Landing (descent or approach)

The single engine aircraft was dispatched in Pavlovsk with one technician and two pilots for a local crop spraying mission. While on a night approach to Pavlovsk Airfield, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low. On final, both lower wings collided with trees (10 metres high). The aircraft rolled to the left to an angle of 45° then crashed 390 metres short of runway, bursting into flames. All three occupants were killed.

The copilot was flying an ILS approach at an airspeed of Vref plus 10 knots, and the captain made visual contact with the runway about 350 feet agl. The airplane then drifted high on the glideslope, and the copilot decreased engine power. The sink rate subsequently became too great. By the time the captain called for a go-around, the airspeed had deteriorated, and the stick shaker activated. Although power was applied for the go-around, the airplane impacted the runway in a level attitude before the engines spooled up. The airplane came to rest in snow, about 20 feet off the left side of the runway, near mid-field.

The Air Force Materiel Command Beech 1900 crashed while on a routine support mission from a remote classified airstrip on the Nellis range to the Tonopah Test Range. It departed at 03:43 for Tonopah. After reporting the runway lights in sight, the pilot configured the airplane for the approach and initiated a circling maneuver to the right for a visual straight-in approach to runway 32. During the turn the pilot suffered a sudden cardiac death. Half way through the turn the airplane began a gradual descent until it impacted the ground. The airplane broke up and burst into flames. Investigation revealed that the pilot had violated federal policy and directives, wilfully deceived flight medical examiners, suppressed significant medical information and ingested inappropriate medications for a deteriorating and dangerous health condition. The pilot had high blood pressure and failed to report it, and denied taking medications to his Federal Aviation Administration flight physical examiners.

The airplane entered a descending turn while on a night visual approach and impacted a river. At 2030, the pilot reported leaving 6,000 feet, and stated that he had the airport in sight. The controller cleared him for the approach. He advised the controller that he would like to cancel his IFR clearance, and switch to the traffic advisory frequency. The controller cleared him to switch to advisory frequency. No further transmissions were recorded from the flight. According to radar data, the airplane was southeast of the airport, and maintaining a westerly heading south of the airport. At 2035, it crossed a river, and began a sharp left turn away from the airport. It completed about 90 degrees of turn before abruptly disappearing from radar contact, with the last radar target on the west side of the river near the impact location. The highly fragmented wreckage was recovered from the river after several weeks underwater. The teardown and examination of the engines disclosed that the left engine was not rotating or operating at the time of impact, and the left propeller was in feather. The type and degree of damage to the right engine was indicative of engine rotation and operation at the time of impact. Investigators found no pre-existing condition on either engine, or with the airframe systems, that would have interfered with normal operation, or explained the apparent shutdown of the left engine.

The crew was returning to Miramar NAS following a routine training mission in Grand Junction. On final approach to Miramar NAS by night, the aircraft crashed near the interstate 15, about 2,400 metres short of runway 24R. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed. A weather observation taken from the base at 2045LT reported five-mile visibility with light fog or haze, and a cloud ceiling at 800 feet.
Crew:
Lt Col T. Nicholson,
Lt Col Robert Zeisler.
Passengers:
Sgt Francisco Cortez,
Cpl Jeremy Lindroth.

One instructor and two pilots under supervision departed Marseille-Marignane Airport on a training flight. Several scooping manoeuvres were completed on the Sainte-Croix Lake located about 85 km northeast of Marseille. While completing a new scooping procedure, the aircraft approached in a high nose attitude and disintegrated upon landing. The main wreckage sank to a depth of 31 metres off Les Salles-sur-Verdon. One pilot was found alive but seriously injured due to hypothermia (the water temperature was 6° C) while both other occupants, Jean Beauvais and Jean-Pierre Laty, were killed.

The twin engine aircraft departed Skopje on an official flight to Mostar, carrying two pilots and seven passengers, among them Boris Trajkovski, President of the Republic of Macedonia. He was flying to Mostar with members of his government to take part to an economic conference. On approach by night and limited visibility due to marginal weather conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Berkovići, about 32 km southeast of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all nine occupants were killed.

The aircraft departed Rome-Ciampino Airport on an ambulance flight to Cagliari, carrying three pilots, three doctors and a cooler containing a heart for a patient. The descent to Cagliari-Elmas Airport was initiated by night under VFR mode. After the crew was cleared to descend to 2,500 feet, ATC reported runway 32 in use and asked the crew to report on short final. About two minutes later, at an altitude of 3,333 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Su Baccu Malu located 32 km northeast of Cagliari Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and all six occupants were killed.

The captain and first officer were conducting a CFR Part 135 on-demand charter flight, returning two passengers to the accident airplane's base airport. The multi-destination flight originated from the accident airport, about 16 hours before the accident. On the final leg of the flight, the flight encountered stronger than anticipated headwinds, and the first officer voiced his concern several times about the airplane's remaining fuel. As the flight approached the destination airport, the captain became concerned about having to fly an extended downwind leg, and told the ATCT specialist the flight was low on fuel. The ATCT specialist then cleared the accident airplane for a priority landing. According to cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data, while the crew was attempting to lower the airplane's wing flaps in preparation for landing, they discovered that the flaps would not extend beyond 8 degrees. After the landing gear was lowered, the captain told the first officer, in part: "The gear doors are stuck down.... no hydraulics." The captain told the first officer: "Okay, so we're gonna do, this is gonna be a ref and twenty...All right, probably not going to have any brakes..." According to a ATCT specialist in the control tower, the airplane touched down about midway on the 6001-foot long, dry runway. It continued to the end of the runway, entered the overrun area, struck a chain link fence, crossed a road, and struck a building. During a postaccident interview, the captain reported that during the landing roll the first officer was unable to deploy the airplane's emergency drag chute. He said that neither he nor the first officer attempted to activate the nitrogen-charged emergency brake system. The accident airplane was not equipped with thrust reversers. A postaccident examination of the accident airplane's hydraulic pressure relief valve and hydraulic pressure regulator assembly revealed numerous indentations and small gouges on the exterior portions of both components, consistent with being repeatedly struck with a tool. When the hydraulic pressure relief valve was tested and disassembled, it was discovered that the valve piston was stuck open. The emergency drag chute release handle has two safety latches that must be depressed simultaneously before the parachute will activate. An inspection of the emergency drag chute system and release handle disclosed no pre accident mechanical anomalies.

The airplane collided with terrain 200 yards short of the runway during an emergency landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot was on an intermediate leg of a ferry trip. Approximately 300 miles from land, the fuel flow and boost pump lights illuminated. Then, the right engine failed. The pilot flew back to the nearest airport; however, approximately 200 yards from the runway, the airplane stalled and the right wing dropped and collided with the ground. The fuel system had been modified a few months prior to the accident to allow for a ferry fuel tank installation. Post accident examination of the airplane could not find a reason for the power loss.