Scheduled Revenue Flight

The aircraft departed Ponta Delgada Airport at 0930LT on a schedule flight to Horta, carrying 31 passengers and a crew of four. The weather en route was affected by a frontal system with scattered cumulonimbus, heavy showers, turbulence and strong winds from the southwest. The crew decided to alter their flight plan, opting for a route that included approach descent over the channel between Pico and São Jorge islands to intercept the 250 degree VOR/VFL Horta radial. Horta tower initially cleared the flight to FL100. The crew then requested and were cleared to descent to 5,000 feet with the instruction of maintaining visual contact with Pico Island. During the descent heavy rain and turbulence were encountered. Seven minutes after initiating the descent, while in IMC conditions, the airplane impacted the northern hillside of Pico da Esperança (1067 metres high) located on São Jorge Island. It was later reported that the GPWS alarm sounded 17 seconds before impact. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 35 occupants were killed.

Made airworthy again in 1999 (was the last flying An-14) and used for short communications flights. Destroyed on a flight from Novopokrovka to Arsenyev when entered a snow flurry while flying along the valley of the river Bystraya. The crew decided to divert to the nearest airfield but while the aircraft was turning, the wing hit a tree on the slope of Mt Zolotaya (945 metres high) located 14 km northwest of Khvishchanka and the aircraft crashed. A pilot and two passengers (aviation mechanics) were killed and all 3 survivors injured. The wreckage was founded a day later.

The airline transport pilot departed on a CFR Part 135 scheduled passenger flight to a remote coastal village. When the flight did not return, an aerial search was initiated. The wreckage was located the following day along the pilot's intended route, about 49 miles from the departure airport. The airplane had collided with flat, featureless, snow-covered, terrain. A pilot that departed about one minute after the accident airplane's departure, had a similar route of flight. He characterized the weather conditions along the accident airplane's route as overcast, with ceilings ranging between 2,500 and 4,500 feet. He said that as he approached the area of the accident, he encountered 'a wall of weather' starting from the ground, with tops at 1,500 feet. He added that visibility was low, with fog and varied layers of cloud cover. The pilot stated that he changed his route in order to avoid the worsening weather conditions. He added that with satisfactory weather conditions, and given the intended destination of the accident airplane, the standard route of flight would be directly over the location of the accident site. No pre accident anomalies were noted with the accident airplane.

The twin engine aircraft departed Manila-Ninoy Aquino Airport at 0834LT and was supposed to arrive at Cauayan Airport at 0940LT. At 0919LT, the crew reported his position 96 km from the destination. As he encountered favorable winds, the captain informed ATC about an ETA three minutes earlier at 0937LT. At 0930LT, while flying in clouds, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Kasibu, about 77 km southwest of Cauayan Airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 17 occupants were killed.

Ten minutes after takeoff from Ningbo Airport, the crew informed ATC about engine problems and was cleared to return. After making a 180 turn, the crew started the descent and was eventually forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed in a rice paddy field located near the runway threshold. All seven occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair after it lost its undercarriage and one wing.

The aircraft was completing a service from Tijuana to Mexico City with intermediate stops in Guadalajara and Uruapan, carrying 13 passengers and a crew of five. It departed Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport runway 20 at 1859LT on the last leg to Mexico City. After liftoff, the crew was cleared to climb to 5,000 feet and while at an altitude of about 1,000 metres, the aircraft adopted a high angle of attack then stalled, entered a dive and crashed in an avocado plantation located 5,3 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 18 occupants were killed.

EgyptAir Flight 990 departed Los Angeles International Airport, destined for Cairo, with a scheduled intermediate stop at New York-JFK. The aircraft landed at JFK about 23:48 EDT and arrived at the gate about 00:10 EDT. Two designated flight crews (each crew consisting of a captain and first officer) boarded the aircraft at JFK. The aircraft taxied to runway 22R and was cleared for takeoff at 01:19. Shortly after liftoff, the pilots of EgyptAir flight 990 contacted New York Terminal Radar Approach (and departure) Control (TRACON). New York TRACON issued a series of climb instructions and, at 01:26, instructed the flight to climb to FL230 and contact New York Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). At 01:35, New York ARTCC instructed EgyptAir flight 990 to climb to FL330 and proceed directly to DOVEY intersection. About 01:40 the relief first officer suggested that he relieve the command first officer at the controls. The command first officer agreed and left the flightdeck. The airplane leveled at FL330 four minutes later. At 01:48, the command captain decided to go to the toilet and left the flightdeck. At 01:48:30, about 11 seconds after the captain left the cockpit, the CVR recorded an unintelligible comment. Ten seconds later, the relief first officer stated quietly, "I rely on God." There were no sounds or events recorded by the flight recorders that would indicate that an airplane anomaly or other unusual circumstance preceded the relief first officer's statement. At 01:49:18, the CVR recorded the sound of an electric seat motor and 27 seconds later the autopilot was disconnected. At 01:49:48, the relief first officer again stated quietly, "I rely on God." At 01:49:53, the throttle levers were moved from their cruise power setting to idle, and, one second later, the FDR recorded an abrupt nose-down elevator movement and a very slight movement of the inboard ailerons. Subsequently, the airplane began to rapidly pitch nose down and descend. Between 0149:57 and 0150:05, the relief first officer quietly repeated, "I rely on God," seven additional times. During this time, as a result of the nose-down elevator movement, the airplane's load factor decreased from about 1 to about 0.2 G (almost weightlessness). Then the elevators started moving further in the nose-down direction. Immediately thereafter the captain entered the flightdeck and asked loudly, "What's happening? What's happening?". As he airplane's load factor reached negative G loads (about -0.2 G) the relief first officer stated for the tenth time, "I rely on God." At 01:50:08, as the airplane exceeded its maximum operating airspeed (0.86 Mach), a master warning alarm began to sound and the relief first officer stated quietly for the eleventh and final time, "I rely on God," and the captain repeated his question, "What's happening?" At 0150:15, as the airplane was descending through about 27,300 feet the airplane's rate of descent began to decrease. About 6 seconds later the left and right elevator surfaces began to move in opposite directions. The engine start lever switches for both engines then moved from the run to the cutoff position. At 01:50:24 the throttle levers started to move from their idle position to full throttle, and the speedbrake handle moved to its fully deployed position. The captain again asked "What is this? What is this? Did you shut the engine(s)?" At 01:50:26, the captain stated, "Get away in the engines ... shut the engines". The relief first officer replied "It's shut". Between 01:50:31 and 01:50:37, the captain repeatedly stated, "Pull with me." However, the elevator surfaces remained in a split condition (with the left surface commanding nose up and the right surface commanding nose down) until the FDR and CVR stopped recording. at 0150:36.64 and 0150:38.47, respectively. The height estimates based on primary radar data from the joint use FAA/U.S. Air Force (USAF) radar sites indicated that the airplane's descent stopped about 01:50:38 and that the airplane subsequently climbed to about 25,000 feet msl and changed heading from 80º to 140º before it started a second descent, which continued until the airplane impacted the ocean.

The first officer failed to maintain the proper rate of descent (sink rate) resulting in a hard landing on touch down, and separation of the left main landing gear during landing rollout. The pilot-in-command stated he knew the first officer was not going to make a good landing. He did not take any corrective action other than informing the first officer initially to increase power. Examination of the left main landing gear assembly revealed a preexisting crack in the outer cylinder housing.

For unknown reasons, the four engine aircraft belly landed at Port Harcourt Airport and was damaged beyond repair. All 15 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It is unknown if the mishap was the consequence of a technical issue or crew error.

On approach to Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport under VFR mode, the crew encountered limited visibility due to a low cloud layer. On final, at an altitude of about 6,000 feet, the aircraft collided with a radio antenna (100 feet high) located on the top of a hill and owned by the Nepalese National Broadcasting Company. The aircraft went out of control and crashed seven km short of runway 02. All 15 occupants.