reported to ATS that he was in the circuit at Mount Gambier and would report after landing. Witnesses located in the vicinity of the aircraft’s flight path reported that the aircraft was flying lower than normal for aircraft arriving from the northwest. At approximately 2336 (56 minutes after departure), the aircraft impacted the ground at a position 3.1 NM from the threshold of runway (RWY) 18. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the medical crewmember sustained serious injuries, but egressed unaided.

On October 26, 2001, at 1930 central daylight time, a Learjet 25B transport category airplane, N715MH, was substantially damaged when both main landing gears collapsed during the landing touchdown at Ciudad Victoria, State of Tamaulipas, in the Republic of Mexico. The captain, first officer, 2 medical attendants, and 2 passengers aboard the airplane were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by American Jet International of Houston, Texas. The air ambulance flight originated from the Houston Hobby Airport approximately 1800, and made an intermediate stop at the Matamoros Airport (MMMA) to clear Mexican customs. Night visual meteorological prevailed for the flight, for which and instrument flight rules flight plan was filed.

Perimeter Airlines Flight PAG962, a Fairchild SA226TC (Metroliner), with two pilots and a flight nurse on board, departed Gods Lake Narrows, Manitoba, at approximately 2300 central daylight time, on a MEDEVAC flight to Shamattawa. Approaching Shamattawa, the crew began a descent to the 100 nautical mile minimum safe altitude of 2300 feet above sea level (asl) and, when clear of an overcast cloud layer at about 3000 feet asl, attempted a night, visual approach to Runway 01. The aircraft was too high and too fast on final approach and the crew elected to carry out a missed approach. Approximately 30 seconds after the power was increased, at 2333, the aircraft flew into trees slightly to the left of the runway centreline and about 2600 feet from the departure end of Runway 01. The aircraft was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) that indicated the crew were in control of the aircraft; they did not express any concern prior to impact. The aircraft broke apart along a wreckage trail of about 850 feet. Only the cabin aft of the cockpit retained some structural integrity. The captain and first officer were fatally injured on impact. The flight nurse was seriously injured but was able to exit the wreckage of the cabin. A post-crash fire was confined to the wings which had separated from the cabin and cockpit wreckage.

The aircraft departed Pokrovsk on an ambulance flight to Sangar with intermediate stops in Magan and Kobyay. On approach to Kobyay Airport, the aircraft was too high and its speed was excessive. Rather than initiating a go-around procedure, the captain continued the approach and landed 375 metres pas the runway threshold (the runway length is 600 metres). Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, collided with various obstacles and came to rest 50 metres further. The crew did not report the incident to the company and decided to take off few minutes later. After liftoff, the aircraft was unable to gain sufficient speed and height. It struck trees and crashed in a snow covered terrain, bursting into flames. All 13 occupants were injured, among them five seriously. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.

The captain said that he flew the VOR approach to runway 32. At 2,500 feet, the captain said that they were out of the clouds and initiated a visual straight-in approach. After aligning the airplane with the runway, the captain said he noticed that there was contamination on the runway, "maybe compacted snow or maybe ice with fresh snow over it." The captain briefed that they would perform a go-around if by midfield they were not decelerating adequately. The captain said that they touched down within the first third of the runway. Close to midfield the airplane fishtailed. Past midfield, the captain called a go-around. The first officer said that the captain added power and he retracted the airbrakes. The first officer exclaimed, "There is not enough runway! I braced myself as the aircraft went into the snow." The first officer said that at about 2 miles out from the runway, the unicom called and said that braking action was nil. A Notice to Airman, in effect at the time of the accident for the airport stated, "icy runway, nil braking."

The captain stated that prior to departure the flight controls were tested, with no abnormalities noted, and the takeoff trim was set to the "middle of the takeoff range," without referring to any available pitch trim charts. During the takeoff roll, the pilot attempted to rotate the airplane twice, and then aborted the takeoff halfway down the 4,840 foot long runway, because the controls "didn't feel right." The airplane traveled off the departure end of the runway and through a fence, and came to rest near a road. The pilot reported no particular malfunction with the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that the horizontal stabilizer was positioned at -4.6 degrees, the maximum nose down limit within the takeoff range. The horizontal stabilizer trim and elevator controls were checked, and moved freely through their full ranges of travel. According to the AFM TAKEOFF TRIM C.G. FUNCTION chart, a horizontal stabilizer trim setting of -7.2 was appropriate with the calculated C.G. of 20% MAC. Additionally, Learjet certification testing data stated that the pull force required at a trim setting of -6.0 degrees, the "middle of the takeoff range", was 33 pounds. With the trim set at the full nose down position (-1.7 degrees), 132 pounds of force was required.

The airline transport rated pilot was returning an organ transplant nurse passenger to an uncontrolled, no facilities airport, with ground fog present about 0400 in the morning. The pilot had obtained two abbreviated preflight weather briefings while waiting for his passenger, and prior to departing at 0235. According to witnesses he attempted to land twice on runway 28, then he made an approach and attempted a landing on runway 10. Witnesses reported that the airport was engulfed in ground fog at the time of the approaches. They said that you could see straight up but not horizontally. The airplane collided with grape vineyard poles and canal/wash berms, about 250 feet short of the runway 10 displaced threshold. Approach charts for two airports with instrument approaches within 20 miles were found lying on the instrument panel glare shield. The passenger's car was parked at the uncontrolled airport.

The twin engine aircraft departed New Delhi-Indira Gandhi Airport on an ambulance flight to Kulu-Bhuntar, carrying three doctors and two pilots. While descending to Kulu-Bhuntar Airport in IMC conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 20 km from the destination airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

The aircraft, operated by an Air Operator's Certificate holder, was engaged on an air ambulance operation from Ronaldsway in the Isle of Man to Liverpool. Having flown under VFR on a direct track to the Seaforth dock area of Liverpool the pilot flew by visual reference along the northern coast of the Mersey Estuary to carry out a visual approach to Runway 09 at Liverpool. During the turn on to the final approach, when approximately 0.8 nm from the threshold and 0.38 nm south of the extended centreline, the aircraft flew into the sea and disappeared. All five occupants were killed.

During takeoff climb, the twin-engine airplane encountered a strong downdraft and impacted trees and terrain. The pilot reported that while taxiing to the runway, he scanned the sky with the monochrome weather radar, which was set at the 40-mile range. 'No weather was shown behind the runway and a cell was shown 15 miles from the runway.' The takeoff roll was 'uneventful,' and the airplane was rotated at 95 knots. Climb out was accomplished at 110 knots, the engines were at maximum power, the propellers at maximum RPM, and the manifold pressure was indicating maximum. A 10-degree turn towards the Cotulla VOR was being made when at 1,500 feet msl, a sharp descent was felt with the VSI indicating an 800 ft/min rate of descent. The wings were leveled and the airspeed was slowed to 85 knots. 'The rate of descent slowed to 400 ft/min and then finally to 300 ft/min until impact...' The airplane was destroyed by fire that erupted on impact. A review of doppler weather radar images showed thunderstorms in the vicinity of the airport.