Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP near Lazo: 12 killed

Date & Time: Apr 28, 1981 at 1231 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-92864
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Batagay - Lazo
MSN:
1G53-16
YOM:
1965
Flight number:
SU347I
Location:
Lazo
Kamchatka Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Aircraft flight hours:
13125
Circumstances:
The single airplane departed Batagay on a schedule service to Lazo with 10 passengers and two pilots on board. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility and icing conditions. While cruising in low clouds at an altitude of 860 meters, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of Lazo. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 12 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that weather conditions were slightly worse than forecast. The crew took the decision to continue the flight into a visibility that was below minimums when no visual contact with ground could be established. The copilot had a blood alcohol level of 1‰ which may have influenced his decisions and capabilities.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.137 Jetstream III in Loveland: 13 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1981 at 1601 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.137 Jetstream
Operator:
Air US
Registration:
N11360
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Denver - Gillette
MSN:
238
YOM:
1969
Flight number:
US716
Location:
Loveland
Colorado
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Captain / Total flying hours:
4784
Captain / Total hours on type:
1784.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2280
Copilot / Total hours on type:
210
Aircraft flight hours:
3795
Aircraft flight cycles:
3791
Circumstances:
Air US Flight 716 departed Denver-Stapleton, CO at 15:46 for a flight to Gillette, WY. At 15:59 Flight 716 contacted Denver Center to request to maintain FL130, which was approved. In the same area a Cessna TU206 (N4862F, operated by Sky's West Parachute Center) was climbing in a racetrack pattern over Fort Collins/Loveland Municipal Airport to an altitude of FL155. The Cessna had departed this airport at 15:30 for the second parachute jump flight of the day. The Cessna was in a climbing left turn on a north-westerly heading when it was hit by the Air US Jetstream. The No. 1 propeller of the Jetstream cut through the aft fuselage section of the Cessna resulting in immediate loss of control to both aircraft. Two of the skydivers were killed inside the aircraft during the collision. The pilot and three parachutists fell free of the aircraft and parachuted to the ground. The remains of the Cessna descended out of control and crashed in an open field. The Jetstream impacted the ground in a nearly vertical pitch attitude in an open field about 4,000 feet northeast of the Cessna wreckage.
Probable cause:
The failure of the Cessna pilot to establish communications with the Denver Center and his climbing into controlled airspace above 12,500 feet without an authorised deviation from the altitude encoding transponder (Mode-C) requirement, the practice of the Denver Center of routinely condoning Sky's West parachute jump operations above 12,500 feet without a Mode-C transponder and the failure of the pilots of both aircraft to "see and avoid" each other. Contributing to the accident was the fact that existing regulations do not prohibit parachute jumping in, or immediately adjacent to, Federal airways.
Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Ust-Kut

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1981
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-02588
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1G121-07
YOM:
1970
Location:
Ust-Kut
Irkutsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The engine failed in flight, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in a field and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Cessna 402A near Mount Hagen: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 402
Operator:
Registration:
P2-GKJ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Port Moresby – Goroka – Mount Hagen
MSN:
402A-0081
YOM:
1969
Location:
Mount Hagen
Western Highlands
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While approaching Mount Hagen Airport in poor weather conditions, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a wooded mountain. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all eight occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Słupsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1981 at 2040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
SP-LTU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Warsaw – Słupsk
MSN:
0 73 060 07
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
LO691
Location:
Słupsk
Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie)
Country:
Poland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
47
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On final approach to Słupsk-Redzikowo Airport by night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient. The airplane struck roadside trees, lost height and crashed in a snow covered field located two km short of runway 27, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and one passenger was killed while 51 other occupants were rescued, among them 33 were injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the probable cause of the accident was a misinterpretation of the altimeters on part of the crew or a wrong altimeter setting.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18D in Hòa Bình

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-18
Operator:
Registration:
VN-B190
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
1880 107 03
YOM:
1968
Location:
Hòa Bình
Hòa Bình Province
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
2815
Aircraft flight cycles:
1772
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 400 in Kufrah

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
5A-DBR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
10517
YOM:
1975
Location:
Kufra
Kufra (الكفرة)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
10734
Aircraft flight cycles:
6978
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing at Kufra Airport for unknown reasons. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Höfn

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-310 Navajo
Operator:
Registration:
TF-RTR
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
31-68
YOM:
1968
Location:
Höfn-Hornafjörður
Eastern Region (Austurland)
Country:
Iceland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Höfn-Hornafjörður Airport runway 36, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in a river located about 200 meters from the runway end. All occupants were rescued while the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Prokhorkino: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1981 at 1642 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-35182
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Prokhorkino – Novonikolskoye – Nazino – Aleksandrovskoye
MSN:
1G114-06
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
SU9720
Location:
Prokhorkino
Tomsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
8342
Aircraft flight cycles:
10717
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Prokhorkino at 1634LT on a service to Aleksandrovskoye with intermediate stops at Novonikolskoye and Nazino. Weather conditions were no so good with clouds, snow falls and a visibility estimated to 3-5 km. About eight minutes after takeoff, the airplane went out of control and crashed in an icy lake (the ice was about 60-70 cm thick) located 20 km northwest of Prokhorkino. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. It is possible that the crew lost control of the airplane following a wrong interpretation of the artificial horizon while cruising in limited visibility due to snow falls. A spatial disorientation may be a factor as well.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Los Mogotes Colorados: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1981 at 0745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Operator:
Líneas Aéreas Riojanas
Registration:
LV-MEV
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
La Rioja – Chilecito
MSN:
31-7852014
YOM:
1978
Location:
Los Mogotes Colorados
La Rioja
Country:
Argentina
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed La Rioja-Capitán Vicente Almandos Almonacid Airport in the early morning on a flight to Chilecito. After passing Patquía, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with low clouds when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain and crashed in Los Mogotes Colorados, about 75 km southwest of La Rioja. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Daniel del Punta, pilot,
Santiago O'Brien, copilot.
Passengers:
Federico Coria Peñaloza,
Jacinto Robles,
Raúl Haise,
Augusto Cesar Gordillo.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed that it was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.
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