Crash of a Learjet 55C Longhorn near Charallave: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 2022 at 1937 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
YV3304
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Puerto Cabello – Charallave
MSN:
55-145
YOM:
1990
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While approaching Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga Airport, the crew encountered technical problems (apparently with the reversers) and declared an emergency. The captain initiated a go around procedure and completed a circuit south of the airport. During a second approach, the airplane deviated from the approach path to the south and continued until it impacted the top of a hill located 8 km south of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all six occupants were killed, among them Christian Toni, President of the Estudiantes de Mérida football club.

Crash of a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 in Miami

Date & Time: Jun 21, 2022 at 1738 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HI1064
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Santo Domingo - Miami
MSN:
53027/1805
YOM:
1990
Flight number:
L5203
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
119
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Santo Domingo-Las Américas Airport, the crew was cleared to land on runway 09 at Miami-Intl Airport. According to a video, it is believed that both main landing gear were not properly extended upon touchdown. The airplane rolled for few hundred metres then deviated to the left and departed the runway to the left. It collided with obstacles, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a grassy area, bursting into flames. Fire was quickly extinguished. All 126 occupants evacuated safely, among them three passengers were taken to Jackson Hospital.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Oceanside: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 2022 at 1347 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N7581F
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oceanside - Oceanside
MSN:
208B-0389
YOM:
1994
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On June 03, 2022, about 1347 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna C208B Supervan 900 airplane, N7581F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bob Maxwell Memorial Airfield, Oceanside, California. The left-seated pilot was fatally injured and right seated pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 skydiving flight. On the day of the accident, the pilots were performing skydiving flights while the right-seated pilot was training the left-seated pilot on the operation. A flight would consist of the pilots taking a group of approximately 17 skydivers to an altitude of about 11,500 feet mean sea level (msl) to jump out and then they would land back at the airport. The flights started about 1015 and were an average of 17 minutes in duration with about 15 minutes on the ground between each flight; the airplane’s engine was operating the entire duration. The pilots completed six flights without incident and departed on the accident flight at 1331. The right-seated pilot stated that he could not recall many of the details leading up to the accident. He remembered that on the accident flight everything was normal with the departure and the unloading of the skydivers. The airplane was descending as expected with the power at idle. As the airplane turned onto final approach, about 3 miles from the approach end of runway 25, the right-seated pilot attempted to increase the power by slightly nudging the throttle forward. He noticed that the engine power did not increase as expected and moved the throttle lever further forward. The lever was still unresponsive, and he estimated the airplane was about 400 ft above ground level (agl). He aimed for an open dirt field and observed a berm in the immediate flight path. In an effort to avoid the berm, the pilot maneuvered the airplane into a right turn.Investigators reviewed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) flight track data covering the area of the accident during the time surrounding the accident. After departing from runway 25, the airplane made a gradual climb to 11,575 ft msl as it circled to the right, back to the airport. The airspeed was reduced (presumably to unload the skydivers) and then the airplane made a steep, turning decent reaching 133 kts when transitioning to the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The airplane was at an altitude of about 2,400 ft msl and 2.6 nautical miles (nm) from the approach end of runway 25 when it turned onto final approach. When the airplane was about 2 nm from the runway, it made a 360° right turn which was about 0.5 nm in diameter. At 1346:10, about 1,025 ft msl, the airplane rolled out of the 360° turn and continue west toward the runway. The airplane was roughly following Highway 76 making a gradual decent (see Figure 2 below). About 33 seconds later the airplane’s speed dropped to 92 kts as it passed through 500 ft msl. The last recorded hit was at 1347:10 and located about 975 feet east of the accident site. At that time, the data indicated that the airplane was at 100 msl (equivalent to 60 feet above ground level) at a speed of 68 kts. Witness stated that they observed the airplane flying at a very low altitude (see Figure 3). The airplane then pitched down in a nose-low attitude and bank to the right. The airplane impacted terrain and collided with the side of a berm.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-3 Otter in Dry Bay

Date & Time: May 24, 2022 at 1510 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N703TH
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Yakutat – Dry Bay
MSN:
456
YOM:
1965
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
24000
Captain / Total hours on type:
6100.00
Circumstances:
The purpose of the flight was to transport three passengers and cargo. The pilot reported that, during takeoff, the airplane’s tail came up slightly lowered to the runway when he attempted to raise the tail by applying forward elevator. He stated that he thought this was unusual and attributed it to an aft-loaded airplane. He applied additional nose-down trim and departed without incident. While en route, the tail of the airplane seemed to move up and down, which the pilot attributed to turbulence. Upon arrival at his destination, the pilot entered a left downwind, reduced the power and extended the flaps to 10° abeam the end of the runway. He turned onto the base leg about ½ mile from the approach end of the runway and slowed the airplane to 80 mph. Turning final, he noticed the airplane seemed to pitch up, so he applied full nose-down pitch trim and extended the flaps an additional 10°. On short final he applied full flaps, and the airplane abruptly pitched up to about a 45° angle. He stated that he applied full nose-down elevator, verified the pitch trim, and reduced the power to idle. When the airplane was about 300 ft above ground level, the airplane stalled, the left wing dropped slightly, and the airplane entered about a 45° nose-down dive. After allowing the airplane to gain airspeed, the pilot applied full back elevator. The airplane impacted forested terrain near the approach end of runway 23 at an elevation of about 18 ft. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Elevator and rudder control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to the respective control surfaces. The airplane's estimated gross weight at the time of the accident was about 7,796 lbs and the airplane's estimated center of gravity was about 3.2 to 5.6 inches beyond the approved aft limit. Maximum gross weight for the airplane is 8,000 lbs.
Probable cause:
The pilot’s failure to determine the actual weight and balance of the airplane before departure, which resulted in the airplane being operated outside of the aft center of gravity limits and the subsequent aerodynamic stall on final approach. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to require weight and balance documentation for 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 single-engine operations.
Final Report:

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante in Eldorado do Sul

Date & Time: May 20, 2022
Operator:
Registration:
PT-SHN
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Jundiaí – Eldorado do Sul
MSN:
110-460
YOM:
1985
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Jundiaí on a cargo flight to Eldorado do Sul, carrying two pilots and a load of automotive parts. On final approach, the airplane crash landed in a rice paddy field and came to rest with its left wing detached. Both pilots were slightly injured.

Crash of a Basler BT-67 in Villavicencio

Date & Time: Apr 13, 2022 at 1303 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PNC-0257
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Florencia – Villavicencio
MSN:
9670
YOM:
1943
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing on runway 23 at Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport, the airplane veered off runway to the left and entered a grassy area. It rolled for few hundred metres then the pilot attempted to takeoff when the left wing dropped. The aircraft stalled, impacted trees and crashed about 200 metres to the right of the runway 05 threshold. All 14 occupants were rescued, among them few were injured.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Heyburn: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 2022 at 0832 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N928JP
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Salt Lake City – Burley
MSN:
208B-2428
YOM:
2013
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1380
Captain / Total hours on type:
193.00
Aircraft flight hours:
5116
Circumstances:
The pilot flew two RNAV (GPS) runway 20 instrument approaches at the Burley Municipal Airport, Burley, Idaho in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The accident occurred during the second approach. For the first instrument approach, the pilot configured the airplane with flaps up and flew the final approach segment at speeds above the operator’s training standard of 120 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS).The pilot flew a low pass over the runway, most likely to assess the landing conditions in accordance with company policy, determined the conditions were acceptable, initiated the missed approach and requested to return flying the same approach. The pilot elected to not use flaps during the second approach but slowed the approach speed during the final approach leg. Reported weather had improved and visibility had increased to about 2.5 miles. During this approach, the airplane intercepted and remained on the glide path to the stepdown fix. The last automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) equipment plot recorded the airplane about a mile past this fix, or about 0.6 nautical miles (nm) from the displaced threshold, on the glide path, and at an estimated 85 knots calibrated airspeed (KCAS), which was slower than the airplane’s 95-knot minimum speed for flaps up in icing conditions. Shortly afterward, the airplane descended about 130 ft below the glide path, striking an agglomerate stack atop a potato processing plant, fatally injuring the pilot and substantially damaging the airplane. A witness reported seeing the airplane come out of the clouds and immediately enter a steam cloud coming from six other stacks before striking the accident stack. A security camera at the processing plant captured the last moments of the airplane’s flight as it came into view in a wings-level, flaps-up, nose-high descent and just before it impacted the stack. While snow and visible moisture were present, the agglomerate stack was always in clear view during the Page 2 of 24 WPR22FA151 video, with only partial sections obscured. The witness’s account of hearing the engine noise increase and then the nose lift-up may have been the pilot’s attempt to avoid the obstacle. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Aeronautical Information Manual advises pilots to avoid overflight of exhaust stacks; however, the accident stack was directly underneath the instrument approach course and overflight would be expected. Postaccident examination of the airplane, conducted hours after the accident, revealed no structural icing on the wings and empennage. Examination of the airframe and powerplant revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The flaps were up, and a review of the manifest revealed the airplane was loaded within the specifications of the manifest and within the center of gravity limits. Between 2016 and 2017, the FAA conducted two aeronautical studies regarding the stack structures. In the first study, the FAA determined that many of the stack structures were a hazard to air navigation that required mitigation by the processing plant. As an interim measure, the FAA placed the runway 20 visual approach slope indicator (VASI) out of service because the stacks penetrated the obstruction clearance surface and were deemed hazardous to aviation. After determining that they needed to increase the height of the stacks, the plant then modified their proposal; the proposed height increase necessitated a second study. The second study determined the agglomerate stack and the row-of-six stacks exceeded the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) section 77 standards and provided mitigating actions that included painting the stacks with high visibility white and aviation orange paint and equipping the stacks with red flashing warning lights. The control measures also included the permanent removal of the VASI. On the day of the accident, the agglomerate stack and row-of-six stacks had not been painted to the standard required by the FAA. The warning lights had been installed, and five of the row-of-six stacks were equipped with flashing red lights. The agglomerate stack warning light was stolen following the accident, so an accurate determination of its operating status could not be made. The existing paint scheme and the visible moisture emitted by the stacks provided a low contrast to the environmental background. This low contrast and the lack of a visual glide slope indicator may have caused difficulty for the pilot in maintaining a safe altitude during the visual portion of the approach to the runway. A white and aviation orange paint scheme, as identified in the regulations, may have offered a higher contrast and thus an adequate warning once the pilot transitioned to visual conditions.
Probable cause:
The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude during an instrument approach, which resulted in a descent below the approach path and impact with a vent stack. Also causal was the failure of the processing plant to correctly paint the vent stacks, which had been determined by the FAA to be a hazard to navigation due to their proximity to the landing approach path. Contributing to the accident was the likely distraction/illusion/obscuration created by steam from the processing plant, which intermittently obscured the runway.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 757-27A in San José

Date & Time: Apr 7, 2022 at 1025 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HP-2010DAE
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
San José – Guatemala City
MSN:
29610/904
YOM:
1999
Flight number:
JOS7216
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
16381
Captain / Total hours on type:
6233.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
10545
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2337
Aircraft flight hours:
39205
Circumstances:
The airplane departed San José-Juan Santamaría Airport runway 07 at 0940LT on a cargo service (flight JOS7216) to Guatemala City, carrying two pilots and a load of various goods. When the crew reached FL210, he declared an emergency and reported technical problems with the hydraulic system. The crew encountered a 'HYDRAULIC QUANTITY indication then a HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PRESSURE (L ONLY) second indication. At this time, the left autopilot and yaw damper disengaged. After being cleared to return, the crew followed a holding pattern and the airplane landed at a speed of 137 knots (Vref 130 kts) on runway 07. Following a normal touchdown, the crew initiated the braking procedure when the airplane started to veer to the right. It skidded to the right, made an almost 90° turn, descended a bank, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a grassy area located about five metres below the runway elevation, broken in two. Both pilots evacuated with minor injuries.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the airplane suffered a major failure of the left hydraulic system in flight. This caused the autobrake, the left reverser, the rudder ratio and the nosewheel steering system to be inoperative. Only few spoilers were operative.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Fatigue and stress on the individual cables in the cross-section of the flexible hydraulic retraction hose of the L/H MLG down-locking actuator.
- The probable inadvertent synchronized movement of the right Reverse Thrust Lever and left Engine Control Thrust Lever, as a reaction to muscle memory.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 340A in Los Mochis

Date & Time: Apr 6, 2022 at 1748 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XB-GHU
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Los Mochis - Club Aéreo Nuevo Santa Rosa
MSN:
340A-0506
YOM:
1978
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, departed Los Mochis International Airport on a flight to the Club Aéreo Nuevo Santa Rosa located east-northeast of the city. After landing on a road, the airplane suffered an apparent undercarriage failure, veered to the right and came to rest in a grassy area, bursting into flames. The pilot evacuated safely while the aircraft suffered serious damages due to fire.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Cobán

Date & Time: Apr 3, 2022
Operator:
Registration:
PT-ECU
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in bushes near Cobán, Guatemala, while engaged in an illegal flight. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and no one was found on the scene. The registration seems to be false.