Takeoff (climb)

Shortly after takeoff from Mosby-Midwest National Air Center Airport, the twin engine airplane collided with high tension cables and crash landed in a soybean field, bursting into flames. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The crew was completing a local training flight at Chrcynno Aerodrome. After takeoff from a grassy runway, the single engine airplane went out of control and crashed onto a hangar located nearby the control tower. Two pilots were injured while a third was killed as well as five people in the hangar. Weather conditions were considered as marginal at the time of the accident with a thunderstorm passing over the area.

Shortly after takeoff, the single engine airplane went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. Both pilots were seriously injured and both passengers, an American couple, were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Tupelo Regional Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane entered a right turn then lost height and crashed near the boundary fence, bursting into flames. Both occupants were killed.

On the day of the occurrence, six Learjet flight crews of the operator involved planned to take off almost at the same time from Hohn Military Airport to different missions. The airplane involved was the third to take off. Two pilots were on board of the Learjet 35A. The Pilot Flying (PF) sat in the left-hand seat and the Pilot Monitoring (PM) in the right. It was planned to fly from Hohn to Wunstorf Military Airport and conduct several instrument approaches for training purposes of the local air traffic control personnel. At the same time, the flight was to be used as proficiency check for the pilot in the left-hand seat for his type and instrument rating for Learjet 20/30. According to the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recording, the pilots completed the Before Starting Engine checklist prior to starting the engines. A Yaw Damper check and a so-called Full Travel check of the flight controls were performed, among other things. At 1224 hrs, the right engine was started; at 1226 hrs, the left. At 1237 hrs, while still on taxiway C3, the take-off emergency briefing was performed with the words: „[…] when airborn keine [no] Items ausser [except] gear below 500 ft, continue climb, in real life accelerate to V2 plus 30, Klappen [flaps] rein, slight climb weiter auf [to] […]“. At 1238 hrs, another Learjet received take-off clearance with simulated engine failure from the Tower. That flight crew asked over the radio if the single engine take-off was approved and the Tower once again acknowledged it. After the take-off of that Learjet, the flight crew taxied with the airplane involved on the runway to Ramp 1, turned and waited for the clearance to line up on runway 26. At 1244 hrs, the flight crew received the instruction to roll on to runway 26 and wait. They completed the Line-up check and the Before Take-off check. They planned to take-off with flaps 8° and engine full thrust with N1 of 96.6%. After they had received take-off clearance at about 1247 hrs, the airplane accelerated and took off at 1247:34 hrs, according to witnesses in the area of taxiway C3, and entered climb. According to the CVR recording, after take-off the PF instructed the PM to retract the landing gear and engage the Yaw Damper. At 1247:39 hrs, the PM responded with: “Vorab verlierst du simuliert das rechte Triebwerk (in advance, you will lose the right engine)“, the PF acknowledged it by saying: “Copy, gear up“. Then the thrust of the right engine reduced, the left engine maintained the set take-off thrust. At that time, indicated speed was about 160 kt, according to the FDR. At 1247:44 hrs, the PF instructed: “Damper on”. At 1247:45 hrs, the PM answered “Jawohl (yes)”, almost at the same time the PF said quietly: “Oh shit“. At 1247:44 hrs, the PF called out loud several times: “Fuck” and at 1247:54 hrs the PM several times “Shit”. At 1247:55 hrs, the last recording was the landing gear warning generated by the airplane: “Too low“. From the PM’s announcement about the simulated engine failure at 1247:39 hrs until the impact, Hohn Tower transmitted traffic information regarding two Tornado aircraft in the vicinity and instructed the frequency change to Hohn Radar. Witnesses observed that the airplane performed a sort of snap roll and then crashed to the ground at the end of the runway. On impact, an explosive fireball occurred. The pilots suffered fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed.

Shortly after takeoff from Concepción-Mariscal Francisco Solano López Airport, while climbing, the right engine caught fire. The pilot elected to return to the airport but was unable to and eventually decided to attempt an emergency landing. The twin engine airplane belly landed in an open field, slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All five occupants escaped with minor injuries and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from Saint Augustine Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane contacted trees and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. Both occupants and their dog escaped with minor injuries. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Shortly after takeoff from runway 18 at Little Rock-Bill & Hillary Clinton (Adams Field) Airport, while in initial climb in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a wooded area located about 1,500 metres past the runway end, near a stone quarry, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all five occupants were killed. Employees of the CTEH Company, they were en route to Columbus responding to an emergency response plan. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were marginal with a visibility of 2 SM due to rain. Four minutes prior to the accident, the wind was 19 knots gusting to 27 knots and five minutes after the accident, the wind was gusting to 40 knots.

The flight was planned to depart Giramben at 12:40, and track North for Simbai Airstrip, Madang Province at 9,000 ft AMSL. According to the pilot, the aircraft was loaded by NCA ground handlers following his instructions. The manifest was completed by one of the ground handler, who stated that the aircraft was loaded by the other ground handlers while he was completing the manifest in the vehicle, due to no proper shed for him to work from. The pilot also stated that at the time the loading was completed, and the passengers had boarded the aircraft, he observed that the winds were variable, blowing directly from the North and from the East as well. Recorded data showed that the aircraft commenced taxiing at 12:44. During the take-off roll, at the expected airborne point, about 500 m down the runway, as the aircraft accelerated with the airspeed approaching 60 knots, the right wheel hit a soft spot on the strip which dramatically reduced the momentum and speed of the aircraft, as described by the pilot. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft getting airborne briefly and got back on the ground again. The pilot recalled that by the time the aircraft got back on the ground he realized that he had passed the nominated committal point, which was identified during onsite activities to be about 540 m from the threshold of runway 16. The pilot opted to continue with the take-off roll, with full power hoping that the aircraft would regain speed on the remaining part of the strip to get airborne again. The pilot recalled reaching the end of the runway and getting airborne again with an airspeed of 50 kts airborne again, however, the right wheel got caught on the barbed wire of the perimeter fence that ran across to the runway, and subsequently impacted terrain. The pilot stated that he had lost consciousness at the time of the initial impact and therefore, had no recollection from thereon. The investigation found that the aircraft got airborne about 19 m past the end of runway 16. However, the aircraft’s main landing gears got caught on the perimeter fencing wire, subsequently impacting ground about 100 m from the end of the runway, then continued with the momentum and came to rest, in a local village garden about 160 m from the end of the runway. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces. The pilot and passengers were rescued by the locals and taken to Nazarene General Hospital, Jiwaka Province, for treatment. The pilot, male adult and infant passengers sustained serious injuries, and the female passenger sustained minor injuries.

After liftoff from Nasir Airfield, the single engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It rolled to the right, impacted terrain and crashed in an open field, bursting into flames. All occupants evacuated but an elderly passenger later died from injuries sustained. The airplane was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.