Scheduled Revenue Flight

Shortly after takeoff from Maiquetía-Simon Bolivar Airport, while climbing, the airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed into the sea few km off Macuto. All 47 occupants were killed.

While descending to Kano-Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, the crew was instructed to maintain FL65 as a Nigerian Air Force MiG-21 was performing touch-and-go maneuvers at the same airport. After the jet trainer completed its touch-and-go and was taking off, its crew was informed about the approach of the F28 which should land first on runway 05. On short final, both aircraft collided and crashed in flames about 2 km short of runway threshold. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 18 occupants were killed. The exact circumstances and causes of the in-flight collision are unclear.

On March 1, 1978, Continental Air Lines, Inc., Flight 603, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 (N68045), was a scheduled flight from Los Angeles International Airport, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. At 0857:18, Flight 603 called Los Angeles clearance delivery and was cleared for the route of flight which was to have been flown. About 2 min later, the flight received permission from Los Angeles ground control to push back from the gate. At 0901:37, Flight 603 was cleared by ground control to taxi to runway 6R. The runway was wet, but there was no standing water. At 0922:29, Los Angeles local control cleared Flight 603 to taxi into position on runway 6R and hold. At 0923:17, local control cleared Flight 603 for takeoff; however, the flightcrew did not acknowledge the instructions and did not comply with them. At 0923:57, local acknowledged the instructions. The captain stated that he delayed control, again, cleared the flight for takeoff. This time the flightcrew acknowledgment of the takeoff clearance because he believed that he had initially been given the clearance too soon after a heavy jet aircraft had made its takeoff. The flightcrew stated that acceleration was normal and that all engine instruments were in the normal range for takeoff. As the airspeed approached the V1 speed of 156 kns, the captain heard a loud "metallic bang" which was followed immediately by "a kind of quivering of the plane." The flightcrew noticed that the left wing dropped slightly. A rejected takeoff was begun immediately; however, according to the digital flight data recorder (DFDR), the airspeed continued to increase to about 159 kns as the rejected takeoff procedures were begun. The captain stated that he applied full brake pressure while simultaneously bringing the thrust levers back to idle power. Reverse thrust levers were actuated and full reverse thrust was used. The flightcrew stated that they noted good reverse thrust. First, the aircraft moved to the left of the runway centerline and appeared tb the flightcrew to be decelerating normally. With about of deceleration had decreased, and they believed that the aircraft would 2,000 ft of runway remaining, the flightcrew became aware that the rate not be able to stop on the runway surface. The captain stated that he maintained maximum brake pedal force and full reverse thrust as he steered the aircraft to the right of the runway centerline in an effort "to go beside the stanchions holding the runway lights" immediately off of the departure end of runway 6R. He stated further that he encountered no problems with directional control of the aircraft throughout the rejected takeoff maneuver. The aircraft departed the right corner of the departure end of runway 6R. About 100 ft beyond the runway, the left main landing gear broke through the nonload-bearing tar-macadam (tarmac) surface and failed rearward. Fire erupted immediately from this area. The aircraft dropped onto the left wing and the No. 1 (left) engine and rotated to the left as it continued its slide along the surface. It stopped between two of the approach light stanchions for runway 24L about 664 ft from the departure end of runway 6R and about 40 ft to the right of the runway 6R extended centerline; it came to rest on a heading of 008°, in an 11° left wing low, 1.3° noseup attitude. When the aircraft came to a stop, the evacuation was begun immediately. Two passengers were killed while all other occupants were evacuated, some of them with serious injuries.

Landed hard and came to rest at Abadan Airport. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While parked at Tolmachevo Airport with negative temperatures, ground employees in charge to clean the cabin installed a heater on a vehicle to heat the cabin. The aircraft engineer who performed the work left the operating heater unattended and left. At the same time, an oily rag was forgotten in front of the inlet of the air heater, which was subsequently drawn into the air heater, caught fire and was thrown through the sleeve into the aircraft cabin. The fire was not detected rapidly so it spread in the cabin and destroyed a large part of the aircraft. There were no injuries.

Suffered an accident at Clermont-Ferrand-Aulnat Airport. There were no casualties.

Pacific Western Airlines flight 314 was a scheduled Boeing 737 service from Fort McMurray, Aberta, to Castlegar with stops at Edmonton, Calgary and Cranbrook, B. C. The flight departed Calgary at 1932Z 11 February 1978, for Cranbrook with a Company estimated time enroute of 23 minutes. This estimate was passed to the Company Agent in Cranbrook. Flight 314 was cleared by Calgary Air Traffic Control to Cranbrook via high level airway 505, and reached the assigned altitude of 20,000 feet at 1938Z. Air Traffic Control in Calgary transmitted an ETA (estimated time of arrival) of 2005Z to Cranbrook Aeradio, via the land line. Cranbrook is an "uncontrolled" airport without a control tower, but within controlled airspace, with an "Aeradio" station providing communications, weather, and advisory service. At Cranbrook it was snowing with the visibility reported as 314 of a mile, and a radio equipped snow removal vehicle was sweeping the runway. The Aeradio operator at Cranbrook alerted the vehicle operator about the incoming aircraft at 1935Z and gave him the ETA of 2005Z; they both expected the flight would report by the "Skookum Beacon" on a straight-in approach to runway 16, thus giving the vehicle operator about seven minutes to get off the runway. At 1942Z Flight 314 called Calgary and requested and received descent clearance; it was also given clearance for the approach to Cranbrook. At 1944Z, the flight called out of 18000 feet in the descent, and Calgary ATC advised the flight to contact Aeradio. At 1945Z, Flight 314 made initial contact with Cranbrook Aeradio and at 1946Z Cranbrook passed the latest weather, altimeter and runway information. At 1947Z Cranbrook Aeradio advised the flight that snow removal was in progress and gave the latest visibility; Flight 314 acknowledged. No further transmissions were received from the flight by Aeradio or ATC. Evidence indicates the aircraft passed the Skookum beacon inbound on a straight-in instrument approach, and flew the ILS for runway 16 to touchdown.' According to witnesses and estimates partially derived from flight data recorder information, the aircraft touched down at 1955Z approximately 800 feet from the threshold and reverse thrust was selected. Reverse thrust was cancelled immediately after touchdown and a go-around was initiated. The aircraft became airborne prior to the 2000 foot mark, and flew down the runway at a height of 50 to 70 feet, flying over a snow removal vehicle which was still on the runway, 2050 feet from the threshold and 20 feet from the right edge. About this time the left engine thrust reverser doors deployed. A few seconds later, the flap was selected up from 40° to 15°. The landing gear remained down and locked. Six seconds before impact and just over 4,000 feet from the runway threshold, the flight recorder data indicates that a large amount of left rudder was momentarily applied. The aircraft climbed to 300 to 400 feet above the airfield, banked steeply to the left, lost height and side-slipped into the ground to the left of the runway. Fire broke out on impact. Four crew members and 38 passengers were killed while seven other occupants were killed.

Columbia Pacific Airlines Flight 23, a Beech 99 (N199EA), was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR 135 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Richland to Seattle, Washington. The crew arrived at Richland at 1525 P.s.t. on Flight 18 from Seattle. When they arrived, N199EA was being inspected to fulfill the requirements of an Airworthiness Directive. The aircraft was not available to the crew for preflight inspection until 1630; Flight 23 was scheduled to depart at 1640. At 1628, the captain was briefed on weather by the Walla Walla, Washington, Flight Service Station (FSS), and he filed a dispatch release which contained aircraft weight and balance, route of flight, and weather information. About 1630, the aircraft was fueled and 600 lbs of baggage was loaded. About 1635, the first officer left the terminal building and connected the auxiliary power unit to the aircraft. He then inspected the aircraft and boarded; the captain boarded shortly thereafter. When the passenger boarding call was made, the captain left the aircraft to obtain magazines for the passengers. He was seen getting into his seat when the first passenger boarded. At 1646, the first officer contacted the Pasco Airport Traffic Control Tower, using Flight No. 29, and advised that they were taxiing and would request an instrument flight rules clearance to Seattle via Yakima, Washington, when airborne. The Pasco Control Tower received no further calls from Flight 23. The first officer informed operations on company frequency that they would be departing shortly and would relay their estimated time of arrival in Seattle when airborne. There were no further radio communications with the crew. The aircraft daily flight log for February 10 showed that the aircraft left the ramp at 1645 and took off at 1648. In general, witnesses described the aircraft's attitude at liftoff as normal and estimated the point of liftoff between 1,173 and 1,486 ft; however, immediately thereafter the aircraft began a steep climb at an angle of 20' to 45" to an altitude of 300 to 400 ft above the runway and then appeared to decelerate. The wings rocked or wobbled at the top of the climb, and the aircraft turned or yawed to the left.
The nose dropped and the aircraft descended to the ground at a flightpath angle estimated to have been 45°. Fuel from ruptured fuel tanks caught fire after the aircraft hit the ground. Fire consumed the aircraft within 7 minutes. All 17 occupants were killed.

After takeoff from Artigas, while on a flight to Montevideo with 40 civilian passengers on board, the pilot contacted ATC and reported engine problems. He was cleared to complete a turn to join the approach path when the airplane stalled and crashed in flames. All 44 occupants were killed. The exact cause of the engine problem remains unknown. The airplane had dual military (T-511) and civil (CX-BJH) registrations.

Crashed upon landing at Tortola Airport for unknown reasons. There were no casualties.