Landing (descent or approach)

Every year, in the cold and darkness of late October, personnel at Canadian Forces Station Alert on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, gather at a cairn near the runway to remember the crew and passengers of Hercules 130322 who lost their lives during a resupply mission to the station. On October 30, 1991, at approximately 4:40 p.m., flight 22 of Operation Boxtop – as the biannual resupply mission is called – was on its final approach to the station from Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. As the CC-130 Hercules from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, loaded with 3,400 litres of diesel fuel, began its descent, the pilot flying lost sight of the runway. Moments later, radar contact and communication were lost as the aircraft crashed approximately 16 km south of the station. The crew of another CC-130 Hercules, also bound for Alert, saw the fires of the crash and identified the location of Boxtop 22. The crash took the lives of five Canadian Armed Forces members – four died in the crash and one perished before help arrived – and led to the boldest and most massive air disaster rescue mission ever undertaken by the Canadian military in the High Arctic. Thirteen lives were saved. Within a half hour of the rescue call, a Hercules carrying 12 search and rescue technicians from 440 Search and Rescue Squadron in Edmonton, Alberta, was in the air. It reached the crash site seven and a half hours later, but the SAR technicians couldn’t descend due to the weather. Another Hercules from 413 Search and Rescue Squadron in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, soon joined the search. Meanwhile, search and rescue technicians formed a ground rescue team at Alert and set out overland for the crash site, guided through the darkness and horrendous weather conditions by a Hercules. The survivors, some soaked in diesel fuel, endured high winds and temperatures between -20C and -30C. Many sheltered in the tail section of the downed aircraft but others were more exposed to the elements. Finally, the 413 Squadron team finally got a break in the weather and six SAR technicians parachuted into the site more than 32 hours after the crash and began looking for survivors. They were joined soon after by more SAR technicians. When the ground rescue team finally arrived – 21 hours after it had set out – 26 rescuers were on the ground. They warmed and treated the injured and prepared them for medical evacuation. A Twin Huey helicopter from Alert made three trips to bring the survivors back to the station. Once again this year, personnel at Alert will conduct a parade on October 30 to commemorate the crash. The parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. and continue through the 4:40 p.m. timing when the crash occurred.
Those killed were:
Cpt John Couch, pilot,
Cpt Judy Trépanier, logistics officer,
M/WO Tom Jardine, regional services manager CANEX,
W/O Robert Grimsley, supply technician,
M/Cpl Roland Pitre, traffic technician.
Those who survived were:
Robert Thomson,
Susan Hillier,
Cpt Richard Dumoulin, logistics officer,
Cpt Wilma DeGroot, doctor,
Lt Joe Bales, pilot,
Lt Mike Moore, navigator,
M/WO Marc Tremblay, supply technician,
Sgt Paul West, flight engineer,
M/Cpl Tony Cobden, communications researcher,
M/Cpl David Meace, radio technician,
M/Cpl Mario Ellefsen, communications researcher,
M/S “Monty” Montgomery, communications researcher,
Pvt Bill Vance, communications researcher.
Source:
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/article-template-standard.page?doc=remembering-the-crash-of-boxtop-flight-22/ig9v1k0t

During the last segment, at a height of about six metres, the crew reduced engine power to idle, causing the aircraft to sink rapidly and to struck the runway surface with a positive acceleration of 4,25 g. All 13 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Air tanker N924AU had been dispatched from its base in Santa Barbara, CA to Missoula, MT to support fire suppression efforts involving a number of large fires in the Northern Region. The flight departed in VFR conditions at 16:05 PDT. While still in the area controlled by the Oakland FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), the crew requested and received an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance. They were assigned an altitude of 23,000 feet. The Orion proceeded uneventfully and was handed off to the Approach Controller at Missoula (MSO). MSO Approach did not have, at that time, terminal radar equipment that covered their entire area of responsibility. At first contact with MSO Approach, the Orion was 26 miles southeast of the Missoula International Airport and descending to 12,000 feet. In the course of several exchanges between the Orion and the MSO Approach Controller, it was disclosed and confirmed that the Orion’s flight crew did not have the approach plate (or chart) depicting the published approach procedure for the VOR-DME Bravo (B) approach, which was the approach in use for aircraft arriving from the south. Clearance was nevertheless offered and accepted and the controller provided the information as the Orion crew began to execute the VOR-DME B approach. At this time, the cloud bases at the MSO Airport were at about 7,900 feet and other aircraft making instrument approaches there were descending through 8,000 feet, cancelling their IFR flight plans and making visual approaches to the airport for landing. Since the Orion’s crew was able to monitor these radio communications/transmissions on the same frequency, they were probably counting on doing the same. At this time, there were very strong winds and moderate to severe turbulence reported at altitudes above 8,000 feet that increased with altitude in the MSO area. In addition to turbulence, the Orion crew contended with effects of flying at high altitudes, using oxygen in an unheated and un-pressurized aircraft for more than two hours. At some point in the initial phase of the approach, some confusion as to what heading to fly apparently occurred and the airtanker turned back toward the south, away from MSO. By this time the controller had authorized descent to 8,600 feet on an approximate heading of 200 degrees magnetic. MSO Approach received notification by Salt Lake City ARTCC (Center) that this airtanker was west of the course consistent with the approach procedure and subsequent notification that the airtanker had disappeared off Center’s radar screen. Repeated attempts to contact the Orion crew failed and MSO Approach notified the County Sheriff’s office, the Forest Service, and other agencies that the aircraft was missing and presumed down. Search and rescue attempts were not able to detect an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal. The mishap site was located the following day.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire by Candy S. Rock Fitzpatrick.

The crew departed Petrovsk Airport on a training flight to Balashov. On approach, he encountered poor weather conditions with low ceiling and strong headwinds. The crew decided not to land and initiated a go-around procedure. At a speed of 250 km/h, the aircraft climbed to a height of 200-250 meters when it stalled and crashed near the runway, bursting into flames. All three crew members were killed.

The aircraft was engaged in an illegal contraband flight, carrying four passengers, two pilots and a load of 3 tons of cocaine. While approaching Quirigua, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed few hundred metres from the landing strip, bursting into flames. All six occupants were killed. It was reported by the Guatemalan Authorities that the crew failed to file any flight plan and entered the Guatemalan airspace without permission. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was falsely registered N500 as its real registration was HK-750.

On approach to Hanover-Langenhagen Airport, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. Unable to locate the runway, he decided to initiate a go-around procedure when the aircraft lost height and crashed 200 metres short of runway 27R. The aircraft was destroyed and all seven occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced to 400 metres due to fog.

On final approach to Ketapang Airport, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances few hundred metres short of runway threshold. A passenger was killed while eight other occupants were injured.

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Lobito to Cazombo with an intermediate stop in Luena. On final approach to Cazombo Airport, the crew realized the runway was too short and too narrow when both wings hit bushes upon landing. After touchdown, the crew was informed about the presence of landmines in the airfield and decided to take off immediately. While turning to do so, the right main gear struck a pothole and collapsed, causing the propeller of the engine n°4 to struck the ground. The aircraft came to rest and all six occupants evacuated safely. The aircraft was not repaired.

After takeoff from Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport, while climbing, the right engine oversped and the crew was cleared to return. On approach, the crew realized he could not make it and decided to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a field, slid for few dozen metres and came to rest in a ditch, bursting into flames. A passenger was killed while other occupants were injured.

The aircraft was engaged in a military/cargo flight from Krasnodar to Kiev, carrying a load of fruits and vegetables. To be able to carry more cargo, the crew decided to embark less fuel. En route, the crew encountered strong headwinds and elected to divert to Dnepropetrovsk Airport. Finally, the captain decided to continue to Kiev. While descending to Borispol Airport, the crew informed ATC he was low of fuel so he was cleared for a straight-in approach to runway 36R. For unknown reasons, the captain preferred an approach to runway 18L. On short final, both engines stopped simultaneously. The aircraft stalled, struck the ground, lost its undercarriage and came to rest 1,500 metres short of runway threshold. Eight occupants were injured and one of the pilots was killed.