Takeoff (climb)

The airplane was on takeoff climb, about 400 feet above the ground, when the engine partially and then totally lost power. The pilot did a forced landing in a bean field. The flight occurred following maintenance to check a low manifold pressure condition. According to the pilot, a 'full' engine runup was done before takeoff. He stated: 'the takeoff was smooth, we rotated at an airspeed of slightly more than 80 knots. The climb for the first 350 (feet of altitude), airspeed was routine... I felt a power loss and noticed the manifold pressure dropping. At this point I felt I had enough power to return to the airport... as the turn was being completed, power went out completely.' The post-accident examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.

During the takeoff roll, at a speed of 80 knots, the twin engine aircraft deviated to the right then veered off runway and came to a halt. All 11 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

During an aborted takeoff, the airplane overran the 4,451 foot long runway, went down a hill, and struck a fence. According to the pilot, 'during the takeoff roll, the indicated airspeed needle climbed to approximately 60 knots, but then would go no further... My attempts to dislodge it by tapping on the face of the gauge were futile...I pulled back the throttles and applied full brakes...' The pilot reported that based on the existing conditions 'the airplane can accelerate from rest to rotation speed and back to rest in less than 3,500 feet.' The examination of the airplane revealed the pitot tube was internally obstructed with an insect and mud.

The pilot was performing the initial takeoff, when he observed a loss of power, associated with a torque indication of zero. He force landed the aircraft in a wooded area when he could not make an open field. A post accident inspection of the engine revealed that the fuel control unit arm was loose, and the lock wire was not in place. The arm was positioned so that a maximum power demand from the throttle would correspond to an idle power demand at the fuel control. The engine underwent a 100 hour inspection, by company maintenance personnel, 8 days prior to the accident. The inspection checklist called for examining the fuel control linkage for security.

An Airbus A330-300 aircraft crashed during a test flight at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France, killing all seven on board. The test flight was part of the preparation required to certify the autopilot, on this Airbus A330 equipped with Pratt and Whitney engines, to category III standards. The first part of the test flight was completed successfully when the aircraft landed on runway 15L. A 180 degree turn was made for takeoff from runway 33R. The second takeoff was to be performed under conditions similar to those of the first takeoff. For this test however, the autopilot would incorporate the modification under study. The takeoff was performed by the co-pilot with TOGA (Takeoff Go Around) power instead of Flex 49, a lower power setting which was specified in the test procedure. Rotation was positive and pitch input was stopped when the attitude changed from 12 to 18 degrees nose-up. Within 5 seconds after takeoff several attempts to engage the autopilot were unsuccessful. After it was engaged, activation was delayed by two seconds because the first officer was exerting a slight nose down input on the side stick. The aircraft, still trimmed at 2.2 degrees nose-up, pitched up to reach 29 degrees and the speed had decreased to 145 knots. The captain meanwhile reduced thrust on the no. 1 engine to idle and cut off the hydraulic system in accordance with the flight test order. Immediately after it activated, the autopilot switched to altitude acquisition mode. The altitude had been set at 2000 feet on the previous flight phase. This caused the pitch attitude to increase to 32 degrees in an attempt to reach 2000 feet. The speed decreased further to 100 knots, whereas the minimum control speed is 118 kts. Roll control was lost and the captain reduced no. 2 engine thrust to idle to recover symmetry on the roll axis. Bank and pitch attitudes had reached 112 degrees left and -43 degrees resp. before the pilot managed to regain control. It was however too late to avoid ground impact at a pitch attitude of around -15 degrees.

During initial climb, the engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. All eight occupants escaped uninjured (or with minor injuries) while the aircraft was destroyed.

The airplane was observed to rotate about 3,217 feet down the 3,746-feet runway. One or both engines were heard running rough. The airplane climbed to about 300 feet agl, banked left, pitched nose down and impacted the ground. During the investigation, the left engine operated to full rated rpm after replacement of the damaged ignition harness, adjustment of the turbocharger density controller, and adjustment of the magneto-to-engine timing. The right engine also operated normally after replacement of the magneto, ignition harness, and engine-driven fuel pump. The density controller required adjustment to obtain full rated rpm. The #3 cylinder fuel injector nozzle was also partially blocked by contaminant. The right engine magneto contact assemblies operationally checked ok. The capacitors were heat damaged. Right engine magneto-to-engine timing and internal timing of the magneto were not determined. Pilot's toxicological results were positive for butalbital (1.768 ug/ml blood, 0.553 ug/ml urine), and also positive for acetaminophen and salicylate (aspirin) in urine. Butalbital is a prescription medication (barbiturate) not approved for flying. Both occupants were killed.

Five aircraft departed a lodge, one behind the other. Fog and drizzle were encountered, and the pilot of the first aircraft radioed to the pilots of the other aircraft to cross the river to the east shoreline. A passenger in the fourth aircraft (N13GA) stated that when the aircraft was over the middle of the river, she could not see either shore due to fog. The pilot of N13GA (a floatplane) stated that he encountered deteriorating weather and started a descent, intending to make a precautionary landing. He began to level, expecting conditions to improve. Subsequently, the floatplane hit the surface of 'glassy water' and crashed. Seven passengers were killed and four other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

The amphibious DHC-2 Beaver was being operated from the Harbour Air base at Sandspit, British Columbia, located on the Queen Charlotte Islands. On the first flight on the day of the accident, the aircraft carried baggage from the Sandspit Airport to a floating fishing resort at anchor in Givenchy Bay. This bay is located in the Kano Inlet on the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, 28 nautical miles (nm) west of Sandspit. On board the aircraft with the pilot was a passenger who would remain with the flight for the return trip to Sandspit. The aircraft departed Sandspit under visual flight rules (VFR) at 1015 Pacific daylight time (PDT) and landed at the fishing resort at 1039. The pilot had taken the most direct route to the destination through a low pass and over Yakoun Lake. He advised the company dispatch on the company radio frequency that the weather was quite poor along that route and that he planned to take the Skidegate Channel for the return trip. On arrival at the Givenchy resort, the aircraft was loaded with the fish to be transported to Sandspit; it then departed Givenchy at 1051. When the aircraft did not arrive at Sandspit, a search was organized. The wreckage was located at 1245 at Hunter Point, about 7 nm from Givenchy, at latitude 53°15'N, longitude 132°42'W. The accident had occurred during the hours of daylight at approximately 1100. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot and passenger were fatally injured upon impact.

The pilot of the Cessna 441 Conquest was conducting an international charter flight from General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Gods Lake Narrows, Manitoba. The pilot landed the aircraft at Fort Frances, Ontario, to clear customs and refuel, and then continued his visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Gods Lake Narrows. During the take-off at Fort Frances, the aircraft experienced a power loss in the left engine. The pilot elected to continue the take-off but was unable to control the aircraft after it became airborne. The aircraft veered to the left and crashed on the airfield. The accident occurred at 0425 central daylight time (CDT), at night, on the Fort Frances Municipal Airport. All seven occupants sustained minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.