Crash of a Casa 212-A1 Aviocar 100 in Valladolid: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1998
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XT.12B-2
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Madrid - Valladolid
MSN:
002
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Madrid-Torrejón AFB on a training flight to Valladolid-Villanubla Airport. While descending to Valladolid Airport, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a hill located near La Cistérniga, about 20 km southeast of Villanubla Airport. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Let L-410UVP in La Ceiba

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1998 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HR-AQG
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
La Ceiba – Roatán
MSN:
82 09 23
YOM:
1982
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After takeoff from La Ceiba-Goloson Airport, while in initial climb, the right engine failed. The crew was cleared for an emergency landing and initiated a circuit to return. At low height, one of the wing struck the roof of a house and the airplane crashed on a road. All 17 occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Learjet 23 in Oakdale

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1998 at 1350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N37BL
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Stockton – Oakdale
MSN:
23-069
YOM:
1965
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5200
Captain / Total hours on type:
20.00
Aircraft flight hours:
6747
Circumstances:
On March 4, 1998, at 1350 hours Pacific standard time, a Learjet 23, N37BL, was substantially damaged when it landed gear up at the Oakdale, California, airport. The airline transport pilot and check pilot, the sole occupants, were not injured and no property damage occurred. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 on a familiarization and training flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated in his report "the landing gear was never extended and the aircraft was landed with the gear retracted."
Probable cause:
Failure of the flight crew to extend the landing gear before landing.
Final Report:

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante in Hoskins

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1998
Operator:
Registration:
P2-ALY
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
110-227
YOM:
1979
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Hoskins Airport, the stewardess informed the pilots about an explosion in the rear of the cabin. The crew returned to the airport for an emergency landing. After touchdown, the aircraft deviated to the left, veered off runway and came to rest in a ravine. All 13 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Presque Ile: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 1, 1998 at 0352 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N777HM
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bangor - Presque Isle
MSN:
31-7812110
YOM:
1978
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
1057
Captain / Total hours on type:
440.00
Aircraft flight hours:
9318
Circumstances:
The pilot was performing a night VOR/DME approach during which instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was equipped with VOR, LORAN, and RNAV receivers. There were two step-downs fixes on the approach. At 13 DME the minimum altitude was 1,800 feet. At 10 DME the minimum altitude was 1,040 feet. The missed approach point was at 6 DME, and the VOR/DME transmitter was located 5.5 miles beyond the airport. Radar data revealed a descent profile based upon distances from the end of the runway, rather than DME from the VOR. The airplane reached an altitude of 1,000 feet when it was 13.52 miles from the VOR, and 7.58 miles from the approach end of the runway. It subsequently impacted rising terrain at an altitude of about 900 feet, about 11.5 miles from the VOR, and 5.5 miles from the approach end of the runway. Impact damage and a post-crash fire precluded a check of the radio set up at the time of the accident. According to FAR 135 a pilot-in-command was required to have 1,200 hours total time. The investigation documented the pilot's total time as about 1,057 hours.
Probable cause:
The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure and his descent below the minimum descent altitude. Contributing factors were the night conditions, low ceilings, and fog.
Final Report:

Crash of a Grumman G-159 Gulfstream GI in Mogadishu

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1998 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5Y-BMR
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nairobi - Mogadishu
MSN:
081
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Mogadishu Airport, the propeller on the right engine went into fine pitch. The crew lost control of the airplane that veered off runway to the right. While contacting soft ground, the aircraft lost its undercarriage and its tail before coming to rest, broken in two. All 23 occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Swearingen SA226TC Metro II in Barcelona: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1998 at 0004 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EC-GDG
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Barcelona - Brussels
MSN:
TC-220
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
IBT595A
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
1880
Captain / Total hours on type:
952.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
900
Copilot / Total hours on type:
394
Aircraft flight hours:
17546
Circumstances:
Few minutes after a night takeoff from Barcelona Airport, en route to Brussels, the copilot informed ATC about technical problems and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. After been cleared for an approach to runway 07, the crew descended to 6,000 feet and 3,000 feet successively. At 0000:15 seconds, the aircraft passed over the outer marker at an altitude of 1,500 feet and a speed of 170 knots. At a distance of six km from the runway threshold, the aircraft started to deviate from the approach path to the right and one minute later, it struck the ground at a speed of 130 knots, crashing in a palmgrove located 3,2 km short of runway and bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the nature of the technical problems that the crew reported. However, the assumption that the left engine partially failed was not ruled out. The accident resulted from an inappropriate angle of descent during the approach to runway 07 in conditions of low visibility combined with a possible fatigue of the crew due to a long duty period, and the possible left engine malfunction which required yaw compensation and special attention from the pilots. This caused the aircraft to deviate from the approach path and to descend below the MDA until impact with the ground.
Final Report:

Crash of an Airbus A300-622R in Taipei: 203 killed

Date & Time: Feb 16, 1998 at 2006 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
B-1814
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Denpasar - Taipei
MSN:
578
YOM:
1990
Flight number:
CI676
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
182
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
203
Captain / Total flying hours:
7210
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3530
Aircraft flight hours:
20193
Aircraft flight cycles:
8800
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Denpasar-Ngurah Rai Airport, the aircraft was approaching Taipei-Taoyuan Airport by night and marginal weather conditions with a limited visibility of 2,400 feet, an RVR of 3,900 feet and 300 feet broken ceiling, 3,000 feet overcast. On final approach to runway 05L in light rain and fog, at the altitude of 1,515 feet, the aircraft was 1,000 feet too high on the glide so the captain decided to initiate a go-around procedure. The automatic pilot system was disconnected but for unknown reasons, the crew failed to correct the pitch up attitude. The aircraft passed the runway threshold at an altitude of 1,475 feet, pitched up go around thrust was applied. The aircraft rapidly pitched up, reaching +35° and climbed through 1,723 feet at an airspeed of 134 knots. The gear had just been raised and the flaps set to 20°. The aircraft continued to climb to 2,751 feet when the speed dropped to 43 knots. At this point, the aircraft stalled, entered an uncontrolled descent (pitched down to 44,65°). The crew was apparently able to regain control when the aircraft rolled to the right at an angle of 20° 2-3 seconds prior to final impact. The aircraft struck the ground 200 feet to the right of the runway 05L centerline and 3,7 km from its threshold and eventually crashed on 12 houses. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 196 occupants were killed, among them five US citizens, one Indonesian and one French. On the ground, seven people were killed.
Probable cause:
The following factors were identified:
- Wrong approach configuration as the aircraft was too high on the glide,
- Poor crew coordination,
- The crew failed to comply with published procedures,
- Poor crew training,
- The crew failed to correct the pitch up attitude during the go-around procedure,
- Lack of visibility due to night, rain and fog.

Crash of a Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III in Bursa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 16, 1998
Operator:
Registration:
TC-BAS
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Istanbul - Bursa
MSN:
421C-0331
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While descending to Bursa Airport by night, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain and was destroyed upon impact. All three occupants were killed.

Crash of a Pilatus PC-12/45 in the Ngong Hills: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1998 at 1130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-OFC
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
206
YOM:
1998
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was returning to Nairobi with one pilot and eight passengers who were returning to the capital city following a three-day safari and cinema trip. While descending to Nairobi-Wilson Airport, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to mist and failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located in the Ngong Hills, about 20 km southwest of Wilson Airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the pilot descended below the minimum safe altitude in misty conditions.