Landing (descent or approach)

The pilot was cleared for the localizer runway 11 approach. The airplane impacted in an open field approximately 1 mile northeast of the airport and approximately 600 feet left of the extended centerline of the departure end of the runway. A witness saw the airplane at a low altitude, and stated 'it was foggy,' and he did not see the airplane until it was directly over his head. The witness stated that he saw the airplane for about '3 seconds,' at an altitude of 'between 50 and 100 feet above the ground,' and it did not sound like it was having 'mechanical difficulty.' The airplane turned left (north), and struck the ground with the left wing. The published missed approach called for a climbing 'right turn.' The olney airport automated weather observing system (awos) was operating and current at the time of the accident, but could only be obtained by telephone; hence atc could not provide the pilot with the current awos information. The pilot was provided the Evansville, Indiana (EVV) weather; 1,200 scattered, measured 4,500 overcast, visibility 5 miles, light rain and fog. Evansville was located approximately 20 miles southeast of Olney. The local (awos) weather was; partial obscuration, 100 feet overcast, visibility 3/4 mile.

En route from Wamena to Jayapura, the crew encountered technical problems with the hydraulic system that lost pressure. Following a normal approach, the aircraft landed at Jayapura-Sentani Airport. While rolling at a speed of about 60 knots, it deviated to the left, veered off runway and came to rest in a ravine. All 28 occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Bearskin flight 362, a Fairchild Swearingen Metro 23, departed Red Lake, Ontario, at 1300 central daylight saving time (CDT), with two pilots and one passenger on board, en route to Sioux Lookout on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. At approximately 30 nautical miles (nm) north of Sioux Lookout, the flight was cleared by the Winnipeg area control centre (ACC) for an approach to the Sioux Lookout airport. Air Sandy flight 3101, a Piper Navajo PA-31, departed Sioux Lookout at 1323 with one pilot and four passengers on board en route to Red Lake on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight. The pilot of Air Sandy 3101 reported clear of the Sioux Lookout control zone at 1326. No other communication was heard from the Air Sandy flight. At 1315 the Winnipeg ACC controller advised the Sioux Lookout Flight Service specialist that Bearskin 362 was inbound from Red Lake, estimating Sioux Lookout at 1332. At 1327, Bearskin 362 called Sioux Lookout Flight Service Station (FSS) and advised them they had been cleared for an approach and that they were cancelling IFR at 14 nm from the airport. At 1328, as Sioux Lookout FSS was giving an airport advisory to Bearskin 362, the specialist heard an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) emit a signal on the emergency frequencies. Moments later, the pilot of Bearskin 305, a Beechcraft B-99 in the vicinity of Sioux Lookout, advised the specialist that he had just seen a bright flare in the sky and that he was going to investigate. The pilot of Bearskin 305 stated that the flare had fallen to the ground and a fire was burning in a wooded area. A communications search was initiated to locate Bearskin 362, but the aircraft did not respond. A Search and Rescue aircraft from Trenton, Ontario, and an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) helicopter were dispatched to the site. The source of the fire was confirmed to be the Air Sandy aircraft. The MNR helicopter noticed debris and a fuel slick on a nearby lake, Lac Seul. It was later confirmed that Bearskin 362 had crashed into the lake. (See Appendix A.) The two aircraft collided in mid-air at 1328 during the hours of daylight at latitude 50º14'N and longitude 92º07'W, in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). All three persons on board the Bearskin aircraft and all five persons on board the Air Sandy aircraft were fatally injured.

The aircraft was completing a flight from Anuradhapura to Jaffna-Palaly Airport on behalf of the Sri Lanka Air Force. On final approach, at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed in a huge explosion. All 52 occupants were killed, among them 44 soldiers, two policemen, three journalists and three crew members.

The aircraft departed Miami-Intl Airport on a cargo flight to Lima with an intermediate stop in Guatemala City, carrying three crew members and various goods on behalf of Lineas Aéreas Mayas. After touchdown on runway 19 at Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport, spoilers were deployed as well as reverse thrust on engine n°2 and 3. On a wet runway surface, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, went through a fence and down an embankment before crashing onto several houses. All three crew members were injured as well as seven people on the ground. Six other people on the ground were killed.

After takeoff from Palaly Airport, while climbing, the left engine exploded. The crew declared an emergency and was cleared to return. On short final, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion about 200 metres short of runway. All 45 occupants were killed, among them 40 soldiers and two civilians.

The aircraft was on a scheduled freight service from Darwin via Tindal, Alice Springs, and Adelaide to Sydney under the IFR. The flight from Darwin to Tindal was apparently normal, and the aircraft departed Tindal slightly ahead of schedule at 1834 CST. The pilot in command occupied the left cockpit seat. At 1925, the aircraft reported at position DOLPI (200 miles north of Alice Springs) Flight Level 330, to Melbourne Control. Another Westwind aircraft was en route Darwin–Alice Springs and was more than 40 miles ahead of VH-AJS. Information from the aircraft cockpit voice recording confirmed that the pilot in command was flying the aircraft. At about 1929, he began issuing instructions to the co-pilot to program the aircraft navigation system in preparation for a locator/NDB approach to Alice Springs. The pilot in command asked the co-pilot to enter an offset position into the area navigation (RNAV) system for an 11-mile final for runway 12. The co-pilot entered the bearing as 292 degrees Alice Springs. (This was the outbound bearing from Alice Springs NDB to Simpson’s Gap locator indicated on the locator/NDB approach chart.) The pilot in command stated that he had wanted the bearing with respect to the runway, 296 degrees, entered but said that the setting could be left as 292 degrees. He then instructed the co-pilot to set Alice Springs NDB frequency on ADF 1, Simpson’s Gap locator on ADF 2, and to preset the Temple Bar locator frequency on ADF 2 so that it could be selected as soon as the aircraft passed overhead Simpson’s Gap. He indicated his intention to descend to 4,300 feet until overhead Simpson’s Gap, and said that the co-pilot should then set 3,450 feet on the altitude alert selector. On passing Temple Bar, the co-pilot was to set 2,780 feet on the altitude alert selector which the pilot in command said would be used as the minimum for the approach. At 1940, the co-pilot contacted Adelaide Flight Service (FIS) and was given the Alice Springs weather, including the local QNH. At 1945, he advised Adelaide FIS that the aircraft was leaving Flight Level 330 on descent. At about 30 miles from Alice Springs, the pilot in command turned the aircraft right to track for the offset RNAV position 292 degrees/11 miles Alice Springs. The crew set local QNH passing 16,000 feet and then completed the remaining transition altitude checks. These included selecting landing and taxi lights on. At 1949, the co-pilot advised Adelaide FIS that the aircraft was transferring frequency to the Alice Springs MTAF. At 1953, the aircraft passed Simpson’s Gap at about 4,300 feet and the copilot set 3,500 feet in the altitude alert selector. About 15 seconds later, the pilot in command told the co-pilot that, after the aircraft passed overhead the next locator, he was to set the ‘minima’ in the altitude alert selector. At 1954 , the pilot in command called that the aircraft was at 3,500 feet. A few seconds later, the co-pilot indicated that the aircraft was over the Temple Bar locator and that they could descend to 2,300 feet. The pilot in command repeated the 2,300 feet called by the co-pilot and asked him to select the landing gear down. The crew then completed the pre-landing checks. Eleven seconds later, the co-pilot reported that the aircraft was 300 feet above the minimum descent altitude. This was confirmed by the pilot in command. About 10 seconds later, there were two calls by the co-pilot to pull up. Immediately after the second call, the aircraft struck the top of the Ilparpa Range (approximately 9 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs Airport), while heading about 105 degrees at an altitude of about 2,250 feet in a very shallow climb. At approximately 1950, witnesses in a housing estate on the north-western side of the Ilparpa Range observed aircraft lights approaching from the north-west. They described the lights as appearing significantly lower than those of other aircraft they had observed approaching Alice Springs from the same direction. The lights illuminated buildings as the aircraft passed overhead and then they illuminated the northern escarpment of the range. This was followed almost immediately by fire/explosion at the top of the range.

On final approach to Walker's Cay Airfield, the aircraft was too low and struck the ground few metres short of runway threshold. Out of control, it rolled to the right when the right wing collided with a tree and was torn off. The aircraft rolled for another 100 metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All five occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

The crew was completing a local training flight at San Salvador-Comalapa Airport. On approach to runway 25, the copilot informed the captain about a discrepancy between both altimeters. The crew elected to identify the problem and thus failed to focus his attention on the approach procedure. This caused the aircraft to lose altitude when it collided with trees located 2,500 feet short of runway and crashed on a road 1,200 feet short of runway. Both pilots escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew (one instructor and three pilots under training) departed Shearwater Airport on a local training mission. The crew decided to perform a flapless landing but the aircraft arrived too high and to correct the situation, the pilot-in-command nosed down when the aircraft landed very hard and bounced. The crew initiated a go-around procedure and decided to follow a holding pattern after being informed by ATC based in the tower that the right main gear seems to be damaged. About 40 minutes later, the right main gear fell away. The right engine then lost power and a fire erupted in the right wheel well. The crew declared an emergency and was cleared to return to Shearwater Airport. Upon landing, the aircraft sank on its right side then rolled for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All four occupants escaped uninjured before an explosion occurred in the central fuel tank.