Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

A 748 Air Services Hawker Siddeley Andover aircraft departed Lokichoggio Airport (LKG) at 08:40 hours for Boma, Southern Sudan. After Boma, the aircraft landed at Torit (HSTR) then Natinga, all in Southern Sudan, before proceeding back to Lokichoggio. The aircraft joined long final from the west of the airfield and was given instructions to land on runway 09. As soon as the aircraft touched down, the propellers struck the runway surface for some distance then the aircraft veered off the centerline to the left and came to a stop. The captain, the first officer and the loadmaster evacuated themselves. They were not injured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, blocking Lokichoggio's single 1800-metre runway 09/27. Three other light aircraft, a Dornier 228, an Antonov 28 and a Cessna 208, landed safely at the airfield on runway 27 after the HS-748 accident. Two Antonov 12 aircraft inbound to Lokichoggio from Torit, Southern Sudan, diverted to Juba upon getting information of the runway obstruction. Transafrik Hercules S9-BAS, flying for the United Nations World Food Programme, contacted Lokichoggio Tower at 14:30 hours. The aircraft was returning from a food air drop at Motot, Southern Sudan. The pilot was advised to divert to Eldoret International Airport but he opted to land at Lokichoggio. The Tower cleared the Hercules to land on runway 27 at the pilot’s discretion. The aircraft made a very heavy landing short of the runway and the top centre fuselage broke. The aircraft came to a stop about one kilometre from the touchdown point. Shortly before coming to a halt, the aircraft impacted the HS 748 with its right wing tip. The captain, the first officer, the flight engineer and the two loadmasters evacuated themselves safely.

During the approach, the flightcrew was unable to get the right main landing gear extended and locked. After several attempts, while conferring with the checklist and company personnel, the flightcrew performed an emergency landing with the unsafe landing gear indication. During the landing, the right main landing gear slowly collapsed, and the airplane came to rest off the right side of the runway. Examination of the right main landing gear revealed that the retract actuator fitting was secured with two fasteners, a smaller bolt, and a larger bolt. The nut and cotter key were not recovered with the smaller bolt, and 8 of the 12 threads on the smaller bolt were stripped consistent with an overstress pulling of the nut away from the bolt. The larger bolt was bent and separated near the head, consistent with a tension and overstress separation as a result of the smaller bolt failure. The overstress failures were consistent with the right main landing gear not being locked in the extended position when aircraft weight was applied; however, examination of the right main landing gear down lock system could not determine any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. Further, the right main landing gear retract actuator was tomography scanned, and no anomalies were noted. The unit was then functionally tested at the manufacturer's facility, under the supervision of an FAA inspector. The unit tested successfully, with no anomalies noted.

The aircraft, chartered by the Colombian Army, was completing a special flight from Miraflores to Villavicencio with an intermediate stop in San José del Guaviare, carrying three crew members and a certain number of soldiers (around 25 but the exact number could not be confirmed). Shortly after takeoff from runway 20, while in initial climb, the left engine caught fire. The crew elected to return for an emergency landing and initiated a right turn when smoke entered the cabin. Shortly later, the left main gear detached and as the speed dropped, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 2 km from the airport. All occupants were rescued, some were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

The purpose of the flight was for the second pilot to perform an evaluation of the first pilot, who was recently designated by the operator as a backup pilot. Following several successful flights with and without passengers, the pilots discussed single engine operations, and the first pilot reduced the right engine's power to flight idle and feathered the propeller. During the final leg of the approach to landing, the airplane crossed over a fence near the runway threshold, and the first pilot pitched the airplane downward. The nose landing gear contacted the runway "hard," and the airplane began to bounce. After several bounces, the first pilot elected to abort the landing, increased power on the left engine to "full." As the first pilot pitched the airplane upward, it yawed to the right, "stalled," and impacted the ground.

Shortly after takeoff from Zacapa Airport, the crew encountered technical problems when the aircraft stalled and crashed on a small hill. All 17 occupants were rescued and the aircraft was destroyed.

During the takeoff roll at Khartoum-Haj Yusuf Airport, the left engine caught fire and exploded. The captain rejected takeoff and initiated an emergency braking procedure. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and came to rest few dozen metres past the runway end, bursting into flames. Three passengers were killed while all other occupants were rescued. The following day, four survivors including a stewardess, died from their injuries.

During takeoff from the departure airport, as the pilot advanced the throttles, the aircraft made a "sudden turn to the right." The pilot successfully aborted the takeoff, performed an engine run-up, and then took off without incident. The pilot experienced no anomalies during the second takeoff or the flight to the destination airport. As he reduced the power while in the traffic pattern, at the destination airport, the left engine accelerated to 60 percent power. The pilot reported to the tower that he had "one engine surging and another engine that seems like I lost control or speed." The pilot advanced and retarded the throttles and the engines responded appropriately, so he continued the approach. As the pilot flared the airplane for landing, the left engine surged to 65 percent power with the throttle lever in the "idle" position. The airplane immediately turned to the right; the right wing dropped and impacted the ground. Disassembly of the engines revealed no anomalies to account for surging, or for an uncommanded increase in power or lack of throttle response. Functional testing of the fuel control units and fuel pumps revealed the flight idle fuel flow rate was 237 and 312 pounds per hour (pph), for the left and right engines, respectively. These figures were higher than the new production specification of 214 pph. According to the manufacturer, flight idle fuel flow impacts thrust produced when the power levers are set to the flight idle position and differences in fuel flow can result in an asymmetrical thrust condition.

Witnesses observed the aircraft perform a rolling takeoff and it was airborne by the crossing runway (1,300 feet down the 6,600 foot runway). The aircraft entered an approximate 40 degree nose high climb rate to about 1,000 feet. The aircraft then entered a steep left hand banking turn. The nose dropped and the aircraft rotated up to about 4 times before colliding with the flat terrain adjacent to the departure end of the runway threshold. On site documentation of the airframe found no evidence of a flight control malfunction. An engine examination and teardown found that the gearbox section of the left engine experienced a high cycle fatigue failure of the high speed pinion journal bearing oil supply tube and subsequent degradation of the high speed pinion journal bearings. This failure resulted in a partial power loss to the left engine. The pilot had recently purchased this aircraft and he had accumulated approximately 11 hours since the purchase. The pilot had stated to personnel at the place where he purchased the aircraft that he had not received, nor did he need recurrent training in this aircraft as he had several thousand hours in the aircraft. Flight logs provided by the family indicated that the pilot had accumulated about 551 hours in a Mitsubishi, however, the last time that the pilot had flown this make and model was 14 years prior to the accident. Logbook entries indicated that only a few hours of flight time had been accumulated in all aircraft during the approximately 2 years prior to the accident. Personnel that flew with the pilot in the make and model aircraft involved in the accident described the pilot as "proficiency lacking." Normal takeoff calculations for the aircraft with the flaps configured to 5 degrees, indicated a ground run of 2,900 feet, with a rotation speed of 106 KCAS, and 125 KCAS for the climb out. A maximum pitch attitude of 13 degrees maximum is indicated. Performance calculations indicated that the aircraft was capable of lifting off where the witnesses observed and climbing to 1,000 feet agl by the end of the runway. To achieve this performance the aircraft would have rotated at approximately 84 KCAS and climbed at an airspeed below Vmc (100 KCAS) and close to power-off stall speed (86 KCAS) with 5 degrees of flaps. The airplane's flight manual indicated that if an engine failure occurs in the takeoff climb and the landing gear is fully retracted, the emergency procedures is to maintain 140 KCAS, flaps to 5 degrees, the failed engine condition lever to EMERGENCY STOP, and failed engine power lever to TAKEOFF. On site documentation found the left side condition lever in the takeoff/land position and the power lever was found half-way between takeoff and flight idle.

Aircraft lost power on both engines while on approach to Moscow-Vnukovo airport. The crew decided to divert to Sheremetievo Airport when the undercarriage collapsed on landing. The aircraft veered off runway and slid in a grassy area before coming to rest. Nobody was injured but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft was dispatched in Mongu where the crew delivered foods to a drought-stricken part of Zambia. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. All 13 occupants were killed.