Scheduled Revenue Flight

After takeoff from a lake located in Winisk, the single engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. As the shore was approaching, the pilot elected to turn when the airplane struck the ground and came to rest upside down. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While cruising at an altitude of 21,000 feet south of Ingolstadt, the pilot informed ATC that a fire erupted on board, declared an emergency and requested the permission to divert to Munich Airport. The crew immediately started an emergency descent when control was lost. The airplane entered a dive, partially disintegrated in the air and eventually crashed in flames on a highway. Debris were found in an open field and the main wreckage on the Munich - Nuremberg highway. The tail was found about three km from the main wreckage. Rescue teams were hampered in their mission and it was really difficult to reach the crash site as the highway was totally jammed by cars from people living on holidays. None of the 48 occupants survived the crash. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as good despite broken clouds from 800 feet till 15,000 feet.

On final approach to Mirny Airport, the crew lowered the undercarriage when the left main gear detached and fell away. The captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in a wasteland. After touchdown, the aircraft banked left, causing the left wing tip to struck the ground and to be torn off, as well as a part of the engine number one. The aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest. While all occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was written off.

While approaching Psebai on a flight from Krasnodar, the crew encountered below-minima weather conditions (low visibility due to rain falls) and decided to return but it was too late. At a height of 1,050 metres, the airplane struck tree tops and crashed on the wooded slope of the Skalisty khrebet mountain range (1,314 metres high) located 7.5 km northeast of Psebai. The wreckage was found on August 31 only. All 14 occupants have been killed.

Flight AZ660 to Montreal, Canada departed Rome-Fiumicino Airport, Italy at 13:15. An intermediate stop was planned at Milan-Malpensa Airport. The airplane climbed in VMC to the en route altitude of FL220. The en route part of the flight was uneventful. While descending to the south of the airport, preparing for an approach to runway 35, the aircraft entered IMC with heavy turbulence due to the presence of a thunderstorm in the area. About 13:59 the flight was cleared from 9,000 feet down to 4,000 feet for a straight-in approach. Three minutes later the pilot advised that he would make a 360° turn over the beacon as the aircraft was at 6,000 feet. On completion of the turn, at an altitude of 1,500 feet, the flight continued on runway heading and descending. At 14:06 the flight crew became unsure of their position and almost immediately the airplane struck a wooded hillside 11,5 km north of Milan runway 35. 13 passengers were killed while 22 others were injured. 60 people were uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

On the leg from Daraut-Kurgan to Osh of a flight from Dzhargital to Osh, the crew encountered below-minima weather conditions (thunderstorm and rain). He failed to return, lost orientation and deviated from the prescribed flight path to the west by 10 km. The single engine aircraft crashed at a height of 4,000 metres into the steep slope of a mountain (4,170 metres) located some 15 km southwest of Sufi-Kurgan. The wreckage was found two days later and all 14 occupants were killed.

While approaching Dhahran Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with sandstorm. Unable to locate the runway, the pilot initiated a go-around and followed a holding pattern. A second attempt to land was made few minutes later but again, the crew was forced to make a go-around due to poor visibility. During the third approach, the aircraft was too low and struck a sand dune located 5 km short of runway and crashed. All 11 occupants were killed.

While parked on apron at Heathrow Airport, the three engine airplane was struck by a BKS Air Transport Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 that crashed on landing. The aircraft was empty so there were no injuries but it irreparable.

The four engine aircraft christened 'Clipper Caribbean' was performing the westward Pan Am flight 001 from San Francisco to New York with intermediate stops in Honolulu, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Calcutta, New Delhi, Beirut, Istanbul, Frankfurt and London. Following an uneventful flight from Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport, the crew started the approach to Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport by night and marginal weather conditions due to low clouds at 400 feet and rain showers. The crew deployed the flaps at 50° and continued the approach when he misunderstood the atmospheric pressure value transmitted by ATC. Instead of setting the QNH value of 993 mb, the crew set the QFE at 29,93, which caused the aircraft to descent 360 feet below the glide. It continued below the decision height until it struck tree tops located 1,128 meters short of runway threshold then impacted the ground and came to rest in flames one km short of runway. A crew member and five passengers were killed while 20 others were injured. 37 people were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.

The crew departed Yellowknife Airport on a schedule flight to Sherrard Bay, on Melville Island. En route, he was informed that a landing at Sherrard Bay Airstrip was impossible due to strong winds and was rerouted to Resolute Bay. On final, both engines failed and the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed few km south of the airfield, slid for several yards and came to rest, broken in two. All 12 occupants were rescued while the aircraft was written off.