Crash of a Dornier DO228-201 in Paros

Date & Time: May 2, 1997 at 1722 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SX-BHG
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Athens - Paros
MSN:
8061
YOM:
1985
Flight number:
ML074
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Paros Island Airport, the twin engine aircraft nosed down, lost height and struck the ground 1,3 metre short of runway threshold. On impact, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft slid for 166 metres before coming to rest on the runway. All 20 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 31A in Bronson Creek

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1997 at 1710 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-FTPA
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wrangell - Bronson Creek
MSN:
13157
YOM:
1953
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon touchdown at Bronson Creek Airport, the right main gear collapsed. The right wing struck the runway surface and out of control, the aircraft veered off runway and came to rest in a grassy area. All three occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the bolts attaching the right horizontal gear support to the main wheel failed upon landing.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-425 Pressurized Navajo in Reykjavik

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1997
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
OY-AUT
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Reykjavik – Sondreströmfjord
MSN:
31-7400183
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Reykjavik Airport, while cruising over Eyjafjallajökull, the pilote declared an emergency following the failure of the left engine. He was cleared to return to Reykjavik and was vectored for an approach to runway 14. On final, he encountered strong winds when the aircraft banked left then stalled and crashed 200 metres short of runway. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot escaped uninjured. At the time of the accident, the wind was gusting from 100°-130° up to 35 knots.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Beechcraft 65-A90 King Air in West Jordan

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1997 at 1320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N616AS
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
West Jordan - West Jordan
MSN:
LJ-160
YOM:
1966
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2000
Captain / Total hours on type:
15.00
Aircraft flight hours:
1101
Circumstances:
The pilot stated that after parachutists egressed from the airplane, he returned to the airport and found that he did not have a green down-and-locked indication for the left main landing gear. He stated that he executed emergency procedures and did two fly-bys over the runway. Ground personnel stated that the landing gear appeared to be down-and-locked. During the landing roll, the airplane began to slide side-ways, and the right main landing gear began to collapse and eventually separated from the airplane. The left main gear also collapsed as the airplane slid to a stop. After the accident, the upper torque knee on the left main landing gear was found broken. The failure mode of the upper torque knee was not determined.
Probable cause:
Landing gear collapsed for undetermined reasons.
Final Report:

Crash of a BAe ATP in Tanjung Pandan: 15 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1997 at 0739 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PK-MTX
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Jakarta - Tanjung Pandan
MSN:
2048
YOM:
1992
Flight number:
MZ106
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
48
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
On final approach to Tanjung Pandan-Buluh Tumbang Airport runway 36, at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the aircraft rolled to the left to angle of 80°, lost height and crashed in a coconut grove located about 1,500 metres short of runway. Fifteen occupants were killed, among them four crew members, while all other occupants were rescued.
Probable cause:
For unknown reasons, the left engine failed on approach and its propeller was feathered when control was lost.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Niamey: 14 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1997
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
5U-MBD
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lomé - Niamey
MSN:
4829
YOM:
1979
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
While approaching Niamey Airport, the aircraft went out of control and crashed near the village of Sorey, about 10 km southeast of the airport, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed and all 14 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was reported that two engines were on fire when control was lost on approach.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Brazzaville: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1997
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D2-TFP
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Brazzaville - Luanda
MSN:
10424
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff from runway 06, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and sank back on the runway. It skidded for few dozen metres, overran and came to rest 300 metres further, bursting into flames. Three crew members were killed while four others were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the cargo was not properly stored in the in the cargo compartment and that the CofG was aft the limit. The assumption that the cargo shifted at rotation was not ruled out.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B in Verkhnevilyuisk

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1997 at 1132 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
RA-11122
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Novosibirsk - Verkhnevilyuisk
MSN:
02 348 104
YOM:
1972
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On landing at Verkhnevilyuisk, the aircraft touched down late on an unpaved runway, bounced twice, landed firmly 777 metres past the runway threshold. Unable to stop within the remaining distance (runway is 1,800 metres long), it overran and collided with obstacles. All five crew escaped unhurt while one passenger was injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the total weight of the aircraft was 12,5 tons above max landing weight, which affected the landing capabilities.

Crash of a Douglas DC-9-51 in Abidjan

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1997 at 1350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9G-ACM
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Accra - Abidjan
MSN:
47755
YOM:
1978
Flight number:
GH560
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
97
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Accra-Kotoka Airport, the crew started the descent to Abidjan-Félix Houphouët-Boigny Airport in poor weather conditions. Due to heavy rain falls, the horizontal visibility did not exceed 2 km and on final, the captain decided to initiate a go-around procedure. Few minutes later, the crew started a second approach to runway 21, established on the ILS but continued the approach above the glide. This caused the aircraft to land 900 metres past the runway threshold. On a wet runway surface, the aircraft skidded and veered off runway to the left. While contacting soft ground, the aircraft lost its undercarriage and came to rest 1,800 metres past the runway threshold. All 104 occupants were evacuated, among them three passengers were slightly injured. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor with heavy rain falls and wind from 110 gusting at 25 knots.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Wainwright: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1997 at 2030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N408GV
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Barrow - Wainwright
MSN:
208B-0455
YOM:
1995
Flight number:
HAG502
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
3660
Captain / Total hours on type:
60.00
Aircraft flight hours:
1700
Circumstances:
The pilot had contacted the FSS 11 times on the day of the accident to obtain weather briefings. The conditions were below VFR minimums, which were required to conduct the passenger carrying commercial flight in a single-engine airplane. The conditions later improved and the pilot departed under a special VFR clearance. The pilot performed two approaches at the destination airport in IMC that were consistent with the two GPS approaches that were available there. Weather data and witnesses indicate that daylight conditions, low clouds and poor visibility prevailed, with cloud tops at 1,000 feet. After the second approach, the pilot radioed that he was heading back to the departure airport because he could not see the airport. No distress calls or unusual engine noises were heard. The airplane subsequently flew north of the airport and away from the departure airport at an altitude beneath the minimum radar coverage of 2,200 feet. It impacted the frozen Arctic Ocean in a right bank and at a 60-degree nose-down attitude about three miles away from the location of the pilot's last radio transmission. An examination of the airplane (before it sank through cracking ice) revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. An examination of the propeller revealed that it was under a power setting consistent with a maneuvering airspeed at the time of impact. An examination of the autopilot annunciator filament revealed that the autopilot was not engaged at impact. The airplane was nearly full of fuel and over its published maximum gross weight at impact. Small pieces of clear ice, about 1/4-inch thick, were found on portions of the tail surfaces. Interviews with operator employees and the pilot's wife revealed that the pilot may have felt pressure from himself and passengers to complete the flight.
Probable cause:
The pilot's intentional VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the weather conditions.
Final Report: