Crash of a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter in Johannesburg: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 2022 at 1400 LT
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-NIT
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Johannesburg - Johannesburg
MSN:
896
YOM:
1993
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Crashed shortly after liftoff from Johannesburg-Rand Airport. All five passengers were killed and the pilot was injured.

Crash of a Piper PA-60 Aerostar (Ted Smith 600) in South Haven: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 2022 at 0800 LT
Registration:
N9784Q
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
South Haven - South Haven
MSN:
60-0416-143
YOM:
1977
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
On August 2, 2022, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Smith Aerostar 600, N9784Q, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near South Haven Area Regional Airport (LWA), South Haven, Michigan. The air transport pilot and commercial pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to a friend of the pilot, he spoke to the commercial pilot/owner on the morning of the accident. He said the commercial pilot purchased the airplane about five years ago and had been working on it since then. This was the first flight since he purchased the airplane and he planned on staying in the traffic pattern to conduct a few touch-and-go landings. He went on to say the air transport pilot had flown in to fly with the pilot. When the friend arrived at the airport, he noticed the airplane was not in the traffic pattern. After a few hours, he became concerned and assumed that the airplane landed at another airport. Later that evening, the wife of the commercial pilot called the friend and said she had not heard from her spouse. They contacted the local authorities, and reported the airplane was missing. The airplane was found the following morning. The airplane came to rest oriented on a magnetic heading of 010° in a heavily wooded area about one mile north of LWA. All major components of the airplane were still connected to the airframe and located at the accident site. The cockpit and instrument panel were destroyed by impact forces. The fuselage displayed impact and crush damage. The wings remained attached to the fuselage and displayed impact damage. An examination of the wings revealed the ailerons and flaps were still attached and displayed impact damage. Flight control push-pull tube continuity was observed from the primary flight control surfaces to the cockpit section. The empennage was separated from the fuselage and the left and right elevators remained attached to their respective horizontal stabilizer. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer and displayed impact damage. Initial examination of the engines revealed impact damage and they will be further examined once recovered. The propellers remained attached to both engine crankshaft flanges. The left propeller blades displayed aft bending. The right propeller blades displayed chordwise scoring and aft bending. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver I in Anchorage

Date & Time: Jul 26, 2022 at 0915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N9776R
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Anchorage - King Salmon
MSN:
1126
YOM:
1957
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1709
Captain / Total hours on type:
142.00
Aircraft flight hours:
16072
Circumstances:
The pilot reported that, he was departing in the float-equipped airplane in strong gusty wind conditions. After accelerating on the water for about 3 seconds, the airplane suddenly became airborne and crabbed into the wind about 60° to 90° from the intended takeoff path and started to climb as it continued to track away from the intended flight path. As the climb continued, the airplane stalled and impacted the water in a nose low attitude which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause:
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting wind conditions which resulted in the wing exceeding its critical angle of attack, a loss of control and impact with the water.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-325 Navajo in Santiago de Querétaro: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 2022 at 1220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N28DF
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Santiago de Querétaro – Morelia
MSN:
31-7812121
YOM:
1978
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Santiago de Querétaro Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed inverted in a maize field located near the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.

Crash of a Learjet 35A in Río Grande: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 2022 at 1436 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LV-BPA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Río Grande – San Fernando
MSN:
35-143
YOM:
1978
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane was returning to its base in San Fernando following an ambulance flight from Comodoro Rivadavia to Río Grande. After takeoff from Río Grande-Gobernador Ramón Trejo Noel Airport runway 26, while in initial climb, the airplane rolled to the left, nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion about 350 metres south from the runway 08 threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all four occupants were killed. A failure of the left engine after rotation is suspected.
Crew:
Claudio Canelo, pilot,
Héctor Vittore, copilot.
Passengers:
Diego Ciolfi, doctor,
Denise Torres Garcá, nurse.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76MD at Dyagilevo AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 2022 at 0305 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF-78778
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dyagilevo AFB - Belgorod
MSN:
00834 89659
YOM:
1988
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Dyagilevo AFB (Ryazan) on a night flight apparently to Belgorod, carrying nine crew members. After takeoff, the engine n°4 caught fire. The crew elected to return for an emergency landing but the aircraft went out of control and crashed about one km from the airbase, bursting into flames. Four crew members were seriously injured and five others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 in Deadmans Cay: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 2022 at 0905 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N711JW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Deadmans Cay - Nassau
MSN:
31-7712084
YOM:
1977
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
7102
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Deadmans Cay Airport Runway 09, while climbing, both engines lost power simultaneously. The airplane went out of control, impacted trees and crashed some 3 km northwest of the airfield. The airplane came to rest in bushes and was destroyed by impact forces. There was no fire. Among the seven people on board, a woman passenger was killed and six other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
The AAIA has determined the probable cause of this accident to be Loss of Power (Dual) resulting in a loss of control inflight (LOC-I), and subsequent uncontrolled flight into terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of an Airbus A319-115 in Chongqing

Date & Time: May 12, 2022 at 0804 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
B-6425
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Chongqing – Nyingchi
MSN:
5157
YOM:
2012
Flight number:
TV9833
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
113
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was departing Chongqing-Jiangbei Airport on a regular schedule service to Nyingchi, Tibet, carrying 113 passengers and a crew of nine. During the takeoff run from runway 03, the captain encountered an unexpected situation and decided to abandon the takeoff procedure. He initiated an emergency braking manoeuvre when the airplane started to deviate to the left. It veered off runway, went through a grassy area, lost its undercarriage and both engines before coming to rest on a parallel taxiway, bursting into flames. 36 occupants were injured while all others evacuated safely. The aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Cessna 208 Caravan I in Boituva: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 11, 2022 at 1213 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PT-OQR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Boituva - Boituva
MSN:
208-0219
YOM:
1992
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Boituva Aerodrome on a local skydiving mission, carrying 14 skydivers and one pilot. After takeoff, the pilot apparently encountered electrical problems and elected to return for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the aircraft collided with high tension wires, stalled and crashed inverted in a field. Two passengers were killed while all other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III in Houston

Date & Time: May 6, 2022 at 1418 LT
Operator:
Registration:
XB-FQS
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Houston – San Antonio
MSN:
421C-0085
YOM:
1976
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
4025
Captain / Total hours on type:
951.00
Aircraft flight hours:
5197
Circumstances:
The pilot reported that, before the flight, the airplane was fueled with 140 gallons of Jet A fuel. Shortly after takeoff, both engines lost total power. Because the airplane had insufficient altitude to return to the airport, the pilot executed a forced landing to a field and the left wing sustained substantial damage. A postcrash fire ensued. The investigation determined that the airplane was inadvertently fueled with Jet A fuel rather than AVGAS, which was required for the airplane’s reciprocating engines. The line service worker who fueled the airplane reported that there were no decals at the airplane fuel ports; however, postaccident examination of the airplane found that a decal specifying AVGAS was present at the right-wing fuel port. The investigation could not determine whether the same or a similar decal was present at the left-wing fuel port because the left wing was partially consumed during the postimpact fire.
Probable cause:
The fixed-base operator’s incorrect fueling of the airplane, which resulted in a total loss of power in both engines.
Final Report: