Crash of a Cessna 414 Chancellor in Enstone

Date & Time: Jun 26, 2018 at 1320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N414FZ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Enstone – Dunkeswell
MSN:
414-0175
YOM:
1971
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1194
Captain / Total hours on type:
9.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Dunkeswell Airfield on the morning of the accident for a flight to Retford (Gamston) Airfield with three passengers on board, two of whom held flying licences. The passengers all reported that the flight was uneventful and after spending an hour on the ground the aircraft departed with two passengers for Enstone Airfield. This flight was also flown without incident.The pilot reported that before departing Enstone he visually checked the level in the aircraft fuel tanks and there was 390 ltr (103 US gal) on board, approximately half of which was in the wingtip fuel tanks. After spending approximately one hour on the ground the pilot was heard to carry out his power checks before taxiing to the threshold of Runway 08 for a flight back to Dunkeswell with one passenger onboard). During the takeoff run the left engine was heard to stop and the aircraft veered to the left as it came to a halt. The pilot later recalled that he had seen birds in the climbout area and this was a factor in the abandoned takeoff. The aircraft was then seen to taxi to an area outside the Oxfordshire Sport Flying Club, where the pilot attempted to start the left engine, during which time the right engine also stopped. The right engine was restarted, and several attempts appeared to have been made to start the left engine, which spluttered into life before stopping again. Eventually the left engine started, blowing out clouds of white and black smoke. After the left engine was running smoothly the pilot was seen to taxi to the threshold for Runway 08. The takeoff run sounded normal and the landing gear was seen to retract at a height of approximately 200 ft agl. The climbout was captured on a video recording taken by an individual standing next to the disused runway, approximately 400 m to the south of Runway 08. The aircraft was initially captured while it was making a climbing turn to the right and after 10 seconds the wings levelled, the aircraft descended and disappeared behind a tree line. After a further 5 seconds the aircraft came into view flying west over buildings to the east of the disused runway at a low height, in a slightly nose-high attitude. The right propeller appeared to be rotating slowly, there was some left rudder applied and the aircraft was yawed to the right. The left engine could be heard running at a high rpm and the landing gear was in the extended position. The aircraft appeared to be in a gentle right turn and was last observed flying in a north-west direction. The video then cut away from the aircraft for a further 25 seconds and when it returned there was a plume of smoke coming from buildings to the north of the runway. The pilot reported that the engine had lost power during a right climbing turn during the departure. He recovered the aircraft to level flight and selected the ‘right fuel booster’ pump (auxiliary pump) and the engine recovered power. He decided to return to Enstone and when he was abeam the threshold for Runway 08 the right engine stopped. He feathered the propeller on the right engine and noted that the single-engine performance was insufficient to climb or manoeuvre and, therefore, he selected a ploughed field to the north of Enstone for a forced landing. During the approach the pilot noticed that the left engine would only produce “approximately 57%” of maximum power, with the result that he could not make the field and crashed into some farm buildings. There was an immediate fire following the accident and the pilot and passenger both escaped from the wreckage through the rear cabin door. The pilot sustained minor burns. The passenger, who was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, sustained burns to his body, a fractured vertebra, impact injuries to his chest and lacerations to his head.
Probable cause:
The pilot and the passengers reported that both engines operated satisfactory on the two flights prior to the accident flight. No problems were identified with the engines during the maintenance activity carried out 25 and 5 flying hours prior to the accident and the engine power checks carried out at the start of the flight were also satisfactory. It is therefore unlikely that there was a fault on both engines which would have caused the left engine to stop during the aborted takeoff and the right engine to stop during the initial climb. The aircraft was last refuelled at Dunkeswell Airfield and had successfully undertaken two flights prior to the accident flight. There had been no reports to indicate that the fuel at Dunkeswell had been contaminated; therefore, fuel contamination was unlikely to have been the cause. The pilot reported that there was sufficient fuel onboard the aircraft to complete the flight, which was evident by the intense fire in the poultry farm, most probably caused by the fuel from the ruptured aircraft fuel tanks. With sufficient fuel onboard for the aircraft to complete the flight, the most likely cause of the left engine stopping during the aborted takeoff, and the right engine stopping during the accident flight, was a disruption in the fuel supply between the fuel tanks and engine fuel control units. The reason for this disruption could not be established but it is noted that the fuel system in this design is more complex than in many light twin-engine aircraft. The AAIB calculated the single-engine climb performance during the accident flight using the performance curves3 for engines not equipped with the RAM modification. It was a hot day and the aircraft was operating at 280 lb below its maximum takeoff weight. Assuming the landing gear and flaps were retracted, the engine cowls on the right engine were closed and the aircraft was flown at 101 kt, then the single-engine climb performance would have been 250 ft/min. However, the circumstances of the loss of power at low altitude would have been challenging and, shortly before the accident, the aircraft was seen flying with the landing gear extended and the right engine still windmilling. These factors would have adversely affected the single-engine performance and might explain why the pilot was no longer able to maintain height.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo B in Ampangabe: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 2018 at 0912 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5R-MKF
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Antananarivo - Antananarivo
MSN:
31-756
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
About five minutes after takeoff from Antananarivo-Ivato Airport, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in an open field located in Ampangabe, some 10 km southwest of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact and all five occupants were killed. They were engaged in a training flight with one instructor and two pilots under instruction on board.
Crew:
Claude Albert Ranaivoarison, pilot.
Passengers:
Eddie Charles Razafindrakoto, General of the Madagascar Air Force,
Andy Razafindrakoto, son of the General,
Kevin Razafimanantsoa, pilot trainee,
Mamy Tahiana Andrianarijaona, pilot trainee.

Crash of a Cessna 421B Golden Eagle II in Rock Sound: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 2018 at 1545 LT
Registration:
N421MM
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Rock Sound – Treasure Coast
MSN:
421B-0804
YOM:
1974
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On 5th June, 2018 at approximately 3:45pm local, (Eastern Daylight Time) , a Cessna 421B aircraft crashed in dense bushes shortly after departure from Runway 27 at Rocksound Int’l Airport, Rock Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas. The crash site was located approximately 2,503 feet / .41 nautical mile (nm) north of the threshold of Runway 09 and 8,588 feet / 1.42 nm from threshold of runway 27. The pilot and 2 passengers were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The aircraft made initial contact with trees before making contact with the ground and other trees in dense bushes. The aircraft descended right wing first, in an approximately 40 degree nose-down angle. A crater approximately 12 inches deep and 10 feet long by 5 feet wide was created when the aircraft hit the ground, subsequently crossing a dirt road, before coming to rest partially in an upward incline in trees. The nose of the aircraft came to rest on a heading of 355° degrees. The fuselage of the aircraft was located at Latitudes 24° 53’ 50”N and Longitude 076° 11’33”W. A fire ensued after the crash.
Probable cause:
The Air Accident Investigation Department has determined the probable cause of this accident to be the pilot failure to maintain control of the airplane. Circumstances contributing to the failure to maintain control undetermined. Evidence exist to demonstrate the aircraft was not producing full power at the time it loss control, the reasons for the reduced power unknown. It could not be determined why the fuel selector was position to the auxiliary tank and not the main tank as required by manufacturer’s recommendation. Critical evidence were destroyed in the post impact fire.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Kamonia

Date & Time: May 30, 2018 at 1518 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5X-MRH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kamonia – Kamako
MSN:
208B-2386
YOM:
2012
Flight number:
UNO212H
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3668
Captain / Total hours on type:
3385.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1373
Copilot / Total hours on type:
970
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Kamonia on a special flight to Kamako on behalf of the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), carrying three passengers and two pilots. During the takeoff roll from runway 34, the pilot-in-command started the rotation but the aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height. The nose gear and the cargo pod impacted an embankment located at the end of the runway and the aircraft flipped over and came to rest upside down. All five occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the aircraft failed to gain sufficient speed during the last portion of the runway due to an excessive accumulation of sand on the ground. The pilot-in-command elected to rotate when the aircraft impacted terrain.
The two following factors were identified:
- The pilot's ability to make a timely decision,
- Lack of coordination between the two CRM (standard call out) pilots during takeoff manoeuvres.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 737-201 in Havana: 112 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 2018 at 1210 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-UHZ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Havana – Holguín
MSN:
21816/592
YOM:
1979
Flight number:
DMJ972
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
107
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
112
Captain / Total flying hours:
16655
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2314
Aircraft flight hours:
69596
Aircraft flight cycles:
70651
Circumstances:
After takeoff from runway 06 at Havana-José Martí Airport, while in initial climb, the undercarriage were raised when the aircraft entered an excessive nose-up angle of 30°. It rolled to the right then descended until it struck power cables and a railway track before it disintegrated in a field located less than one km east from the airport. Three female passengers were seriously injured while 110 other occupants were killed, among them 102 Cubans, 6 Mexicans (crew) and 2 Argentinians. Three days after the accident, one of the three survivors died from her injuries. A second survivor died one week later, on May 25. The aircraft was operated by Cubana de Aviacíon under a wet lease contract from the Mexican operator Global Air (Damojh Aéreolíneas), and the service was operated under callsign DMJ972.
Probable cause:
Loss of control of the aircraft during initial climb following a chain of human errors in the preparation of the flight and the weight and balance calculation. It was determined that the crew calculated the CofG to be 17,4% while it was actually 28,5%, about 0,5% below the rear limit of 29%. Consequently, the horizontal stabilizer trim was set at 5 3/4 units instead of 3 1/4 units. This caused the aircraft to enter an excessive nose up attitude immediately after liftoff.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Inconsistencies in crew training,
- Errors in weight and balance calculations,
- Low operational standards manifested in flight.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed WC-130H Hercules in Savannah: 9 killed

Date & Time: May 2, 2018 at 1127 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
65-0968
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Savannah – Davis-Monthan
MSN:
4110
YOM:
1965
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Captain / Total hours on type:
2070.00
Copilot / Total hours on type:
9
Circumstances:
On 2 May 2018, at approximately 1127 hours local time (L), the Mishap Aircraft (MA), a WC-130H, tail number 65-0968, assigned to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, 156th Airlift Wing (156 AW), located at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico, crashed approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV), Georgia. All nine members aboard the MA—Mishap Pilot 1 (MP1), Mishap Pilot 2, Mishap Navigator, Mishap Flight Engineer, and Mishap Loadmaster (collectively the “Mishap Crew (MC)”), and four mission essential personnel, Mishap Airman 1, 2, 3, and 4—perished during the accident. The MC’s mission was to fly the MA to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona (commonly referred to as the “Boneyard”), for removal from service. The MA had been at KSAV for almost a month, since 9 April 2018, to undergo prescheduled fuel cell maintenance and unscheduled work on engine number one by 156 AW maintenance personnel using the facilities of the 165th Airlift Wing. During takeoff roll, engine one revolutions per minute (RPM) fluctuated and did not provide normal RPM when MP1 advanced the throttle lever into the flight range for takeoff. Approximately eight seconds prior to aircraft rotation, engine one RPM and torque significantly decayed, which substantially lowered thrust. The fluctuation on roll and significant performance decay went unrecognized by the MC until rotation, when MP1 commented on aircraft control challenges and the MA veered left and nearly departed the runway into the grass before it achieved flight. The MA departed KSAV at approximately 1125L. As the MC retracted the landing gear, they identified the engine one RPM and torque malfunction and MP1 called for engine shutdown. However, the MC failed to complete the Takeoff Continued After Engine Failure procedure, the Engine Shutdown procedure, and the After Takeoff checklist as directed by the Flight Manual, and the MA’s flaps remained at 50 percent. Additionally, MP1 banked left into the inoperative engine, continued to climb, and varied left and right rudder inputs. At an altitude of approximately 900 feet mean sea level and 131 knots indicated air speed, MP1 input over nine degrees of left rudder, the MA skidded left, the left wing stalled, and the MA departed controlled flight and impacted the terrain on Georgia State Highway 21.
Probable cause:
The board president found, by a preponderance of the evidence, the cause of the mishap was MP1’s improper application of left rudder, which resulted in a subsequent skid below three-engine minimum controllable airspeed, a left-wing stall, and the MA’s departure from controlled flight. Additionally, the board president found, by a preponderance of the evidence, the MC’s failure to adequately prepare for emergency actions, the MC’s failure to reject the takeoff, the MC’s failure to properly execute appropriate after takeoff and engine shutdown checklists and procedures, and the Mishap Maintainers’ failure to properly diagnose and repair engine number one substantially contributed to the mishap.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules in Sharara: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 2018 at 1225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
111
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sharara - Mitiga
MSN:
4992
YOM:
1984
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
National Oil Corporation confirms a C-130 aircraft chartered by Akakus Oil crashed during take-off, 2 km from the Sharara oil field, after delivering 18 tonnes of catering and maintenance supplies. The crash occurred at 12:25pm on Sunday, April 29, 2018. Firefighters and paramedics quickly rushed to the scene. The tragic incident resulted in the death of three crew members and the injury of one other who is being evacuated by air to receive medical treatment in Tripoli. The NOC Board of Directors cancelled all their commitments and are presently at Akakus headquarters meeting with local management and a number of emergency staff to follow up on this tragic incident. The circumstances of the crash are still being investigated. Mr. Fayez Al-Sarraj, Chairman of the Presidential Council, was briefed on the developments of the incident, and expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims, ordering the preparation of a decree commemorating the deceased as martyrs. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) was also briefed and offered its condolences to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The plane in question is the property of the Libyan Air Force but was chartered by Akakus Oil, who operate the Sharara field. The company was forced to charter the aircraft due to road closures and the security situation on the ground stemming from a road blockade leading to the field.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76TD at Boufarik AFB: 257 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 2018 at 0750 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-WIV
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Boufarik – Béchar – Tindouf
MSN:
1043419649
YOM:
1994
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
247
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
257
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a troop transport from Boufarik to Tindouf with an intermediate stop in Béchar, west Algeria, and was carrying 247 soldiers and their family members and 10 crew members. Shortly after takeoff from the Boufarik AFB located some 25 km southwest of Algiers, while climbing to a height of about 150 meters, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an agricultural zone located near the airport, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. It was quickly confirmed by the Algerian Authorities that none of the 257 occupants survived the crash, among them 26 members of the Front Polisario. According to first testimonies, it appears that the left wing (engine?) was on fire when control was lost.

Crash of a Piper PA-31P Pressurized Navajo in Laredo: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 2018 at 1038 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N82605
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Laredo - Laredo
MSN:
31P-7730010
YOM:
1977
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
4243
Copilot / Total flying hours:
194
Aircraft flight hours:
3185
Circumstances:
The commercial pilot and passenger, who held a student certificate, departed runway 18R for a local flight in a multi-engine airplane. The pilot held a flight instructor certificate for single-engine airplane. Just after takeoff, the tower controller reported to the pilot that smoke was coming from the left side of the airplane. The pilot acknowledged, stating that they were going to "fix it," and then entered a left downwind for runway 18R, adding that they didn't need any assistance. The controller subsequently cleared the airplane to land on runway 18L, which the pilot acknowledged. Two witnesses reported seeing the smoke come from the left engine. Still images taken from airport security video show the airplane before making the turn to land with white smoke trailing and the landing gear down. The airplane was then seen in a steep left turn to final approach exceeding 90° of bank, before it impacted terrain, just short of the runway in a near vertical attitude. A postcrash fire ensued. The examination of the wreckage found that the left engine's propeller was not being driven by the engine at the time of impact. The left propeller was not in the feathered position and the landing gear was found extended. The damage to the right engine propeller blades was consistent with the engine operating at high power at impact. The examination of the airframe and engines revealed no evidence of preimpact anomalies; however, the examinations were limited by impact and fire damage which precluded examination of the hoses and lines associated with the engines. The white smoke observed from the left side of the airplane was likely the result of an oil leak which allowed oil to reach the hot exterior surfaces of the engine; however, this could not be verified due to damage to the engine. There was no evidence of oil starvation for either engine. Both the extended landing gear and non-feathered left propeller would have increased the drag on the airplane. Because the pilot's operating procedures for an engine failure in a climb call for feathering the affected engine and raising the landing gear until certain of making the field, it is unlikely the pilot followed the applicable checklists in response to the situation. Further, the change from landing on runway 18R to 18L also reduced the radius of the turn and increased the required angle of bank. The increased left banked turn, the right engine operating at a high-power setting, and the airplane's increased drag likely decreased the airplane airspeed below the airplane's minimum controllable airspeed (Vmc), which resulted in a loss of control.
Probable cause:
An engine malfunction for undetermined reasons and the subsequent loss of control, due to the pilot's improper decision to maneuver the airplane below minimum controllable airspeed and his improper response to the loss of engine power.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft B100 King Air in Abbotsford

Date & Time: Feb 23, 2018 at 1204 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GIAE
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Abbotsford - San Bernardino
MSN:
BE-8
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
IAX640
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
10000
Captain / Total hours on type:
800.00
Aircraft flight hours:
10580
Circumstances:
Weather conditions at Abbotsford at the time of departure consisted of a temperature of -2°C in moderate to heavy snowfall with winds of approximately 10 knots. Prior to the departure, the fuel tanks were filled to capacity and the pilot and passengers boarded the aircraft inside the operator's heated hangar. The aircraft was towed outside of the hangar without being treated with anti-ice fluid, and taxied for the departure on runway 07. Due to an inbound arrival at Abbotsford, C-GIAE was delayed for departure. Once cleared for takeoff, the aircraft had been exposed to snow and freezing conditions for approximately 14 minutes. After becoming airborne, the aircraft experienced power and control issues shortly after the landing gear was retracted. The aircraft collided with terrain within the airport perimeter. Four passengers and the pilot sustained serious injuries as a result of the accident which destroyed the aircraft.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following findings:
- The occurrence aircraft exited a warm hangar and was exposed to 14 minutes of heavy snow in below-freezing conditions. This resulted in a condition highly conducive to severe ground icing,
- As the aircraft climbed out of ground effect on takeoff, it experienced an aerodynamic stall as a result of wing contamination,
- The pilot’s decision making was affected by continuation bias, which resulted in the pilot attempting a takeoff with an aircraft contaminated with ice and snow adhering to its critical surfaces,
- The pilot and the passenger seated in the right-hand crew seat were not wearing the available shoulder harnesses. As a result, they sustained serious head injuries during the impact sequence,
- During the impact sequence, the cargo restraint system used to secure the baggage in the rear baggage compartment failed, causing some of the baggage to injure passengers seated in the rear of the aircraft cabin,
- The aircraft was not airworthy at the time of the occurrence as a result of an incomplete airworthiness directive.
Final Report: