Cargo

On 13 April 2015, Carson Air Ltd. flight 66 (CA66), a Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II (registration C-GSKC, serial number TC-235), departed Vancouver International Airport (CYVR), British Columbia, with 2 pilots on board for an instrument flight rules flight to Prince George, British Columbia. At 0709 Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), approximately 6 minutes after leaving Vancouver, the aircraft disappeared from air traffic control radar while climbing through an altitude of 8700 feet above sea level in instrument meteorological conditions, about 4 nautical miles north of the built-up area of North Vancouver. Deteriorating weather conditions with low cloud and heavy snowfall hampered an air search; however, aircraft wreckage was found on steep, mountainous, snow-covered terrain by ground searchers at approximately 1645 PDT. The aircraft had experienced a catastrophic in-flight breakup. Both pilots were fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed. Although the aircraft’s 406-megahertz emergency locator transmitter activated, the antenna was damaged and no signal was received by the Cospas-Sarsat (international satellite system for search and rescue). The accident occurred during daylight hours.

The twin engine aircraft departed Sarajevo Airport on a cargo flight to Ancona, carrying three crew members and a load of various goods. On approach to Ancona-Falconara Airport, the crew encountered strong winds. Upon touchdown on runway 04, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All three occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair due to severe damages in the cockpit area due to fire.

On 4 March 2015 a BAe-ATP registration PK-DGB operated by PT. Deraya Air as scheduled cargo flight from Sentani to Wamena Airport. On board of this flight was two pilots while the Pilot in Command (PIC) acted as pilot flying and First Officer (FO) acted as pilot monitoring. The aircraft departed Sentani at 0524 UTC to Wamena airport. The pilot contacted Wamena Tower controller while position on Jiwika way point at altitude 10,000 feet. Wamena Tower controller instructed to use runway 33 and to proceed to left runway 33. At 0602 UTC the pilot requested to proceed to Pyramid waypoint and to descend to 8,000 feet and made holding due to weather. At 0613, a C-130 pilot that was on approach reported making go around runway 33 and ATC instructed to C-130 pilot to proceed to Pyramid waypoint and hold. At 0619 UTC, Wamena Tower controller informed that the weather reported continuous heavy rain, visibility was reported 2 up to 3 km and wind was from 060° with velocity of 6 knots. The PK-DGB aircraft left Pyramid waypoint for approach runway 33. The aircraft proceed to left downwind and descent to 6,500 feet. During turning base leg, the pilot observed runway insight and continued the approach. At 0620 UTC, the aircraft touched down, thereafter veered off to the right of the runway and skid. The aircraft re-entered the runway at approximately 400 meters from beginning runway 33 and stopped near taxiway Delta at approximately 800 meters from beginning runway 33.

Following an uneventful cargo flight from Lomé, the crew initiated the approach to Accra-Kotoka Airport. The visibility was reduced due to foggy conditions. After touchdown on runway 03, the aircraft became uncontrollable and veered off runway to the right. While contacting soft ground, it lost its undercarriage and its right engine before coming to rest in a grassy area. All three crew crew members escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.

On 4 January 2015, about 0840 local time, a Fokker 27-50 a cargo flight, registration 5Y-SIB, operated by Skyward Express Ltd, experienced a gear-up landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (HKJK). The flight had diverted to HKJK due to a mechanical malfunction of the landing gear. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the airplane was on an IFR flight plan. None of the ten persons on board were injured. The airplane was substantially damaged and there was no fire. The flight originated at Wajir (HKWJ) and the original destination was Nairobi-Wilson Airport (HKNW). During the departure from HKWJ, the flight sustained a bird-strike. After taking steps to confirm any aircraft system malfunction the aircraft systems were still operable and the flight crew elected to continue the flight. The flight en route was without any incident. While in the traffic pattern at Wilson, the landing gear was activated to extend and it resulted in an unsafe indication for the left main gear. During the period of about an hour while circling overhead the airport, the flight crew attempted to resolve the anomaly but they were unsuccessful. It prompted the crew to declare an emergency after they had confirmed that the left main landing gear was locked up in the air position and was not lowering. After declaring an emergency, the crew carried out an extensive consultation with the air traffic services and the company ground personnel and elected to divert the flight to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (HKJK). The crew made a successful gear-up landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (HKJK) runway 06 with no injury to those onboard the flight however the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft got disabled after landing and blocked both runways for more than four hours as the airport authorities struggled to remove it to pave way for other operations. According to the report obtained from post-accident interview with the flight crew at 0540 the aircraft took-off at Wajir (HKWJ) on runway 15 and immediately after take-off on passing 200ft at a speed of Vref +10 Knots the crew noticed a flock of birds and tried to evade them. While increasing the aircraft rate of climb they felt like a thud (hitting something). After clearing the flock they inspected the instruments and confirmed all aircraft systems were functioning satisfactorily. They then proceeded with their flight as intended. According to the air traffic control (ATC) transcript obtained from Wilson control tower upon entering Wilson aerodrome traffic circuit at 0641:41 the crew requested ATC to join downwind runway 07 and was immediately cleared. After five minutes (0646:50) the crew requested ATC to extend downwind and at 0648:03 the crew confirms to the ATC that they are checking the undercarriage. At 0654:08 the crew confirms to the ATC that they have an emergency on the left main landing gear and they have checked it is locked up in the air position. The crew requested for more time to trouble-shoot the problem and requested ATC to brief their company about the problem. At 0731:07 the crew confirmed to HKNW air traffic service unit that they are ready to do gear-up landing and they would prefer HKJK instead of HKNW. They are then cleared for HKJK to join left base runway 06. 30 seconds later the crew changes their intention to go to HKJK and confirms to HKNW ATC that they would do a gear-up landing at HKNW and requests for more time. At 0749:31 the crew consults with their company through HKNW ATC and agrees to carry out the gear-up landing at HKJK and the flight was cleared to proceed to HKJK. At 0802 the crew made a successful gear-up landing on runway 06 at HKJK.

During the take off run, at a speed of 250 km/h, the crew initiated the rotation when the aircraft failed to lift off. The captain decided to abandon the take off and started an emergency braking. The aircraft veered off runway to the right, went through a snow covered terrain, lost its nose and right main gear before coming to rest 490 meters further, with the right wing bent. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair while all eight occupants were unhurt.

The crew (a pilot and a load master) was performing a regular cargo service to Karisparu and departed Mahdia Airport at 1142LT. The duration of the flight should be less than 20 minutes as the aircraft was scheduled to arrive at Karisparu Airfield at 1200LT. Less than three minutes after departure, the radio contact was lost with the pilot. SAR operations were initiated but after four days, no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Zulfikar Mohamed, said that the crucial 72-hour window period since the aircraft vanished in the thick jungle in Region Eight expired on Tuesday December 30. On January 4, 2015, all SAR operations were suspended as no trace of the aircraft was found.

The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Entebbe to Pointe-Noire with an intermediate stop in Bujumbura, Burundi, to refuel. After takeoff, while proceeding to the west by night, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Kafinda (3,100 metres high), about 25 km south of Uvira. The wreckage was found on hilly and wooded terrain. All six occupants were killed.

After touchdown at Obo Airfield, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest in a wooded area. All seven occupants escaped uninjured, the cargo equipment was recovered and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Entebbe to Obo, with a possible intermediate stop in Sudan, carrying an aircraft engine, some fuel drums (Jet A-1) and other logistics intended to the UPDF military offensive, code-named 'Operation Lightning Thunder' that has been hunting Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and its rebel leader Joseph Kony. About 100 members of the US special forces were based at the Obo Airstrip at the time of the accident. The runway 04/22 is about 2,050 feet long (625 meters).

The commercial pilot was conducting an on-demand cargo charter flight. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot informed the tower controller that he wanted to "come back and land" because he was "having trouble with the left engine." The pilot chose to fly a left traffic pattern and return for landing. No further transmissions were received from the pilot. The accident site was located about 0.50 mile southeast of the runway's displaced threshold. GPS data revealed that, after takeoff, the airplane entered a left turn to a southeasterly course and reached a maximum GPS altitude of 959 ft (about 342 ft above ground level [agl]). The airplane then entered another left turn that appeared to continue until the final data point. The altitude associated with the final data point was 890 ft (about 273 ft agl). The final GPS data point was located about 135 ft northeast of the accident site. Based on GPS data and the prevailing surface winds, the airspeed was about 45 knots during the turn. According to the airplane flight manual, the stall speed in level flight with the wing flaps extended was 59 knots. Postaccident examination and testing of the airframe, engines, and related components did not reveal any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation; therefore, the nature of any issue related to the left engine could not be determined. Based on the evidence, the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed while turning the airplane back toward the airport, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.