City

On February 12, 2005, at 2110 central standard time, a Twin Commander 685 twin-engine airplane, Mexican registration XB-PRS, was destroyed upon impact with the ground following a loss of control during approach near Toluca, State of Mexico, in the Republic of Mexico. The commercial pilot was seriously injured and the two passengers were fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the domestic business flight. The flight originated from Cancun, State of Quintana Roo, Mexico, approximately 1930, with the Toluca International Airport as its intended destination. According to local authorities, the 1973-model airplane, serial number 12050, destroyed one residence and damaged two others when it crashed in a residential area near the airport. There were no injuries to anyone on the ground.

When the crew departed São Paulo-Guarulhos Airport, weather conditions at destination were considered as good. These conditions deteriorated en route and when the crew started the approach to Uberaba Airport by night, the visibility was below IFR minimums. Nevertheless, the crew attempted to land, continued the approach, descended below the MDA by 240 feet when the aircraft struck two houses and crashed in the district of Conjunto Pontal, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found about 800 metres short of runway 17 threshold. Both pilots as well as one people in a house were killed.

At about the 3,000-foot marker on the 8,000-foot long runway witnesses saw the airplane at about 100 to 150-feet above the ground with the landing gear retracted when they heard a loud "bang". They said the airplane made no attempt to land on the remaining 5,000 feet of runway after the noise. The airplane continued climbing and seemed to gain a little altitude before passing the end of the runway. At that point the airplane began a right descending turn and was in a 60 to 80 degree right bank, nose low attitude when they lost sight of it. The airplane collided with the ground about 8/10 of a mile from the departure end of runway 34 in a residential area. Examination of the critical left engine found no pre-impact mechanical malfunction. Examination of the right engine found galling on all of the connecting rods. Dirt and particular contaminants were found embedded on all of the bearings, and spalling was observed on all of the cam followers. The oil suction screen was found clean, The oil filter was found contaminated with ferrous and non-ferrous small particles. The number 3 cylinder connecting rod yoke was broken on one side of the rod cap and separated into two pieces. Heavy secondary damage was noted with no signs of heat distress. Examination of the engine logbooks revealed that both engine's had been overhauled in 1986. In 1992, the airplane was registered in the Dominican Republic and the last maintenance entry indicated that the left and right engines underwent an inspection 754.3 hours since major overhaul. There were no other maintenance entries in the logbooks until the airplane was sold and moved to the United States in 2002. All three blades of the right propeller were found in the low pitch position, confirming that the pilot did not feather the right propeller as outlined in the pilot's operating handbook, under emergency procedures following a loss of engine power during takeoff.

On October 14, 2004, about 2215:06 central daylight time, Pinnacle Airlines flight 3701 (doing business as Northwest Airlink), a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, N8396A, crashed into a residential area about 2.5 miles south of Jefferson City Memorial Airport, Jefferson City, Missouri. The airplane was on a repositioning flight from Little Rock National Airport, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the flight, both engines flamed out after a pilot-induced aerodynamic stall and were unable to be restarted. The captain and the first officer were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. No one on the ground was injured.

The airplane crashed onto a street adjacent to the airport shortly after takeoff. As the airplane started its takeoff roll, it began to veer to the left off of the runway. About midway down the runway the airplane lifted off the ground and flew over a crowd of people assembled at the airport for an airport appreciation day. The airplane climbed to about 50 feet, made a steep roll to the left, flying in-between the control tower and a light pole, and crossed over the boundary fence where the left wing struck a moving vehicle before coming to rest against several parked cars. Numerous photographs (including video footage) were taken by witnesses on the airport of the airplane on the takeoff ground roll and throughout the accident sequence. The photographs clearly show a nylon strap connecting the left elevator and rudder. It was surmised that the use of the nylon strap was as a flight control/gust lock for the airplane. During the investigation, a nylon strap was observed hanging from an S-hook that was attached to the vertical stabilizer/rudder hinge attach point. The loop at the other end of the strap had come apart, and when investigators looked under the left stabilizer/elevator hinge attach area they noted a similar S-hook attached to the hinge attach area.

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.

The pilot was finishing his third round-trip, Part 135 cargo flight. The first round trip began the previous evening, about 2150, and the approach back to the origination airport resulted in a landing on runway 15R at 2305. The second approach back to the origination airport resulted in a landing on runway 28 at 0230. Prior to the third approach back to the airport, the pilot was cleared for, and acknowledged a visual approach to runway 33R twice, at 0720, and at 0721. However, instead of proceeding to the runway, the airplane flew north of it, on a westerly track consistent with a modified downwind to runway 15L. During the westerly track, the airplane descended to 700 feet. Just prior to an abeam position for runway 15L, the airplane made a "sharp" left turn back toward the southeast, and descended into the ground. Witnesses reported the airplane's movements as "swaying motions as if it were going to bank left, then right, and back left again," and "the nose...pointing up more than anything...but doing a corkscrew motion." Other witnesses reported the "wings straight up and down," and "wings vertical." Tower controllers also noted the airplane to be "low and tight," and "in an unusually nose high attitude close to the ground. It then "banked left and appeared to stall and then crashed." A post-flight examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. The pilot, who reported 6,800 hours of flight time, had also flown multiple round trips the previous two evenings. He had checked into a hotel at 0745, the morning prior to the accident flight, checked out at 1956, the same day, and reported for work about 1 hour before the first flight began.

The aircraft was completing a flight from Boende to Kinshasa, carrying 18 passengers, six crew members and a load of 672 kilos of various goods. During the takeoff roll, the captain decided to abandon the procedure and returned to the parking. A second attempt to takeoff was initiated few minutes later. During the takeoff run, at high speed, a tyre burst. The captain rejected takeoff but the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance (the runway is 1,400 metres long). It overran, struck a fence and eventually crashed in a local market. All six crew members and 14 passengers were killed as well as 13 people on the ground. Four passengers and six people on the ground suffered injuries of various degrees.

The airplane experienced an in-flight loss of control and crashed into a residential area. The flight departed VFR and when near the destination airport flew between areas with VIP Level 5 reflectivity. There was no record of a preflight weather briefing. The flight continued towards the destination airport and encountered lesser intensity reflectivity. An individual at the destination airport reported hearing an occupant of the airplane ask, "...for an advisory for the field", and "...what the weather was like." The individual at the airport advised that the winds appeared to be in favor for runway 16, which was left hand traffic, the runway was wet, and the rain seemed to be letting up. There were no further communications from the accident aircraft. A pilot-rated witness located north of the destination airport, and nearly due west of the accident site reported seeing the airplane on what he thought was final approach to runway 16, but the airplane was "very low." The witness reported the airplane made a, "sudden, sharp turn to the left [flying eastbound]." He then lost sight of the airplane and proceeded to the accident site. Another pilot-rated witness who was located in a vehicle approximately 1/4 mile west-northwest of the accident site reported observing an airplane flying from the northwest. The airplane banked to the left flying eastbound at a, "...very slow airspeed and banking and yawing left and right." While flying eastbound it appeared to him that whomever was flying the airplane was executing a go-around as evidenced by the landing gear retracting, followed by the flaps. The airplane then appeared to climb which appeared very unstable, again yawing left and right. The airplane then banked to the right, stalled, and entered a spin impacting the ground. Still another witness who was located approximately 1/10th of a nautical mile east-southeast from the accident site reported he came out of his house after the rain ended and was facing west. He saw the accident airplane from the northwest and thought it had descended lower than normal. The airplane was flying above the tops of nearby trees and while flying in a southeasterly direction, pitched up, "darn near got 90 degrees", rolled to the left, and descended straight down. He reported that he did not hear the engines, and thought he should have been able to hear them if the pilot had "revved them up." He estimated his view of the flight lasted approximately 10-15 seconds, and couldn't tell if the landing gear was extended. He did not see any smoke trailing the airplane, and after the impact he ran into his house, called 911, got into his car, and drove to the scene. He heard an explosion, and saw flames. He got to the airplane and helped rescue a passenger who was beating on the aircraft's door. The airplane descended nearly vertical in a residential area and damaged trees approximately 30 feet above ground level. A post crash fire consumed the cockpit, cabin, portions of both wings, and portions of both engines. Examination of the flight controls, both engines, propellers, and propeller governors revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. Accessories of both engines including the magnetos were destroyed by the post crash fire. Additionally, both servo fuel injectors were heat damaged which precluded bench testing. During disassembly of the right servo fuel injector, the hub stud was found separated from the hub at the fuel diaphragm. No determination was made whether this occurred during disassembly or occurred preimpact. No determination could be made as to who was operating the controls at the time of the accident.

The crew departed Boufarik AFB on a local training flight. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the crew informed ATC about an engine fire and elected to return for an emergency landing. Few seconds later, control was lost and the aircraft crashed in the district of Beni Mered, less than 2 km from the end of runway 22. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire as well as eight houses. All four crew members were killed as well as 11 people on the ground. Six other people on the ground were seriously injured.