Crash of a Rockwell Sabreliner 40R in Culiacán Rosales: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 2006 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-TNP
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
La Paz – Culiacán Rosales
MSN:
265-62
YOM:
1962
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful cargo flight from La Paz (Mexico), the crew was approaching Culiacán Rosales-Federal de Bachigualato Airport. On final, the aircraft crashed onto several houses located less than one km from runway the threshold. Both pilots were killed while there were no casualties on the ground despite several houses were destroyed by fire. For unknown reasons, the crew was completing the approach at an unsafe altitude.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo in Nairobi

Date & Time: Dec 30, 2006 at 0632 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5Y-SRK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nairobi - Baidoa
MSN:
003
YOM:
1965
Flight number:
UNO448A
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta Airport on a cargo flight to Baidoa, Somalia, carrying 3 crew members and a load consisting of 20 drums of fuel for the Somali interim Government in place in Baidoa, on behalf of the International Red Cross. Shortly after takeoff from runway 06, at a height of about 100 feet, the left engine lost power. The captain contacted ATC, declared an emergency and was cleared for an immediate return. After the engine was secured and the propeller was feathered, the crew initiated a turn when the aircraft lost height, collided with a power line and crashed onto a house, 3 minutes after takeoff. All three crew members were injured while no one was injured on ground.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine during initial climb for undetermined reasons. Marginal weather conditions were considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Beechcraft 99 in Rapid City

Date & Time: Dec 29, 2006 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N99TH
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pierre - Rapid City
MSN:
U-155
YOM:
1974
Flight number:
AIP408
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3652
Captain / Total hours on type:
3069.00
Aircraft flight hours:
39795
Circumstances:
The airplane was on an instrument flight rules flight in night instrument meteorological conditions when the accident occurred. The airplane had been cleared for an ILS approach and the pilot elected to use a non-published procedure to intercept the final approach. After becoming established on the final approach, the airplane impacted the ground about 7 miles from the destination airport at an elevation approximately the same as the airport elevation. Flight inspections of the instrument approach performed prior to and subsequent to the accident revealed satisfactory performance of both the localizer and glideslope functions. The number one altimeter setting did not match the altimeter setting that was current at the time of the accident. Post accident examination of the altimeters revealed that the number one altimeter read 360 feet high. No determination was made as to whether the discrepancy existed prior to impact. However, the pilot did not report any pre-flight discrepancies with regard to the airplane's altimeters. No other anomalies were found or reported with regard to the airplane's structure or systems.
Probable cause:
The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure which contributed to his failure to maintain altitude and clearance from terrain during the instrument approach. A factor was the night light condition.
Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Sabreliner 40R in Monterrey

Date & Time: Dec 19, 2006
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-TJU
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
276-8
YOM:
1963
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Monterrey-General Mariano Escobido Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility due to thick fog. On short final, the aircraft struck the ground, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a rocky area located 400 metres short of runway. Both pilots escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Boeing 727-23F in Leticia: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 2006 at 2107 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-3667X
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bogotá – Leticia
MSN:
19430
YOM:
1966
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
8036
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6617
Aircraft flight hours:
66192
Circumstances:
The Boeing 727 departed Bogotá-El Dorado Airport on a night cargo flight to Leticia, carrying 3 passengers, 3 crew members and a load of 13,166 kilos of fish. While descending to Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport, the crew was informed about the weather conditions at destination with a visibility down to 4 km with local patches of fog. On approach, the crew asked ATC to improve the runway lights intensity as the runway 21 is not equipped with approach lights. On short final, at a height of about 150 feet, the aircraft collided with a television antenna and crashed in a wooded area located 3,7 km short of runway 21, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Following a flight under IFR mode, the crew decided to continue the approach by night and limited visibility under VFR mode, without meeting the minimum requirements for this type of operation. This decision led the aircraft descending at an unsafe altitude until it collided with a television antenna and crashed. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor approach planning,
- Poor judgment,
- Violation of IFR procedures,
- The crew's inability to circumvent the obstacle on the ground by encountering unforeseen circumstances beyond their capacity.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 207 Skywagon in Ocumare del Tuy: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 2006 at 1143 LT
Registration:
YV-1220
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Ocumare del Tuy - Puerto Ayacucho
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Ocumare del Tuy Airport, while climbing, the pilot encountered engine problems and elected to make an emergency landing in a city center's avenue. Just prior to landing, the single engine aircraft collided with a telephone line and crashed on an autobus. The pilot, the bus driver and a bus passenger were killed. The pilot departed Ocumare del Tuy Airport on a cargo flight to Puerto Ayacucho.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12BP in Lokichoggio

Date & Time: Nov 1, 2006 at 1344 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9L-LFQ
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nairobi – Lokichogio
MSN:
2 4 005 02
YOM:
1962
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing on runway 27 at Lokichoggio Airport, the aircraft bounced three times then landed firmly. Upon impact, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft slid on its nose before coming to rest about 100 metres before the runway end. All nine occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who completed the approach with an excessive rate of descent, causing the aircraft to land hard and to bounce three times. The high g loads upon impact caused the nose gear to collapse.

Crash of an Avro 748-245-2A in Alek

Date & Time: Oct 31, 2006
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
S2-ABE
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wunrok - Alek
MSN:
1658
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing, the aircraft could not be stopped on the remaining distance. It overran, lost its nose gear and came to rest with both propellers damaged. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The accident occurred somewhere in October 2006, exact date unknown.

Crash of a Cessna 207 Skywagon in Tuntutuliak

Date & Time: Oct 13, 2006 at 1512 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N7336U
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bethel - Tuntutuliak
MSN:
207-0405
YOM:
1977
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5700
Captain / Total hours on type:
1000.00
Aircraft flight hours:
21781
Circumstances:
The commercial certificated pilot was attempting to land on a remote runway during a Title 14, CFR Part 135, cargo flight. The approach end of the runway is located at the edge of a river. During the pilot's fourth attempt to land, the airplane collided with the river embankment, and sustained structural damage. The director of operations for the operator reported that he interviewed several witnesses to the accident. They told him that the weather conditions in the area had been good VFR, but as the pilot was attempting to land, rain and mist moved over the area, reducing the visibility to about 1/4 mile. Within 30 minutes of the accident, the weather conditions were once again VFR. The pilot told an FAA inspector that the weather conditions consisted of a 500 foot ceiling and 2 miles of visibility. The pilot reported that he made 3 passes over the runway before attempting to land. On the last landing approach, while maintaining 80 knots airspeed, the pilot said the nose of the airplane dropped, he applied full power and tried to raise the nose, but the airplane collided with the river bank.
Probable cause:
The pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude during the landing approach, which resulted in an undershoot and in-flight collision with a river embankment. Factors contributing to the accident were reduced visibility due to rain and mist.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou in Mamit

Date & Time: Oct 10, 2006 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PK-YRO
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mulia – Mamit – Wamena
MSN:
24
YOM:
1960
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing on wet gravel runway 11/29, the aircraft veered off runway and came to rest in a wooded area, broken in two. All five occupants escaped uninjured.