Positioning

The pilot departed VFR and flew to his destination and found it fogged in. He then requested and was given an IFR clearance for an ILS approach to another airport. He was observed to break out of the clouds at about 100 feet agl in a left bank and yaw. He then crashed short of the runway and to the left of the centerline. Examination of the airplane, engines and propellers revealed no preexisting failures. After the crash a fire partially consumed the wreckage. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a positioning flight from Nairobi to Shinyanga. On approach to Shinyanga-Ibadakuli Airport, he encountered poor visibility when the twin engine aircraft landed on the left side of the runway. It collided with edge marker, lost its nose gear and came to rest with its both propellers damaged. The pilot escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

On final approach to Parma Airport, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed 400 metres short of runway. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. At the time of the accident, the visibility was below minimums and the aircraft descended below the MDA until ground impact.

On the leg from Kungrad to the KS-7 Airfield at Komsomolsk-na-Ustyurte of a flight from Kungrad to Karakalpakiya with 2 unauthorized passengers on board, when the crew encountered below minima weather conditions (poor visibility) upon arrival. The crew failed to return, lost visual contact with the ground and deviated from the approach path so the aircraft collided at a height of 35 metres with a 52 metres high drilling tower, crashed and caught fire. A pilot and a passenger were killed while both survivors were seriously injured.

Air tanker N924AU had been dispatched from its base in Santa Barbara, CA to Missoula, MT to support fire suppression efforts involving a number of large fires in the Northern Region. The flight departed in VFR conditions at 16:05 PDT. While still in the area controlled by the Oakland FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), the crew requested and received an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance. They were assigned an altitude of 23,000 feet. The Orion proceeded uneventfully and was handed off to the Approach Controller at Missoula (MSO). MSO Approach did not have, at that time, terminal radar equipment that covered their entire area of responsibility. At first contact with MSO Approach, the Orion was 26 miles southeast of the Missoula International Airport and descending to 12,000 feet. In the course of several exchanges between the Orion and the MSO Approach Controller, it was disclosed and confirmed that the Orion’s flight crew did not have the approach plate (or chart) depicting the published approach procedure for the VOR-DME Bravo (B) approach, which was the approach in use for aircraft arriving from the south. Clearance was nevertheless offered and accepted and the controller provided the information as the Orion crew began to execute the VOR-DME B approach. At this time, the cloud bases at the MSO Airport were at about 7,900 feet and other aircraft making instrument approaches there were descending through 8,000 feet, cancelling their IFR flight plans and making visual approaches to the airport for landing. Since the Orion’s crew was able to monitor these radio communications/transmissions on the same frequency, they were probably counting on doing the same. At this time, there were very strong winds and moderate to severe turbulence reported at altitudes above 8,000 feet that increased with altitude in the MSO area. In addition to turbulence, the Orion crew contended with effects of flying at high altitudes, using oxygen in an unheated and un-pressurized aircraft for more than two hours. At some point in the initial phase of the approach, some confusion as to what heading to fly apparently occurred and the airtanker turned back toward the south, away from MSO. By this time the controller had authorized descent to 8,600 feet on an approximate heading of 200 degrees magnetic. MSO Approach received notification by Salt Lake City ARTCC (Center) that this airtanker was west of the course consistent with the approach procedure and subsequent notification that the airtanker had disappeared off Center’s radar screen. Repeated attempts to contact the Orion crew failed and MSO Approach notified the County Sheriff’s office, the Forest Service, and other agencies that the aircraft was missing and presumed down. Search and rescue attempts were not able to detect an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal. The mishap site was located the following day.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire by Candy S. Rock Fitzpatrick.

A lineman noted parking brake (p/b) was set before flight. Pilots began takeoff on 5,147 feet runway with 10 knots crosswind. A witness said aircraft rotated for takeoff about 4,500 feet down runway and lifted off about 50 feet later. Reportedly, it remained low and slow (20-60 feet agl) after lift-off, then banked (rocked) left and right in nose high attitude, settled, hit trees and crashed abt 200 feet beyond runway. One person said aircraft went out of control before impact; another said it was 'in or on the edge of stalled flight.' Examination showed rotational damage occurred in both engines during impact. The braking systems had evidence that p/b control valve was partially on; brake torque tube contained heat blueing. On this early model (Learjet 23/sn: 23-45a), p/b had to be released by depressing brake pedals first; pilot handbook did not address this. On later models (sn: 23-050 and up), p/b needed only to be moved 'off.' Investigations showed left seat pilot had training in later models (Learjet 24/25); but only a biennial flight review was noted in the model 23. Company dispatcher said no training would have been performed on accident flight (with passenger aboard). Aircraft was about 430 lbs over max weight limit. All three occupants were killed.

The crew was completing a positioning flight from Caracas Intl Airport to Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga. On descent, the crew was informed that the ILS glideslope for runway 10 was unserviceable so the captain decided to improvise an unapproved LOC/DME approach by night. The copilot was the pilot-in-command when, at an altitude of 2,500 feet on approach, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 9,3 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all four occupants were killed.

The crew departed Karsi at 1257LT on a positioning flight to Mubarek. At 1312LT, the crew contacted ATC and estimated his arrival in Mubarek at 1320LT. Shortly later, the single engine aircraft banked right then stalled and struck the ground. It bounced and crashed 80 meters further, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

On approach to Squamish Airport, the seaplane crashed in unknown circumstances on a railway road. Both pilots were killed.

Upon touchdown at Avon Park Airport, tyre(s) burst. The crew lost control of the airplane that veered off runway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.