Scheduled Revenue Flight

En route, the crew entered an area of poor visibility due to low clouds when the aircraft encountered downdrafts and crashed onto a hill. Occupant's fate unknown.

Shortly after takeoff from Seattle-Tacoma Intl Airport, the crew noted a right engine power loss and decided to return for a precautionary landing. After lowering the landing gear, a massive fire was discovered in the right engine nacelle. After landing, directional control and all braking were lost. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway 16L after the left power lever was moved to flight idle. The f/o advised tower that the aircraft was out of control. The aircraft rolled onto the ramp area where it struck a runway designator sign, ground equipment, and jetways B7 and B9. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed by fire. Investigation revealed that during overhaul the high pressure fuel filter cover was improperly installed on the engine and the improper installation was not discovered drg company installation of the engine on the aircraft. This led to a massive fuel leak and the nacelle fire. The fire/explosion caused the loss of the engine panels, reducing the effectiveness of the fire suppression system and allowing other systems to be damaged.

Crashed after being caught by strong winds. Occupant's fate unknown.

The aircraft was operating a scheduled service from Brisbane to Port Macquarie with planned intermediate stops at Coolangatta and Coffs Harbour. Weather conditions over the route were influenced by a widespread unstable airmass. The terminal forecast for Coffs Harbour indicated a surface wind of 360/15, visibility in excess of 10 km, 5 octas stratus at 1000 ft, 5 octas cumulus at 2000 ft. Thunderstorms, associated with visibility reduced to 2000 metres were also forecast for periods of up to 30 minutes. The actual weather conditions at Coffs Harbour were generally consistent with the terminal forecast. Runway 03 was in use throughout the evening. Coffs Harbour airport was equipped with NDB, VOR and domestic DME radio navigation aids. A VOR/DME procedure was published for runway 03 approaches. For aircraft not equipped with DME, a VOR or NDB approach was available using common tracking and minimum altitude criteria. Runway 03 was also equipped with a 6 stage T-VASIS and 3 stage runway lighting. All facilities were reported as functioning normally, with the exception of the VOR which was experiencing intermittent power failures due to the effects of heavy rain. The VOR was able to be reset manually from the Coffs Harbour control tower. Although the tower was scheduled to be unmanned before the arrival of VH-HOX, the duty air traffic controller elected to man the tower until the aircraft had landed. The controller also called out a technician to attend to the VOR. The aircraft was equipped with dual ILS/VOR and ADF receivers, plus International DME. Domestic DME equipment was not fitted to the aircraft, although required by ANO 20.8. After descending in the VOR/NDB holding pattern, the aircraft was cleared for an instrument approach. The pilot had been told of the intermittent operation of the VOR and had said he would revert to the NDB. At that time the weather conditions were fluctuating about the circling minima of 950 feet (QNH) and five km visibility. The controller advised the aircraft of a heavy shower to the south of the field. The aircraft subsequently completed the approach and the pilot reported "visual". The controller said he saw the lights of the aircraft in a position consistent with a right downwind leg for a landing on runway 03. The aircraft was then cleared to land. Shortly after, the controller saw the lights of the aircraft disappear briefly, consistent with the aircraft passing through a localised area of rain/cloud. The lights then reappeared briefly, as though the aircraft was turning onto finals, before disappearing. This was immediately followed by short series of "clicks" on the tower frequency. The aircraft was called immediately but failed to respond to any calls. The accident site was located about 1070 metres short of the landing threshold, and about 750 metres to the right of the extended runway centreline. The aircraft was found to have initially struck a nine metre high tree in a nose low attitude, steeply banked to the right, on a track of 050 degrees. After striking the tree with the outboard section of the right wing, the aircraft struck other trees before hitting the ground and overturning. A fire broke out shortly after the aircraft came to rest. As a result of his remaining on duty, the controller was able to provide immediate notification of the accident to the emergency services. This action facilitated the rescue of survivors.

Avianca flight 410 was destroyed when it impacted El Espartillo Mountain after takeoff from Cúcuta Airport in Colombia. All 143 occupants sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft, a Boeing 727-21 operated flight AV410 from Bucaramanga to Barranquilla, with en route stops at Cúcuta and Cartagena. Because the originally planned aircraft was not available, HK-1716 was prepared for the flight. This resulted in a departure delay of 2 hours and 30 minutes. The flight landed at Cúcuta at 12:28 local time. At 13:06, the pilot requested clearance to start, but he was told there was a 10-minute delay because of three incoming aircraft. The crew immediately requested clearance for a climb on course ("Why not clear us to climb on course to avoid delaying this flight further? We're: pretty far behind") and the tower granted their request at 13:08: "OK, cleared for engine start, climb on course VMC, report ready to taxi, temperature 28°". This, added to the anomalous presence in the cockpit of another pilot whose loquaciousness continually disrupted the work of all the crew members, affected the way in which the pilot supervised the actions of his co-pilot, who was Pilot Flying. There was no crew briefing, nor did the pilot-in command give any instructions for the VMC departure. Two minutes later the tower controller instructed them to taxi to runway 33. At 13:12 the tower reported, "Cleared to Cartagena via Uniform Whisky 19, Whisky 7, Whisky 10, climb and maintain two six zero after takeoff, climb on course VMC, QNH ....correction transponder Alpha 2216". Take-off clearance was issued at 13:13. The initial climb path followed the extended runway centre line to the inner marker, at which point the aircraft entered a continuous left turn. At 13:17 the pilot said to the copilot, "In any case, start turning right." Subsequently the aircraft struck the peak of El Espartillo at an elevation of 6,343 feet.

At 1453LT, while in cruising altitude over Vologda on a flight from Irkutsk to Leningrad via Kurgan, a group of 11 hijackers (all from the same Oveshkin Family) informed the cabin crew that a bomb was on board and requested to be flown to London. The captain explained that he did not have sufficient fuel to fly to UK and proposed to make a stopover in Finland. In accordance with the authorities and his corporate, the captain eventually landed at the Veshchevo Airbase located 105 km northwest of Leningrad, near the Finnish border. After landing, hijackers realized they were not in Finland and open fire in the cabin. As a door could be open by a crew member, police officers entered the cabin and open fire as well. When the hijackers realized their hijacking attempt failed, two of them committed suicide. The aircraft was partially destroyed by fire and nine people were killed, five hijackers, one stewardess and three passengers. 19 other people were injured in the event.

Following an uneventful flight from Nancy-Essey Airport, the crew started the descent to Paris-Orly Airport and was cleared to reduce his altitude to 6,000 feet. At that time, weather conditions were marginal with poor visibility due to fog. Suddenly, the aircraft pitched down and entered an uncontrolled descent with a rate of 16,000 feet per minute during the last 20 seconds. Out of control, the aircraft struck the metallic pylon of a high voltage powerline and eventually crashed at an excessive speed of 630 km/h in an open field located in Machault, about 46 km southeast of Paris-Orly Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 24 occupants were killed.

On approach to Johannesburg-Jan Smuts Airport, the twin engine aircraft suffered an in-flight explosion, broke in two and crashed in a industrial area located in Germiston, about 13 km southwest from the airport. The cockpit was found about 250 meters from the main wreckage and all 17 occupants were killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Kuybyshev, the crew initiated the descent to Surgut Airport by night. The visibility was reduced due to marginal weather conditions. On approach, ATC instructed the pilot to modify his trajectory and to follow the glide as the aircraft deviated to the left. At this time, it is believed that the captain got distracted. After the crew passed the decision height, the captain continued the approach despite the fact he did not establish any visual contact with the runway lights and failed to initiate a go-around. At a height of 38 meters and a speed of 286 km/h, the aircraft passed 50 meters to the left of the threshold and the captain decided to continue. ATC instructed the crew to go-around when, one second later, the aircraft touched the ground of a snowy field some 714 meters past the runway threshold and 113 meters to the left of the runway. With a positive acceleration of 4,8 g, the aircraft lost its right wing and came to rest upside down, bursting into flames. 31 people were injured while 20 others were killed, among them the copilot.

The engine failed shortly after takeoff but the crew reaction was inappropriate and the aircraft crashed. Occupant's fate unknown.