Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Oradea

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1994
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
508
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oradea – Bucharest
MSN:
25 08
YOM:
1974
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Oradea Airport, the flight engineer under training prematurely retracted the landing gear. The aircraft sank on its belly and skidded on runway before coming to rest. All 11 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Premature retraction of the undercarriage during takeoff.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 in the Fish Egg Inlet: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1994 at 1148 LT
Operator:
Registration:
C-FDMR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fish Egg Inlet - Pruth Bay
MSN:
36
YOM:
1967
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
11725
Captain / Total hours on type:
4000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2500
Copilot / Total hours on type:
150
Circumstances:
The captain, first officer, and two passengers departed from the Fish Egg Inlet logging camp, located 56 nautical miles (nm) north of Port Hardy, British Columbia, for a 16 nm visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Pruth Bay. This was the second leg of a flight which had originated at Port Hardy. The first officer, who occupied the left pilot seat and was handling the controls, taxied the aircraft a short distance away from the dock and took off. The captain occupied the right pilot seat. As the aircraft climbed through 100 feet, and just as the flaps were retracting, the aircraft pitched up violently and stalled. The pilots were unable to regain control of the aircraft, and it crashed into the water about 100 feet from the shore and sank immediately. The captain, who sustained serious injuries from the crash, escaped from the wreckage and swam to shore. The first officer and the two passengers remained in the aircraft and drowned. When the aircraft failed to arrive at Pruth Bay, personnel from Pacific Coastal Airlines (the company) notified the Rescue Coordination Centre and started their own search. A search pilot spotted debris in the water near the logging camp at about 1430 Pacific daylight saving time (PDT) that day. He landed to investigate, found the captain on the shore nearby, and transported him to the Port Hardy hospital. The accident occurred during daylight hours at approximately 1148 PDT, at latitude 51°36'N and longitude 127°41'W. There were no witnesses, other than the aircraft captain, to this accident.
Probable cause:
The down elevator control cable failed at station 376 due to corrosion, and, as a result, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The corrosion was not detected by the maintenance personnel during the aircraft's last cable inspection.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 406 Caravan II in Nairobi

Date & Time: Aug 8, 1994 at 0700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
5Y-JJG
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nairobi - Mogadishu
MSN:
406-0003
YOM:
1986
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Nairobi-Wilson Airport runway 14, while climbing, the pilot's window opened. Distracted, the pilot lost control of the airplane that lost height and struck a concrete wall located past the runway end. It lost height, struck the ground, lost its undercarriage and slid for about 400 metres before coming to rest. All three occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Beechcraft A100 King Air in North Adams: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1994 at 1605 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N7GA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Adams – White Plains
MSN:
B-119
YOM:
1972
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
10200
Captain / Total hours on type:
106.00
Aircraft flight hours:
10426
Circumstances:
The airplane had undergone routine maintenance for slow acceleration on the right engine. Maintenance records revealed the fuel controls were changed from the right engine to the left engine. The airplane was released back to the pilot for service, and he departed for his home station. Several witnesses saw the airplane after takeoff at a low altitude, and at a slow speed. The airplane turned left, and the left wing struck the ground. Two witnesses saw the airplane pass by them at a low altitude, and wrote, '...at this point we could see the left (port) engine propeller was turning very slowly. You could actually see the individual blades of the propeller turning.' A complete disassembly of both engines, revealed no discrepancies other than impact, and post impact fire damage. Disassembly of the left propeller indicated that the propeller blades were at or near feather at impact. The pilot had a total of 106 flight hours in Beech A100 aircraft, all in the 90 days prior to the accident, and 56 hours in the 30 days prior to the accident.
Probable cause:
The pilot's failure to maintain minimum control speed after an undetermined loss of engine power, which resulted in an inadvertent stall at too low of an altitude to allow recovery.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III in Charlevoix: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1994 at 1950 LT
Registration:
C-GVPB
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Charlevoix - Trois-Rivières
MSN:
421C-0484
YOM:
1973
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
5261
Captain / Total hours on type:
1215.00
Aircraft flight hours:
3190
Circumstances:
Around 1950 eastern daylight saving time (EDT), the Cessna 421C aircraft, registration C-GVPB, operated by les Ailes de Charlevoix inc., took off on a visual flight rules (VFR) charter flight from Charlevoix Airport, Quebec, to Trois-Rivières, Quebec, with one pilot and five passengers on board. Shortly after take-off, witnesses saw greyish smoke emanating from the left engine. The aircraft entered a steep left turn followed by a descent. It then continued in the new direction. Shortly after, the aircraft yawed and entered an uncontrolled roll, nosed down, and crashed. The aircraft caught fire on impact. All six occupants were fatally injured during the impact. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It is probable that a loss of oil pressure in the left engine caused a loss of power just after take-off. The pilot was unable to maintain the minimum control speed (VMC) of the aircraft.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DK in Eskişehir

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1994
Operator:
Registration:
1-041
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
14068/25513
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Eskişehir Airport, while in initial climb, the crew declared an emergency after the right engine exploded and caught fire. The crew was able to return when the aircraft crash landed and came to rest, bursting into flames. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Fire on right engine after takeoff for unknown reasons.

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante near Colón: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1994 at 1830 LT
Registration:
HP-1202AC
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Colón – Panama City
MSN:
110-375
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
00901
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Colón-Enrique Adolfo Jiménez Airport in poor weather conditions (low pressure zone). During initial climb, the aircraft suffered an explosion and crashed 10 km from the airport. The crew did not send any distress call. The aircraft disintegrated and all 21 occupants were killed, among them 12 Jewish businessman.
Probable cause:
It was reported that metal fragment were recovered on all bodies and that the 'accident' was the result of an in-flight explosion caused by the presence of a bomb places on board by members of a terrorist group called 'Ansar Allah'.

Crash of a Cessna 414 Chancellor in Taft: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1994 at 1420 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N414RH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Taft - Fresno
MSN:
414-0457
YOM:
1974
Location:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
10000
Aircraft flight hours:
3739
Circumstances:
The emergency medical service (EMS/medevac) flight was dispatched to transport a patient in response to a medical emergency. During arrival to the destination, the pilot contacted the airport unicom for advisories and was advised to land on runway 25. Runway 25 had a 2.2 percent uphill grade and was restricted to landings only. After landing, the airplane was refueled and the patient was put on board. The pilot back-taxied on runway 25 and proceeded to take off uphill with the airplane near its maximum gross weight. According to ground witnesses, there was a tailwind, which they estimated was between 4 and 15 knots. The temperature was about 100 degrees, and the density altitude was about 3,200 feet. After the airplane became airborne, the pilot started an immediate left turn to avoid rising terrain. However, the left tip tank contacted the ground, and the airplane cartwheeled. It came to rest about 711 feet from the departure end of the runway. The flaps and landing gear were found fully extended; the published configuration for takeoff data in the flight manual was for 'wing flaps - up.' The airport had no signs to indicate runway use restrictions; however, the restrictions were published in the airport facility directory.
Probable cause:
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and selection of the wrong runway for takeoff. Factors related to the accident were: the uphill slope of the runway, tailwind, high density altitude, and failure of the pilot to correctly configure the flaps for takeoff.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air in Ajaccio: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1994 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBBF
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ajaccio - Ajaccio
MSN:
LJ-518
YOM:
1971
Flight number:
Bengale 97
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was engaged in a survey flight over the region of Ajaccio under call sign 'Bengale 97', carrying one pilot and one fireman. Shortly after takeoff from Ajaccio-Campo dell'Oro Airport runway 20, while in initial climb, the pilot retracted the landing gear when the left engine failed. He initiated a left hand turn to return to runway 20 when the aircraft stalled and crashed on a the beach of Capitello about 500 metres southeast of the runway end, bursting into flames. Both occupants and a girl aged 13 were killed while four other people were seriously injured. Few days later, two of them, German tourists, died from their injuries.
Crew:
Igor Daïc, pilot
Passenger:
Lt Faustin Expédith, fireman.
On ground victims:
Marie-Louise Tagnatti,
Peter & Heike Kirsch.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine during initial climb for unknown reasons.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Kherson

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1994 at 1154 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-46575
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kherson - Moscow
MSN:
87304810
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
BV086
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
28
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, at a speed of 135 km/h, the pilot-in-command slowly started the rotation and the nose gear lifted off. Then, at a speed of 165 km/h, he lifted off more vigorously when the flight engineer retracted the landing gear. At a speed of 190 km/h, the aircraft sank back on the runway on its belly (the landing gears were partially retracted), causing both propellers to struck the ground. The aircraft slid for about 740 metres when eight seconds later, the flight engineer shut down both engines while both propellers were feathered 20 seconds later. The aircraft slid for another 300 metres then came to rest 1,670 metres from the departure point. All 32 occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
A lack of crew coordination during the takeoff roll procedure led the flight engineer retracting the undercarriage prematurely.