Takeoff (climb)

Owned by SOREM, the aircraft was dispatched in Portugal and leased to OMNI - Aviação e Tecnologia for fire fighting missions. Following a scooping mission in the Aguíeira Reservoir off Chamadouro, the crew increased engine power and started a takeoff procedure when control was lost. The takeoff was abandoned but the aircraft collided with the shore and came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew already completed 15 spraying sorties successfully that day. After being refilled with a load of 1,200 kg of chemicals for the next mission, the crew started the takeoff procedure with flaps down to 20° from the middle of the runway which is 850 metres long. At a speed of about 90-100 km/h, the crew started the rotation but the aircraft failed to respond. It overran, struck an embankment located 572 metres past the runway end and crashed, bursting into flames. Both pilots were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

The North-Wright Airways Ltd. DHC-6 Twin Otter, registration C-FMOL, was departing from an approximately 1,500 foot long gravel strip at Mile 222 of the Canol Road (near the Tsichu River), Canada. The takeoff was initiated to the north and into wind. Immediately after becoming airborne, the aircraft encountered a strong right cross-wind and settled back onto the strip. The left wheel contacted willows that had overgrown the edge of the strip. The aircraft veered left into the willows at about 60 knots, and began to decelerate. Prior to flying speed being regained, the aircraft rolled off the end of the strip and come to rest in a shallow creek. The right wing partially separated from the fuselage at impact and the forward fuselage, nose gear and right main gear sustained substantial damage. The pilot and first officer were uninjured. The purpose of the trip was to move hunting gear and outfitter supplies back to an airstrip at Mile 170 of the Canol Road (Godlin Lake). The aircraft was at or near gross weight at the time of the occurrence.

On July 2, 2004, at 1338 eastern standard time, a U.S. registered Westwind model 1124 corporate jet, N280AT, operated by Air Trek, Inc., as a Part 135 commercial air ambulance flight, impacted terrain and crashed into a building after departing from the Tocumen International Airport (MPTY), Tocumen, Panama. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post-crash fire. All six occupants on the airplane were fatally injured. A seventh person was also fatally injured on the ground. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Quito, Ecuador, and stopped in Tocumen for fuel. The flight was destined for Milan, Italy, via another fuel and crew-change stop at the Dulles International Airport, near Washington, DC. According to the operator, the airplane was flown with the two pilots and two flight nurses from Punta Gorda, Florida, to Guayaquil, Ecuador, on July 1, 2004. The airplane was refueled with 450 gallons of Jet A upon arrival, and remained overnight. On July 2, 2004, the airplane was fueled with an additional 150 gallons of Jet A, and subsequently departed for Quito, Ecuador. Upon arriving in Quito, two passengers were boarded, and the flight departed for Panama, where it would be refueled. The airplane was not fueled during the stop in Quito. According to the Panama Autoridad Aeronautica Civil, the flight landed in Panama uneventfully, and proceeded to the north ramp at the main terminal. The flightcrew requested from ground service personnel that the airplane be refueled with 600 gallons of Jet A. The flightcrew specifically requested that 500 gallons of fuel be added utilizing the pressure point fueling station, and 100 gallons be added to the auxiliary tank, utilizing a gravity filler port. After refueling, the airplane was started and taxied to runway 03L. An air traffic controller observed the airplane as it began to takeoff. He recalled that, "It pitched up vertically, the nose then lowered, and the wings rocked side to side. The airplane then veered to the right and descended out of view." A witness, who was located north of the accident site, observed the airplane veering to the right, before descending from his view. The airplane impacted the ground on taxiway Hotel, north of taxiway Bravo, and a fire ensued. The right wing and right engine separated from the fuselage and fragmented into multiple pieces. The vertical stabilizer impacted the ground, and separated from the fuselage. The main fuselage, left wing, and left engine continued across a grass field, where it struck an airport worker, and impacted a concrete wall. The airplane continued through the wall, and came to rest inverted inside a building. Airport crash fire and rescue responded to the accident, and contained the post crash fire within 3 minutes. The wreckage path was oriented on a heading of about 80 degrees. Ground scars on the taxiway were consistent with the right wing tip tank impacting the taxiway surface with the airplane in a nose high attitude, banked 90 degrees to the horizon. The scars continued forward, with the airplane rolling onto its back, collapsing the vertical stabilizer. About 35 feet beyond the vertical stabilizer impact point, scars were observed from the left tip tank. Debris from the cockpit and forward cabin area was observed in the grass area along the wreckage path. Airport personnel tested the fuel truck used to refuel the airplane for contamination after the accident. No abnormalities were noted. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was forwarded to the National Transportation Safety Board, Washington, D.C. for further review. The left and right engines, the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator, and the airplane's annunciator warning panel, were also retained for further examination.

The twin-engine airplane was damaged during a precautionary landing following a reported loss of power to the right engine on takeoff. The pilot reported that the right engine lost power as the landing gear was retracting after takeoff. He stated that he elected to land the airplane on the remaining runway and selected gear down. The pilot stated, "I then flew the aircraft maintaining directional control and landed on runway 24 however due to the short time between selecting gear down and landing the landing gear had not extended and the aircraft landed gear up." No anomalies were found with respect to the right engine or fuel controls during the on-scene or follow-up examination. Examination of the right propeller indicated that it was not in the feather position. The pilot reported that the autofeather system did not engage. The airplane came to rest on the runway with approximately 2000 feet of the runway surface remaining.

The aircraft was refuelled to capacity at Polokwane Airport, South Africa on 28 June 2004 with 1750 litres of Jet A1 fuel where after it flew to São Sebastião, near Vilanculos, Mozambique. Later the day on 28 June 2004 the crew attempted to take off on a non-scheduled flight from Sao Sebastiao (near Vilanculos) to Vilanculos Airport (VNX). The purpose of the fight was to airlift an injured man to a hospital at an unknown destination. The crew did not use the full runway length available but attempted the takeoff run with only 870ft (265 m) of runway available. The aircraft failed to become airborne and overran the runway, colliding with a sandbank, the perimeter fence and trees and erupted in fire. Calculations, using the takeoff performance graphs in the POH (Pilot Operating Handbook), showed that the aircraft would have required a ground roll distance of 2000 ft (610 m) with 40° flap and 2100 ft (640 m) with no flap selected.

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft collided with a flock of birds. Engines n°3 & 4 failed and the crew elected to make an emergency landing in an open field. The aircraft crash landed in a field and came to rest, bursting into flames. All five occupants were injured along with a young boy in the nearby field.

After takeoff from Moscow-Myashkovo Airport runway 06, while climbing, the left engine failed. The aircraft lost height then struck the roof of a house and crashed in the residential area of Zaozerye located 2,5 km from the airport, three minutes after takeoff. Two occupants were seriously injured while three others were killed. Few hours later, one of the survivor died from his injuries, thus a passenger was the only survivor. This model was the last LI-2 airworthy in the world.

Following technical problems, a DC-3 operated by Viarco diverted to Las Gaviotas Airport and was grounded. The operator send a second aircraft to Las Gaviotas to pick up the passengers. Shortly after takeoff from runway 24, while in initial climb, the right engine failed and caught fire. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. All 20 occupants were injured, six seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

The single engine aircraft departed Kyzylorda on a charter flight to the island of Vozrozhdeniya with an intermediate stop in Bozoy, carrying 10 doctors and two pilots. They were taking part to a plague control program. After takeoff from Bozoy, while climbing to a height of about 50 metres, the aircraft stalled and crashed in an open field. All 12 occupants were rescued, among them three passengers were seriously injured. Few hours later, one of them died from his injuries.