Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2T in Kulsary

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-44951
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G25-24
YOM:
1962
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing for unknown reasons. There were no casualties and the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 near Zabol: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1989 at 1320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
YA-BAK
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Kabul - Zaranj
MSN:
57314104
YOM:
1985
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
35
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
En route from Kabul to Zaranj, an Iranian security officer entered the cockpit and instructed the crew to divert to Zabol, Iran. On approach, the captain was shot down and the copilot, panicked, attempted an emergency landing in a hilly terrain located few km from Zabol. Five passengers were killed in the accident.
Probable cause:
Crashed in unclear circumstances after being hijacked.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-62M in Berlin: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1989 at 0628 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DDR-SEW
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Berlin - Moscow
MSN:
2850324
YOM:
1988
Flight number:
IF102
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
103
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Captain / Total flying hours:
7796
Copilot / Total flying hours:
8947
Aircraft flight hours:
1939
Aircraft flight cycles:
546
Circumstances:
Interflug flight 102, an Ilyushin Il-62M, was destroyed following a runway excursion accident on takeoff from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport, East Germany. Of the 113 occupants, 21 were killed. At 06:20 hours local time the engines were started. Immediately thereafter, the flight control surfaces were unlocked, a process which, according to the cockpit voice recorder, was not completed. The crew did not carry out the necessary check of the warning panel on the condition of the elevator. While taxiing for departure, the captain checked for the second time the movement of the elevators but failed to notice they were locked. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff from runway 25L and the engines were adjusted to rated power due to the low take-off mass of 113 tons. At 06:28:05 the aircraft reached VR. The captain pulled the control column during VR, but the aircraft did not respond. Four seconds later he called out to abort the takeoff. At this time the aircraft had attained a speed of 293 km/h. Instead of using reverse thrust, the flight engineer shut down all four engines. The speed at this time was 303 km/h and the remaining distance to the end of the runway was about 940 meters. The aircraft rolled over the end of the runway at a speed of 262 km/h and slightly to the left of the centerline. During the emergency braking five tires of the main landing gear had been destroyed. The airaft crossed an excavation pit of 40 cm deep, causing the the right main landing gear to collapse. It then collided with a water tank, concrete piles of the airport fence, a road embankment and six trees. At 06:28:37 the aircraft came to rest and burst into flames. Within two minutes, 82 passengers could be rescued alive from the fuselage, which had been broken into three parts. All 10 crew members survived.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. A technical problem with rudder controls or components could not be excluded and an error on part of the flying crew could not be proven.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Ivanovka

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-40593
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G84-46
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing, the aircraft lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a ravine. There were no casualties.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 near Tame: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1989 at 1015 LT
Operator:
Registration:
HK-2486
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Yopal - Tame
MSN:
676
YOM:
1980
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While descending to Tame-Gustavo Vargas Santos Airport in IMC conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft struck a mountain located few km from Tame. Six passengers were killed while 16 other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-62 in Paramaribo: 176 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1989 at 0427 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N1809E
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Amsterdam - Paramaribo
MSN:
46107
YOM:
1969
Flight number:
PY764
Country:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
178
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
176
Captain / Total flying hours:
19450
Captain / Total hours on type:
8800.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6600
Aircraft flight hours:
52706
Aircraft flight cycles:
20342
Circumstances:
Surinam Airways (SLM) carried out regular flights between Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport (AMS) and Paramaribo (PBM) using McDonnell Douglas DC-8-60 planes. One of these was a US-registered plane, N1809E, named "Anthony Nesty". The air crew was furnished by Air Crew International (ACI). The contract between Surinam Airways and ACI stipulated that ACI would furnish SLM with qualified crew members who held FAA certificates and who met the regulatory requirements to fly the DC-8. ACI did not provide for proficiency checks but left it to the individual pilots to meet the training and other requirements of their profession. One of the captains provided by ACI was involved in several incidents while operating on SLM flights. After investigation, SLM instructed ACI not to use this captain in future SLM assignments. However, he still acted as a crew member on several flights since. The captain was again scheduled on the accident flight PY764. According to regulations, the captain was not even qualified to act as pilot-in-command of that flight because of his age. He was 66 years old and Surinam regulations stipulated that "the holder of a pilot certificate is not authorized to act as pilot during commercial flights when he/she has reached age 60". Also, his most recent proficiency check flight was on a GA-7 Cougar twin instead of a DC-8. Flight 764 departed Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport at 23:25 (June 6) on a flight to Paramaribo (PBM). The en route part of the flight was uneventful and about 20 minutes before arrival in Paramaribo the crew received the 07:00 UTC weather for Zanderij Airport: Wind calm, visibility 900 m in fog, temperature/dewpoint 22°C/22°C. This caught the crew by surprise since the previous weather information had included a visibility of 6 km. Because the ILS was not to be used for operational purposes, the copilot said: "We don't legally have an ILS ... we have to use it". The captain responded affirmatively. The crew were confident that they could land because they assumed that the fog was localized given the fact that they were able to see the airport during the descent. Zanderij Tower then cleared the flight for a VOR/DME approach to runway 10. The captain tuned in to the ILS and instructed the first officer to set the final approach course for the published VOR/DME approach on the first officer's side. During the approach the first officer reported that he could see the airport:"Runway's at twelve o'clock". A minute later he commented "A little bit of low fog comin' up I reckon just a little bit". He was still able to see the runway and reported the runway in sight. The DC-8 then entered some stratus clouds the captain told the first officer to "Tell him [tower controller] to turn the runway lights up ... Tell him to put the runway lights bright". The captain attempted to capture the unreliable ILS glide slope signal, but failed to capture it. The Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) sounded several times: "Glideslope ... glideslope..." until it was deactivated. The captain was flying the aircraft below the minimum altitude for the ILS/DME approach procedure (260 ft asl) as well as below the minimum descent altitude for the VOR/DME approach procedure (560 ft). The first officer called out: "Two hundred feet". Thirteen seconds later the no. 2 engine contacted a tree. The right wing then struck another tree, causing the aircraft to roll, striking the ground inverted. The airplane broke up and a fire erupted.
Probable cause:
The Commission determines:
a) That as a result of the captain's glaring carelessness and recklessness the aircraft was flown below the published minimum altitudes during the approach and consequently collided with a tree.
b) As underlying factor in the accident was the failure of SLM's operational management to observe the pertinent regulations as well as the procedures prescribed in the SLM Operations Manual concerning qualification and certification during recruitment and employment of the crew members furnished by ACI.
Final Report:

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Zillah

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5A-DDV
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Zillah - Tripoli
MSN:
10588
YOM:
1979
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
36
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
7924
Aircraft flight cycles:
5494
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Zillah Airport, while climbing, the crew encountered vibration on the left engine and decided to return for a safe landing. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the aircraft crash landed in a desert area located few km from the airport. All 39 occupants were evacuated, among them nine passengers were injured. The aircraft was written off.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Sheremkhovo

Date & Time: May 22, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-32615
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G219-14
YOM:
1986
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed after encountering turbulences. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Boeing 707-330B in Nairobi

Date & Time: May 17, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
6O-SBT
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nairobi - Mogadishu
MSN:
19316
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
13
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
57
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta Airport, the captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and initiated an emergency braking maneuver. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest few dozen meters past the runway end. All 70 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.