Positioning

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

White Plains - Boca Raton

MSN:

YOM:

1966

Location:

Boca Raton

Florida

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

12486

Captain / Total hours on type:

1560.00

Circumstances:

On final approach to Boca Raton Airport, the captain attempted to retard the throttles but inadvertently shut down both engines. The airplane lost speed, stalled and struck the ground 900 feet short of runway 04 threshold. On impact, the undercarriage were torn off, the airplane slid for several yards and came to rest in a construction area. Both pilots were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Improper operation of powerplant controls on part of the crew. The following factors were reported:
- Landed in construction area,
- Failure of both engines,
- Retarded thrust levers aft, inadvertently shut down both engines.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed 18-56 LodeStar off Napier

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 18 LodeStar

Operator:

Airland

Registration:

ZK-CGV

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

2051

YOM:

1940

Location:

Napier

Country:

New Zealand

Region:

Oceania

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on approach to Napier-Hawke’s Bay Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the Napier harbor. The pilot was rescued by fishermen while the airplane sank and was lost.

Probable cause:

Loss of control on approach after a flap control cable broke on the right wing, causing a flap to extend unexpectedly.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-15-DK in Phnom Penh: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1971 at 1220 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

N55L

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Rockwell 1121 Jet Commander

Schedule:

Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville

MSN:

15230/26675

YOM:

1944

Location:

Phnom Penh-Pochentong

Phnom Penh

Country:

Cambodia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

15608

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Phnom Penh-Pochentong Airport, while climbing, the right engine caught fire and exploded. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in flames. Both crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Failure and explosion of the right engine for unknown reason.

Final Report:

Crash of a MBB HFB-320 Hansa Jet in Texel

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1970

Type of aircraft:

MBB HFB-320 Hansa Jet

Operator:

Registration:

D-CIRO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hamburg - Cologne - Paris

MSN:

1044

YOM:

1969

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The Hansa Jet departed Hamburg (HAM) at 0725LT on a positioning flight to Cologne (CGN) where it was to pick up some passengers who were to be taken to Paris for the signing of the Airbus treaty. While descending through a thick layer of clouds for Cologne, the right engine high pressure fuel pump failed. Some 22 seconds later the electrical system failed. The airplane entered a spiral descent until the first officer was able to light the instrument panel using a flash light. He noticed the severe right bank and told the captain to turn left and pull up. The airplane was brought under control and the crew climbed above the layer of clouds. It was decided to fly on a heading of 330° towards the North Sea, because the crew expected VFR weather there for an emergency landing. After flying for about half an hour the crew saw an island between the clouds, which turned out to be the Dutch island of Texel. Failing to see an airport in the area, it was decided to carry out a forced belly landing on the beach of Texel. The aircraft sustained additional substantial damage when being salvaged.

Crash of a Rockwell 1121 Jet Commander in Lexington: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1970 at 1917 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

N100RC

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Columbus – Lexington

MSN:

1121-060

YOM:

1966

Location:

Lexington-Blue Grass

Kentucky

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

5859

Captain / Total hours on type:

2070.00

Circumstances:

On final approach to Lexington-Blue Grass Airport by night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. In rain falls, the airplane was observed in a steep right bank descending then rolled to opposite direction before impact. The airplane was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control after the pilot-in-command suffered a spatial disorientation during a night approach in marginal weather conditions. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling and rain.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Fort Wayne: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1970 at 1138 LT

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31-310 Navajo

Operator:

Gerald R. Hamm

Registration:

N6637L

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Charlotte - Fort Wayne

MSN:

31-575

YOM:

1969

Location:

Fort Wayne

Indiana

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1545

Captain / Total hours on type:

495.00

Circumstances:

On approach to Fort Wayne Airport, the pilot encountered limited visibility due to poor weather conditions (fog, rain falls and low clouds). He reduced his altitude to minimum and lost control of the airplane while completing a steep turn at low altitude. The airplane struck the ground and crashed in flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Probable cause:

Improper IFR operation on part of the pilot who failed to obtain/maintain flying speed on final approach. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling, rain and fog,
- Weather conditions slightly worse than forecast,
- Descended below published approach minimums,
- Lost control during steep low altitude turn.

Final Report:

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Thubun Lake

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Noorduyn Norseman

Operator:

Registration:

CF-NJV

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

564

YOM:

1944

Location:

Thubun Lake

Northwest Territories

Country:

Canada

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Thubun Lake, while climbing, the airplane lost height, crashed and came to rest upside down. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the pilot failed to prepare the flight according to published procedures and positioned the fuel selector on an empty tank. In such conditions, the engine stopped shortly after rotation.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-63CF in New York: 11 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1970 at 1606 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-8

Operator:

Registration:

N4863T

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

New York – Washington DC – London

MSN:

45951/414

YOM:

1968

Flight number:

TV863

Location:

New York-JFK

New York

Country:

Region:

Howard Super Ventura (Howard 500)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

22300

Captain / Total hours on type:

7100.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

15775

Copilot / Total hours on type:

4750

Aircraft flight hours:

7878

Circumstances:

Approximately 1,500 feet from the initiation of the takeoff roll, the aircraft was observed rotating to an excessively nose-high attitude. The aircraft became airborne about 2,800 feet down the runway after which it continued to rotate slowly upward to an attitude estimated to be between 60° and 90° above the horizontal, at an altitude estimated to be between 300 and 500 feet above the ground. The aircraft rolled about 20° to the right, rolled back to the left until it reached approximately a vertical angle of bank, and then fell to the ground in that attitude. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and post impact fire. All 11 crew members, the only occupants of the aircraft, died in the accident.

Probable cause:

The Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was a loss of pitch control caused by the entrapment of a pointed, asphalt-covered object between the leading edge of the right elevator and the right horizontal spar web access door in the aft part of the stabilizer. The restriction to elevator movement, caused by a highly unusual and unknown condition, was not detected by the crew in time to reject the takeoff successfully. However, an apparent lack of crew responsiveness to a highly unusual emergency situation, coupled with the captain's failure to monitor adequately the takeoff, contributed to the failure to reject the takeoff.

Final Report:

Crash of an Howard 350 in Miami

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1970 at 2018 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Aviation Equipment Corporation of America

Registration:

N350Q

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Brooksville - Miami

MSN:

5892

YOM:

1943

Location:

Miami-Opa Locka

Florida

Country:

Region: