Scheduled Revenue Flight

Approximately 16 minutes prior to the accident the pilot was cleared for the localizer DME approach. The aircraft collided with the mountainous terrain on a heading of about 220° at approx 8.5 dme on a bearing of 051° from the airport. As indicated on the loc/dme runway 23 approach plate, the minimum altitude between the outer marker, 6.6 dme, and 10 dme was 3,000 feet. Elevation at the accident site was 2,000 feet; airport elevation was 776 feet. Post crash fire consumed most of the wreckage but the cabin heater was not in the fire area. The pilot's reported carboxy hemoglobin (co) was 20%. Autopsy revealed multiple extreme impact injuries. Products of combustion were found on fresh air side of cabin heater/heat exchanger. Source of combustion products were not determined. All three occupants were killed.

After takeoff from Huambo-Albano Machado Airport, while climbing, an explosion occurred in the rear of the cabin. The pilot declared an emergency and was cleared to return. Due to the partial failure of the hydraulic system, the crew was unable to lower the flaps and the aircraft landed at high speed. After touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and lost its undercarriage and both engines before coming to rest 180 meters further. All 142 occupants were evacuated and 15 of them were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

On final approach to Izhevsk Airport, the aircraft became unstable and the captain decided to make a go-around. Few minutes later, on a second attempt to land, the aircraft rolled left and right than banked right, causing the right wing to struck the ground. At a speed of 180 km/h, the aircraft cartwheeled and crashed in a field near the runway threshold. The copilot and three passengers were killed while all 49 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

While descending to Manado-Sam Ratulangi Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility. At an altitude of 3,000 feet, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Lokon located 25 km southwest of Manado Airport. Both pilots and four passengers were killed while three others were injured. For unknown reasons, the crew started the descent prematurely.

After touchdown at San Miguel Airport, the four engine airplane rolled onto a mine, exploded and came to rest. A passenger was killed and few others were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While descending to Karimui Airfield on a flight from Kundiawa, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions. In low clouds, he started the descent prematurely when the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located few km from Karimui. All 10 occupants were killed.

At 1442 on January 13, 1984, Pilgrim Airline Flight 35, a scheduled 14 CFR Part 121 flight with 21 passengers and a crew of three took off from runway 04L at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Jamaica, New York, en route to Ottawa, Canada. The weather was, in part, ceiling 2,700 feet overcast, visibility 7 miles; wind, 050° at I4 knots; and temperature 26°. As the captain raised the landing gear, the propeller on the left engine autofeathered. The captain initiated emergency procedures and told the first officer that he was retarding the power lever for the left engine. Concurrently, according to the cockpit voice recorder, the right engine experienced a power loss, and the airplane began to descend. The first officer, who was flying the airplane, maintained directional control, and the captain immediately put the landing gear lever down. however, the airplane struck the runway before the landing gear extended fully, and slid about 1,200 feet before stopping near the intersection of taxiway "G" and runway 04L. The captain and 13 passengers incurred minor injuries, and the flight attendant incurred a fracture of the spine. The airplane was damaged substantially; there was no postcrash fire.

The approach to Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport was initiated by night and limited visibility due to snow falls. On short final, the crew descended below the glide when the aircraft struck successively power cables and tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located 4 km short of runway threshold, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed and all 50 occupants were killed.

While approaching Leshukonskoye Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to freezing fog. On final, despite his position was wrong, the pilot decided to pass below the glide and continued. He then reduced the approach speed and initiated a slight turn to the right when the unstable aircraft lost height, banked left and crashed 230 meters from the runway threshold and 110 meters to the right of its extended centerline, bursting into flames. Four crew members and 40 passengers were killed while five other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Following an uneventful flight from Singapore-Changi Airport, the crew started the approach to Kuala Lumpung-Subang Airport by night and poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. During an ILS approach to runway 15 with an RVR of 450 meters, the pilot-in-command was unable to establish a visual contact with the runway and eventually decided to make a go-around. Four other attempts to land failed and during the sixth approach procedure, the crew descended below the MDA until the aircraft contacted trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located 1,200 meters short of runway, bursting into flames. All 247 occupants were quickly evacuated, 20 of them were injured. The undercarriage and both engines were torn off while the aircraft was partially destroyed by a post crash fire.