Scheduled Revenue Flight

Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 05 at Cap Haïtien Airport, while in initial climb, the crew reported technical problems, declared an emergency and was cleared to return. While on base leg, the aircraft lost height and crashed in a sugar cane field located 2 km from the airport, bursting into flames. All 21 occupants were killed. It was later reported that the door of the forward baggage hold opened during takeoff.

The certificated airline transport pilot, with one non-revenue passenger, departed in the twin engine turboprop airplane from a rural airport on a CFR Part 135, VFR cargo flight over ocean waters. The flight did not reach its destination, and was reported overdue. Search personnel searched along the airplane's anticipated route of flight, over ocean waters. Shortly after initiation of the search, airborne search personnel reported sighting floating debris, consisting of what appeared to be aircraft seats, cardboard boxes, and small portions of aircraft wreckage, about 30.5 miles southwest of the flight's departure airport, and about 10 miles from shore. The airplane is presumed to have sunk in ocean waters estimated to be between 50 and 70 feet deep. Underwater search and recovery efforts were unsuccessful, and the airplane, pilot, and passenger remain missing. A review of archived radar data disclosed that as the accident airplane approached an area about 30.5 miles southwest of the departure airport, it descended to 500 feet msl, and then entered a right turn. As the turn progressed, the airplane continued to descend to 400 feet msl, with a radar-derived ground speed of 180 knots. The last radar return was recorded with the same radar-derived groundspeed, on an approximate heading of 200 degrees. A pilot who is familiar with geographical locations in the area reported that migrating whales are commonly sighted in the area where the radar depicted a descending right turn.

En route from Porlamar to Canaima, the crew informed ATC about engine problems and was cleared to divert to Tocomita for an emergency landing. On final approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed into trees 100 meters short of runway. A passenger was killed while 15 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

On July 13, 2003, about 1530 eastern daylight time, Air Sunshine, Inc. (doing business as Tropical Aviation Services, Inc.), flight 527, a Cessna 402C, N314AB, was ditched in the Atlantic Ocean about 7.35 nautical miles west-northwest of Treasure Cay Airport (MYAT), Treasure Cay, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas, following the in-flight failure of the right engine. Four of the nine passengers sustained no injuries, three passengers and the pilot sustained minor injuries, and one adult and one child passenger died after they evacuated the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a scheduled international passenger commuter flight from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to MYAT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a visual flight rules flight plan.

The aircraft departed Port Sudan Airport at 0407LT on a schedule service to Khartoum with 105 passengers and 11 crew members on board. During climbout, the crew informed ATC about technical problems and was cleared to return for an emergency landing on runway 33. On final approach in limited visibility, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed about 5 km from the runway threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces. A boy aged two was injured while 116 other occupants were killed, among them eight EU citizens and one high ranking officer of the Sudan Army.

On Sunday 22 June 2003, the CRJ-100 registered F-GRJS was operating as scheduled flight AF 5672 between Nantes Atlantique and Brest-Guipavas aerodromes (France) under an IFR flight plan. The flight represented the last leg of a Brest – Nantes – Strasbourg – Nantes – Brest rotation. The aeroplane was operated by Brit Air on behalf of Air France. The Captain was pilot flying (PF). The crew also included another pilot (the co-pilot), and one cabin crew. The aeroplane took off at 21 h 16 (2) with twenty-one passengers. The flight was approximately fifty minutes late, due to a delay in the first flight of the day that had affected the subsequent flights. During the flight, with the authorisation of the control centre, the crew passed northeast of the planned track in order to avoid cumulonimbus formations. At Brest Guipavas, the 21 h 00 ATIS indicated visibility of eight hundred meters with some fog and a cloud base at two hundred feet with the presence of cumulonimbus. The runway in use was 26 Left with an ILS approach. Runway use was temporarily restricted to Cat I due to presence of works. At 21 h 36 min 27 s, the flight (radio call sign BZ 672 EC) was cleared by the enroute controller to descend to Flight Level 150 then, at 21 h 39 min 10 s, to Flight Level 70. At 21 h 39 min 23 s, the crew announced that they were descending to Flight Level 70 towards BODIL, the initial approach fix, avoiding storms. At 21 h 39 min 31 s, the Brest approach controller transmitted "Descend four thousand feet QNH one thousand and eight, number two on approach, plan a holding pattern at Golf Uniform". At 21 h 44 min 21 s, the controller cleared descent to three thousand feet and added "and perform a holding pattern". The aeroplane was approximately 20 NM DME from BG. At 21 h 47 min 40 s, that is, approximately one-and-a-half-minutes before the planned start of the hold, the controller cleared descent to two thousand feet QNH. At 21 h 48 min 01 s, the controller announced "Echo Charlie, preceding aeroplane has landed, continue the approach, report at Outer Marker". Four seconds later, at 9.4 NM DME, the autopilot "Heading" and "Vertical Speed" modes became active and the aeroplane adopted a heading of 257°. The Brest ILS frequency was displayed on the VOR 1 and the VOR navigation source was selected. At 21 h 48 min 21 s, the controller called back "Are you ready for the approach?". The crew confirmed and the controller asked "Report at Outer Marker". The Copilot read this back. At the Captain’s request, the Co-pilot extended the flaps to 20° then the landing gear. The aeroplane stabilized at two thousand feet QNH on autopilot, still in Heading mode, at about 7 NM DME. Simultaneously, the wind, which had started to veer northwest during the descent, caused the aeroplane to drift towards the left. The flight crew did not notice this drift. At 21 h 49 min, the co-pilot extended the flaps to 30° then to 45° and the crew performed the pre-landing checklist. At 21 h 49 min 35 s, the controller cleared the landing for runway 26 Left and indicated a cloud base of less than one hundred feet. At 21 h 49 min 40 s, the aeroplane, in level flight, passed under then above the glide slope. At 21 h 50 min, the aeroplane passed the GU beacon, slightly to the left, with a track deviating to the left in relation to the localizer centreline. At that moment, the wind calculated by the Flight Management System (FMS) was 300° / 20 kt. A short time later, the aeroplane began its descent. The aeroplane continued to drift to the left of the localizer centreline. At 21 h 50 min 45 s the aeroplane again passed through the glide slope, and the Captain said "Approach selected, LOC and Glide"; the Co-pilot confirmed. The autopilot "heading" and "vertical speed" modes remained active. The aeroplane thereafter remained below the glide slope for the remainder of the flight. Between 21 h 50 min 58 s and 21 h 51 min 02 s, the GPWS announced, successively, "Five hundred", "Glide slope" then "Sink rate". At 21 h 51 min 01 s, the aeroplane began a turn to the right. By this time, the aeroplane was 4.68 points to the left of the localizer centreline. At 21 h 51 min 04 s, the Captain disengaged the autopilot. At 21 h 51 min 05 s, the GPWS announced "Three hundred". Between 21 h 51 min 07 s and 21 h 51 min 14 s, seven "Glide slope" alarms sounded. During this time, the Co-pilot said "come right" on two occasions and the aeroplane attitude changed from - 5° to 0°. At 21 h 51 min 15 s, the GPWS announced "One hundred". At 21 h 51 min 16 s, with the aeroplane at 529 feet QNH and 93 feet on the radio altimeter, the Co-pilot said "I’ve got nothing in front", then the Captain said "Go around". Simultaneously, the engine thrust increased significantly. The aeroplane attitude returned to - 5 in four seconds. At 21 h 51 min 19 s, the Co-pilot said "Go around". At 21 h 51 min 20 s, the GPWS announced "Sink rate" then "Pull up". The Co-pilot said "Go around" again at 21 h 51 min 22. The first sounds of the impact were recorded by the CVR at 21 h 51 min 22 s, and the recording stopped at 21 h 51 min 24. s. The aeroplane, which touched the ground without any great force, rolled, struck several obstacles and ended up 450 meters left of the extended runway centreline, 2,150 meters from the runway threshold. The Captain was killed. The rest of the crew and the passengers managed to evacuate the aeroplane, which was destroyed by fire.

After landing on a gravel runway at Adar Yeil Airport, the aircraft collided with a flock of birds, damaging the left engine. The aircraft went out of control and veered to the left, causing the left propeller to struck the ground. The propeller blades separated, punctured the fuselage and injured three passengers. The aircraft came to a halt and all occupants evacuated. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

After takeoff from Nueva Gerona-Rafael Cabrera Airport runway 23, the crew elected to climb to an altitude of 1,000 feet he encountered technical problems. He contacted ATC and was cleared for an immediate return. Following a 180 turn, the crew completed a flapless approach to runway 05. After landing, the aircraft rolled for about 2,500 metres then overran and came to rest in an artificial lake. All 52 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

En route from Sangar to Yakutsk-Magan Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 1,000 metres in snow falls, the engine failed. The aircraft lost height and the crew attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a swampy and wooded area located 45 km from Sangar. All 13 occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

On final approach to Mulia Airport, the twin engine aircraft struck the ground and crashed few km short o runway. All four occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.