Scheduled Revenue Flight

Shortly after takeoff from Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert Airport, while climbing, the crew encountered technical problem with the engine and declared an emergency. He realized he could not return to his departure point so he attempted an emergency landing on a road when the aircraft struck a tree and crashed 9 km weat of the airport. All seven occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Due to poor weather conditions in Freetown, the flight was delayed for hours. Finally, the crew was cleared for takeoff from runway 12/30 which is 3,200 metres long. During the takeoff roll, the captain decided to abort for unknown reasons. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, lost its right main gear and right engine before coming to rest in a grassy area located 100 metres past the runway end. All 127 occupants were rescued, among them 50 passengers were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from runway 05L at Mexico City-Benito Juarez Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft encountered windshear. It lost height and crash landed on the runway. Upon impact, the landing gear were torn off. Out of control, the aircraft veered off runway, lost its right wing and came to rest. All 56 occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was destroyed.

After landing on runway 02 at Chitral Airport, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a grassy and sandy area. All 40 occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft departed Libreville-Léon Mba Airport at 0911LT on a flight to Franceville with an intermediate stop in Port Gentil with 26 passengers and four crew members on board. Few minutes after takeoff, the crew informed ATC about technical problem and was cleared to return to Libreville. In excellent weather conditions, the aircraft overflew the runway then crashed in the sea about 100 metres offshore. Eleven occupants were rescued while 19 others were killed, among them one crew member.

While descending to Manaus-Eduardo Gomes Airport following an uneventful flight from Tefé, the aircraft was correctly established on the ILS when the crew was instructed by ATC to initiate a go-around and to follow a holding pattern as the priority was given to an ambulance flight. The crew made a left turn heading 060° and continued the descent after passing 2,000 feet when the aircraft struck the ground and crashed about 33 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 33 occupants were killed.

Flight 5401 departed Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, for San Juan about 14:15. The captain was the nonflying pilot for the flight, and the first officer was the flying pilot. The takeoff, climb, and en route portions of the flight were uneventful. At 14:37, as the flight approached the San Juan traffic area, the ATIS reported that winds were 060 degrees at 17 knots and gusting at 23 knots. Shortly thereafter, the captain briefed a Vref (the minimum approach airspeed in the landing configuration before the airplane reaches the runway threshold) of 95 knots and told the first officer to "stand by for winds." At 14:43 SJU Terminal Radar Approach Control cautioned the pilots of possible wake turbulence from a preceding Boeing. The captain told the first officer to slow down to about 140 kts. At 14:46, the local controller cleared the airplane to land on runway 08. The first officer turned the airplane left toward runway 08 and transitioned to the visual approach slope indicator. At 14:49, the captain stated, "you better keep that nose down or get some power up because you're gonna balloon." The airplane descended below the glideslope, causing a GPWS "glideslope" alert. The airplane was about 45 feet above ground level and traveling at 110 knots indicated airspeed when it crossed the runway 08 threshold. After the airplane crossed the runway threshold, the captain stated, "power in a little bit, don't pull the nose up, don't pull the nose up." At 14:49:39, the captain stated, "you're ballooning," and the first officer replied, "all right." The airplane touched down for the first time about 14:49:41 and about 1,600 feet beyond the runway 08 threshold with vertical and lateral loads of about 1.3 Gs and -0.10 G, respectively. Upon touchdown the captain stated, "get the power," and, 1 second later, "my aircraft." The first officer responded, "your airplane." The airplane had skipped to an altitude of about 4 feet and touched down again two seconds later about 2,200 feet beyond the runway 08 threshold. The airplane then pitched up to an angle of 9° while climbing to an altitude of 37 feet and the engine torque increased from 10 to 43 percent. About 14:49:49, the pitch angle decreased to -3°, and the engine torque started to decrease to 20 percent with the pitch angle decreasing to -10°. The airplane touched down a third time about 14:49:51 at a bank angle of 7° left wing down and about 3,300 feet beyond the runway 08 threshold and with vertical and lateral loads of about 5 Gs and 0.85 G. The ATR pitched up again to 24 feet and landed a fourth time about 14:49:56 (about 15 seconds after the initial touchdown) and about 4,000 feet beyond the runway 08 threshold. This time the airplane pitched down to -7° and that it was banked 29° left wing down. The airplane came to a complete stop on a grassy area about 217 feet left of the runway centerline and about 4,317 feet beyond the runway threshold.

Following an uneventful flight from Rome-Ciampino Airport and a normal landing at Trieste-Ronchi dei Legionari Airport runway 09, the crew vacated the runway and continued via taxiway Bravo to the apron. The copilot was the pilot-in-command and he was facing sun while approaching the ramp. At the last moment, the captain noticed a dump truck on the right side of the taxiway. He took over controls and elected to turn to the left but the aircraft collided with the truck. The outer part of the right wing was torn off for about 3,5 metres and the fuselage was bent. Also, a fuel tank ruptured, causing a spill on the taxiway. The captain immediately stopped the airplane and all 96 occupants evacuated safely. It appeared that construction works were in progress near the taxiway Bravo. A Notam was not issued about this and the tower controller had not informed the crew either.

The aircraft was operating a scheduled flight starting from its base at Arusha. It was to call at Lake Manyara, Klein’s Camp, Grumet and Seronera before returning to Arusha via Lake Manyara. 5H-MUA took off from Arusha at 0530 hours. It was carrying one pilot and 3 passengers. The VFR flight to Lake Manyara was uneventful and the aircraft landed at Lake Manyara at 0555 hours. Five more passengers joined the flight here and 5H-MUA subsequently took off for Klein’s Camp at 0615 hours. During initial climb, the engine failed. The pilot feathered the propeller and attempted an emergency landing on a road. But he was forced to make an evasive manoeuvre because of a truck. The aircraft lost speed and height, collided with a stone wall beside the road and came tor rest. All nine occupants were rescued, among them five were seriously injured.

En route from Machala to Guayaquil, while cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet in rain showers, the left engine lost power. The crew shut down the engine and feathered the propeller then decided to continue at an altitude of 600 feet and a speed of 80 knots. Several attempts to restart the left engine were unsuccessful when the right engine lost power as well. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a river, some 23 km south of Guayaquil. All 14 occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.