Takeoff (climb)

The weather at the departure airfield consisted of a light and variable wind, good visibility and a temperature of 20ºC. At the start of the take-off run the aircraft, which was being flown by the copilot, who is also an experienced pilot with some 60 hours on type, began to swing to the right. Corrective action caused it to swing to the left but, after further correction,the aircraft continued accelerating and swing to the right. The Bristol Freighter is well known for its tendency to swing on takeoff. The commander joined the co-pilot on the controls and attempted to assist in correcting the right-hand swing. It became apparent to the pilots that they would be unable to prevent the aircraft running over the edge of the runway and, as there were people standing by the edge and a small control tower building behind them, they applied full up-elevator in an effort to avoid a collision. Because of the low airspeed at which this occurred, the aircraft stalled and the left wing tip hit the ground. This caused the aircraft to turn so that it was then travelling sideways which resulted in the landing gear collapsing as it touched the runway. The aircraft then slid off the runway onto the grass. There was no fire and the only injuries were sustained by three of the aircraft passengers.

Crashed on takeoff for unknown reasons, killing all five crew members.

The crew was completing a humanitarian flight when the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances shortly after takeoff. Both pilots were injured.

The aircraft was completing a flight from Preveza to the Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base in Germany. During the takeoff roll at Preveza-Aktion Airport, after V1 speed, the pilot-in-command heard a loud noise. Thinking this was the consequence of a bird strike, he decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and started an emergency braking manoeuvre. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, struck a dyke and came to rest partially submerged in the sea. All 16 occupants escaped uninjured.

The pilot reported that he performed a rolling takeoff from the 2315 ft runway. He said that as soon as the airplane broke ground on the takeoff roll, he experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot said that he retracted the gear to help clear a 42 ft dike at the departure end of the runway. Also, he reported that after clearing the dike, he turned gradually to the left, and the left wing stalled. Two witnesses reported hearing loud, steady sounds from the airplane's engine and propeller. They said they saw the airplane in a high nose-up attitude, and watched the airplane descend behind the dike. The engine could be heard until the airplane contacted the river. During an operational check after the accident, the engine performed at recommended levels. According to performance data provided by the FAA, at the given takeoff weight, with a zero degree flap setting, the airplane required 2850 feet of runway to clear a 50 ft obstacle. The charts were based on full power before brake release.

During the takeoff roll at Ambon-Pattimura Airport, just before Vr, one of the engine failed. The captain abandoned the takeoff procedure and initiated an emergency braking manoeuvre. Unable to stop with the remaining distance (the runway surface was wet), the aircraft overran and came to rest 180 metres further against a dyke. All 48 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

According to an FAA inspector, the airplane '...was unable to get airborne...' during the takeoff roll. He stated that after travelling the full length of the 4,997-foot runway, the airplane ran off the departure end of runway 5 and continued approximately 2,257 feet through an open field, a fence, a corn field and into a depression where it impacted terrain and came to rest. The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll he discovered that he had not removed the gust lock from the control column and that his attempts to remove it were unsuccessful. The pilot stated that the aircraft '...went off the end of the runway through a fence and impacted an earthen berm that collapsed the gear [and] blade strikes that stopped the engines.'

During initial takeoff climb the copilot who was manipulating the controls called for METO (maximum except takeoff) power. After the pilot-in-command set METO power, the left engine lost power. The PIC took the controls from the copilot and called for him to feather the left propeller. The copilot did not hear the call to feather the left propeller. Maintaining an indicated airspeed of 90 knots and wings level attitude, the airplane descended into trees and impacted a rural residential paved street. The cockpit area and main fuselage were consumed by a post crash fire. Examination of the throttle quadrant revealed the propeller control levers were forward, the mixture control levers were autorich, the throttle for the right engine was forward, and the throttle for the left engine was at idle. According to a FAA operations inspector maintaining 90 knots with the propeller not feathered would result in the aircraft descending. The pilot and copilot had not completed a proficiency check or flight check for the DC3 type aircraft within the previous 24 months. Examination of the left engine did not disclose any preexisting anomalies.

During departure climb, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power. Emergency procedures were executed and a forced approach/landing was initiated to a field. While on the approach, the pilot observed a ditch running across the proposed landing pathway. He turned the airplane right to parallel the ditch. During the landing roll, the pilot attempted to avoid a building by intentionally ground looping the airplane. During this avoidance maneuver, the left wing struck the building. Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine had seized due to an internal failure. The reason for the engine's internal failure was not determined.

During the takeoff roll at Fukuoka-Itazuke Airport runway 16, at a speed of 158 knots, the captain started the rotation. During initial climb, at a height of about 3 metres, the right engine suffered a loss of power after a fan blade located on the 1st stage of the high pressure compressor disk separated. The N1 dropped to 23,7% and five seconds later, the flight engineer informed the crew about the failure of the engine n°1. The captain decided to abort the takeoff and landed back on runway. The aircraft contacted ground with a vertical acceleration of 2,1 g then thrust reversers were deployed and ground spoilers were extended. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, crossed a road, skidded for about 620 metres before coming to rest in an open field, bursting into flames. Three passengers were killed.