Crash of a Beechcraft 60 Duke in Erie: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1989 at 1201 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 60 Duke
Operator:
Automation Devices
Registration:
N478AD
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Erie - Erie
MSN:
P-59
YOM:
1969
Location:
Erie
Pennsylvania
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
3100
Captain / Total hours on type:
2100.00
Circumstances:
The pilot departed on a local VFR flight at 1117. At 1154 he contacted Erie tower for landing. He then advised the tower at 1159 that he had feathered the right engine. One minute later he reported that the left engine was '...kicking out.' The aircraft stalled into a house 6 miles from the airport, and just short of the shoreline of Lake Erie. No fuel was found in the right wing. 7 gallons were drained from the left wing; no fuel was found in the left engine. Right fuel quantity c/b secured in out position by wire tie; several burned components found on back of right fuel quantity gage pc board. Most recent record of fuel purchase which could be found was for May 25, 1989. A pocket diary was found in the wreckage which contained entries of flight times and fuel quantity notations. The accident occurred at 155 Euclide Avenue, Erie, about six miles east of runway 24 threshold. Both occupants were killed.
Pilot:
Floyd E. Smith.
Passenger:
Elwood Graham.
Probable cause:
The pilot's failure to assure that the aircraft had an adequate supply of fuel on board for the intended flight. Contributing factors to the accident were an inoperative right fuel quantity gage which resulted in inaccurate fuel consumption calculations, and an inadvertent stall as the pilot attempted to reach a lake shore for an emergency landing.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 402B in Little Rock: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1989 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 402
Operator:
Springdale Air Service
Registration:
N6382X
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Little Rock - Springdale
MSN:
402B-1345
YOM:
1978
Location:
Little Rock
Arkansas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
10000
Captain / Total hours on type:
1000.00
Circumstances:
The passenger sitting in the copilot's seat stated that she saw fire coming from the right wing and engine area. She stated that she could see a bright 'glow' beneath the skin of the wing. The pilot made a forced landing on a freeway and the aircraft struck a light pole on the highway median. Heavy fire damage was found in the aft portion of the right engine nacelle and right flap assembly. In addition, heavy fire and soot were evident in the interior of the right wing assembly. The passenger was seriously injured and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
A leak in the aircraft's fuel system which resulted in an in-flight fire. The origin of the fuel leak was not determined.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 404 Titan II in Banjarmasin: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 404 Titan
Operator:
Registration:
PK-KCC
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
MSN:
404-0077
YOM:
1977
Location:
Banjarmasin-Syamsudin Noor
South Kalimantan
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On final approach to Banjarmasin-Syamsudin Noor Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft struck the roof of a house and crashed in a residential area located few hundred meters short of runway. The aircraft and several houses were destroyed. Three passengers were killed while four other occupants as well as 15 people on the ground were injured.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-62M in Havana: 171 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1989 at 1857 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-62
Operator:
Registration:
CU-T1281
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Havana - Cologne - Milan
MSN:
3850453
YOM:
1989
Flight number:
CU9646
Location:
Havana-José Martí (Rancho Boyeros)
La Habana
Country:
Cuba
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
115
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
171
Captain / Total flying hours:
13000
Captain / Total hours on type:
4761.00
Aircraft flight hours:
1326
Aircraft flight cycles:
254
Circumstances:
Flight CU9646 was a charter flight from Havana to Milan with an intermediate stop in Cologne, carrying Italian tourists. One hour before takeoff, a low pressure zone was located about nine km from the airport of Havana with winds up to 40 km/h. The wind force increased during the last minutes prior to takeoff and the captain decided to takeoff despite unsafe conditions. After takeoff from runway 05, while in initial climb, gear was raised and the crew selected flaps from 30° to 15°. The aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height, struck elements of the ILS antenna located 220 meters past the runway end, struck a hill and crashed in a residential area. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and several houses and buildings were destroyed. Among the 126 occupants, a men aged 22 was seriously injured while all 125 other occupants were killed as well as 45 people on the ground. Eight days later, the only survivor died from his injuries. At least 59 people on the ground were injured. It was determined that wind was gusting up to 100 km/h at the time of the accident with downdrafts and windshear located in the climb path.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- The existence of an adverse atmospheric phenomenon of windshear at low altitude, of which existence the captain did not know,
- An unwise decision of the pilot in command to not postpone the takeoff given the existing weather conditions near the airfield.

Crash of a Douglas DC-10-30 in Tripoli: 81 killed

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1989 at 0725 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-10
Operator:
Registration:
HL7328
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Seoul - Bangkok - Jeddah - Tripoli
MSN:
47887
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
KE803
Location:
Tripoli
Tripoli (طرابلس)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
18
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
181
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
111
Aircraft flight hours:
49025
Aircraft flight cycles:
11440
Circumstances:
The approach to Tripoli Intl Airport was completed in below weather minima as the visibility was varying between 100 and 800 feet and the ILS on runway 27 was unserviceable. On short final, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft struck the roof of a house, stalled and crashed in a residential area located 2,4 km short of runway. Three crew members and 72 passengers were killed as well as six people on the ground. 124 people in the aircraft were injured as well as few dozen on the ground.
Probable cause:
The crew decided to continue the descent below the glide until the aircraft struck obstacles and crashed. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Lack of visibility due to foggy conditions,
- Below minima weather conditions,
- The crew failed to initiate a go-around while he did not establish a visual contact with the runway,
- The ILS system for runway 27 was unserviceable,
- The crew failed to follow the approach procedures,
- The crew ignored ATC warnings,
- The approach speed was excessive and the flaps were not deployed in the correct angle,
- The crew of a Russian aircraft diverted to Malta an hour before the accident due to unsafe landing conditions.

Crash of a Cessna 404 Titan II in Kaohsiung: 13 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1989 at 0906 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 404 Titan
Operator:
Registration:
B-12206
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Kaohsiung – Wangan
MSN:
404-0418
YOM:
1978
Location:
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung City (高雄市)
Country:
Taiwan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Kaohsiung Airport, while in initial climb, the crew encountered engine troubles. The airplane stalled and crashed in a residential area near the airport, bursting into flames. A passenger was injured while 12 other occupants were killed as well as one people on the ground.
Probable cause:
Engine trouble for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter in Kuala Lumpur: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter)
Operator:
Registration:
9M-PSJ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Kuala Lumpur - Kuala Lumpur
MSN:
854
YOM:
1986
Location:
Kuala Lumpur-Subang-Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah
Selangor
Country:
Malaysia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was engaged in a survey flight, carrying five passengers and one pilot. En route, unknown technical problems forced the crew to return to Kuala Lumpur-Subang Airport when the aircraft crashed on a car near the airport. All six occupants were killed while there was no casualties on ground.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Seshenovo: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1989
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70225
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
MSN:
1G138-43
YOM:
1972
Location:
Seshenovo
Nizhny Novgorod oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was carrying three passengers and two pilots and was engaged in a local demonstration flight in Seshenovo. The occupant were supposed to drop leaflets to celebrate the 1st of May. The crew descended too low when the aircraft encountered strong winds, struck trees and crashed in flames in a square. The aircraft was destroyed by fire and all five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew was intoxicated at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 11R in Barranquilla: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle
Operator:
Registration:
HK-3325X
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Barranquilla – Bogotá
MSN:
215
YOM:
1967
Location:
Barranquilla-Ernesto Cortissoz (ex Soledad)
Atlántico
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a cargo flight from Barranquilla to Bogotá, carrying various goods including meat and a car. Just after liftoff, while in initial climb, the cargo shifted and the aircraft got a nose up attitude. With an excessive angle of attack, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a residential area near the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants as well as two people on the ground were killed. Eleven other people on the ground were injured.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the cargo was not properly secured in the cargo compartment.

Crash of a Boeing 707-349C in São Paulo: 25 killed

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1989 at 1155 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 707
Operator:
Registration:
PT-TCS
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Manaus – São Paulo
MSN:
19354
YOM:
1966
Flight number:
TR801
Location:
São Paulo-Guarulhos
São Paulo
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Captain / Total flying hours:
10731
Captain / Total hours on type:
1458.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2265
Copilot / Total hours on type:
21
Aircraft flight hours:
61053
Circumstances:
The crew (one captain under training, one instructor and one flight engineer) was completing a cargo flight from Manaus to São Paulo and the aircraft was carrying a load of 26 tons of electronic equipments. Initially cleared for an approach to runway 09L, the crew was instructed to change to runway 09R as runway 09L was blocked by an aircraft. The crew was aware of a notam saying that runway 09R would be closed to all traffic starting 1200LT due to maintenance. In such conditions, the instructor rushed the approach procedure, interrupted the instruction to the captain under supervision and commanded flaps and speed brake at the same time, causing the aircraft to descend. The left wing struck the roof of a house then crashed in a residential area located about 2,7 km short of runway, bursting into flames. All three crew members and 22 people on the ground were killed. 47 other people on the ground were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors (findings):
- The imminent interruption of operations in the aerodrome that would be used for landing the aircraft (closure of runway 09R due to works) stimulated the instructor to make a hurried descent, characterizing a potential state of anxiety,
- Probable crew fatigue,
- The instruction given to the pilot was discontinued and the local flight did not comply with the minima provided in RAC 3211,
- The failures found in the instruction were due to poor supervision of the Company's operations sector,
- Poor crew coordination,
- During the descent procedure when working checklist, the instructor broke the sequence of standardized procedures, thus stopping the instruction and consequently, the student's core handling of the flight,
- The instructor, without the student being informed beforehand, commanded the flaps together with the speed brakes. This action configured an abnormal attitude that contributed, without the pilots identifying, to the loss of control of the aircraft,
- The flight engineer also failed to meet the checklist items,
- The instructor did not follow the standardization of the instruction, when he executed a decision in a hurry,
- The crew did not respond to the sinking and pull up warnings,
- Error in the application of flight controls,
- The crew did not operate in accordance with the operational standard issued by the manufacturer and endorsed by the company,
- The air traffic controller contributed to the increase of the crew anxiety level by using non standard phraseology.
Final Report:
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