Cargo

The four engine aircraft was transferred from Kisangani to Mykolaiv, Ukraine, for maintenance purposes. Two enroute stops were scheduled in Entebbe and Luxor. Ar 0417LT, the crew was cleared for takeoff. The aircraft started rolling on runway 02 for takeoff but it kept rolling on it till it reached its end. The aircraft continued rolling in the sand drifting from the runway centerline to the right, crossing a service road and eventually crashing into a military zone located 500 metres from the runway end. The aircraft crashed into one of the buildings inside the military unit causing complete destruction of the building. The right wing also crashed into another building putting the aircraft on fire and forcing the aircraft to turn right. The aircraft kept moving forward the military unit fence (next to Tiba-Luxor road) and stopped there, crashing in its way into oil barrel. The accident resulted in the total destruction and fire of the aircraft and the fatality of its crew but no further injuries.

Aircraft was on an instrument approach when it crashed short of the runway at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, Lubbock, Texas. The captain sustained serious injuries, and the first officer sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to FedEx Corporation and operated by Empire Airlines, Inc., as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 supplemental cargo flight. The flight departed from Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Fort Worth, Texas, about 0313. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed.

During the takeoff roll, the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft sank on the runway, causing the left wing and the engine n°1 to contact the runway surface. All six crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The co-pilot was performing a nighttime approach and landing to runway 25. No runway condition reports were received by the flight crew while airborne, and a NOTAM was in effect, stating, “thin loose snow over patchy thin ice.” After landing, the co-pilot called out that the airplane was sliding and the wheel brakes were ineffective. The captain took the controls, activated the air brakes, and instructed the co-pilot to deploy the drag chute. The crew could not stop the airplane in the remaining runway distance and the airplane overran the runway by approximately 100 feet. After departing the runway end, the landing gear contacted a snow berm that was the result of earlier plowing. The captain turned the airplane around and taxied to the ramp. Subsequent inspection of the airplane revealed a fractured nose gear strut and buckling of the fuselage. The spring-loaded drag chute extractor cap activated, but the parachute remained in its tail cone container. Both flight crewmembers reported that the runway was icy at the time of the accident and braking action was “nil.” The airport manager reported that when the airplane landed, no airport staff were on duty and had not been for several hours. He also reported that when the airport staff left for the evening, the runway conditions were adequate. The runway had been plowed and sanded approximately 20 hours prior to the accident, sanded two more times during the day, and no measurable precipitation was recorded within that time frame. The reason that the drag chute failed to deploy was not determined.

The on-demand cargo flight departed for the destination airport and was delayed en route due to repetitive destination airport closures. The closures were the result of snow-contaminated runways. The pilot then diverted to an alternate airport due to concerns about remaining fuel reserves. The airplane experienced a loss of engine power during an instrument approach at the alternate airport and impacted the ground about 200 yards short of the landing runway. A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed no usable fuel on board.

The twin engine aircraft departed Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport at 1745LT on a cargo flight to Montería, carrying two pilots and a load of bovine embryos. The flight to Montería was completed at FL130 then the crew was cleared to start the descent to Montería-Los Garzones Airport. At an altitude of 7,500 feet on descent, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in an open field located in Verada Arroyo, near Planeta Rica. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and both pilots were killed.

The four engine aircraft departed Al Asad AFB at 1102LT on a cargo flight to Baghdad with 7 crew members on board, carrying various goods for the allied forces in Iraq. While cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet, the engine n°2 failed and caught fire. The crew declared an emergency and reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a desert area located 22 km southeast of Al-Taqaddum AFB, bursting into flames. All seven occupants were killed.

For unknown reasons, the aircraft made a wheels up landing and skidded on runway at Stony Rapids Airport before coming to rest. Both pilots were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Few minutes after takeoff from Pointe-Noire Airport, while flying 80 km away, the crew contacted ATC and declared an emergency after a fire erupted in the cargo compartment. The crew was able to return and after landing, the aircraft stopped on the main runway, bursting into flames. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

The aircraft took off from Brussels airport at 15:00 UTC. Upon rotation, the crew heard an abnormal noise, and had difficulties to get the aircraft in the air. After adjusting the engine power, the aircraft took off. Observers on the ground saw two white clouds appearing successively under the tail of the aircraft upon rotation, followed by flames. The inspection of the runway revealed that parts separated from the aircraft, amongst which the APU access door. The aircraft dumped the excess of fuel and landed back in Brussels at 16.20 UTC. Inspection on the ground revealed that large portions of the underside skin of the tail section were missing.