Crash of a Lockheed P-3C-130-LO Orion off Masirah Island

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1995
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
158217
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Masirah - Masirah
MSN:
185-5562
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While completing a maritime survey flight off Masirah Island, the crew encountered technical difficulties when the propeller detached from the engine n°4 that caught fire. Shortly later, the engine n°3 lost power then engine n°1 & 2 also lost power and failed. The aircraft lost height but the crew was able to regain control at 2,500 feet and eventually ditched the aircraft 8 km offshore. All 11 occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Beechcraft E18S off Walker's Cay

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1995 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N8111
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fort Lauderdale - Walker's Cay
MSN:
BA-113
YOM:
1955
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following a wrong approach configuration, the twin engine aircraft landed too far down the runway at Walker's Cay Airfield. After touchdown, the pilot realized his mistake and initiated a go-around procedure. He asked the passenger seating on the right seat (a pilot rated passenger) to retract the flaps. Mistakenly, the passenger raised the landing gear instead. The aircraft sank on its belly, causing both propellers to struck the runway surface. The aircraft caught fire and the pilot elected to continue. During initial climb, he eventually ditched the airplane few dozen metres offshore. Both occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3C in Lake Bondesir

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1995
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GCXD
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
14167/25612
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taking off from the icy Lake Bondésir, the left ski struck an ice ridge on the ground. The main gear/ski collapsed and the aircraft came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 in the Pacific Ocean

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1995 at 0515 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N37ST
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oakland – Honolulu – Majuro – Suva – Auckland
MSN:
207
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1100
Captain / Total hours on type:
200.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed overweight for a 17-hour ferry flight. Early in the flight the crew experienced some fuel problems and decided to continue when they resolved the problem. The crew indicated the en route winds were close to forecast. The ferry fuel system is a simple 5- tank gravity fuel feed into the fore and aft main tanks. About 6 hours from destination, they realized the ferry tanks were not flowing into the main tanks as planned. They began manually transferring fuel from the rear ferry tank to the forward ferry tank, and shut down the right engine to reduce fuel consumption. This did not stop the negative fuel flow from the main tanks. At the time of ditching, the crew estimated the fuel remaining in the ferry tanks was about 170 gallons, most of which was in the 3 aft ferry tanks. An aero engineer calculated that the aircraft was at least 10 inches behind the maximum aft cg at the time of ditching, and suggested that the ferry fuel system was not managed to maintain the cg within the allowable limits, a task made more difficult with the rear fuselage cargo.
Probable cause:
Intentional ditching due to the flightcrew's failure to properly manage the fuel system, and operation of the airplane in an excessively overweight condition.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-DL in Lake Manitou

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1995
Operator:
Registration:
C-FDTT
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mingan - Lake Manitou
MSN:
14170/25615
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing, one of the ski struck an ice ridge on the ground and cartwheeled. All three crew members escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Shin Meiwa US-1A off Oki Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1995
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9080
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2010
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in the sea few hundred metres off Oki Island while completing a training flight. Two crew members were rescued while 10 others were killed.

Crash of a Learjet 35 off Masset: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1995 at 0149 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GPUN
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Vancouver - Masset
MSN:
35-058
YOM:
1976
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
4550
Captain / Total hours on type:
2550.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2880
Copilot / Total hours on type:
61
Aircraft flight hours:
11676
Circumstances:
On 11 January 1995, at 0035 Pacific standard time (PST), the twin-engine Learjet 35 departed Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia, on a night, instrument flight rules (IFR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) flight to the Masset aerodrome, on the northern end of the Queen Charlotte Islands. On board the Learjet were a flight crew of two pilots, and a medical team consisting of two attendants and a doctor. Their mission was to evacuate a patient from Masset and deliver her to Prince Rupert for treatment; the aircraft was then to return to Vancouver. The flight-planned route was at flight level (FL) 390, direct to Sandspit then direct to Masset. Following routine communications with Air Traffic Services (ATS), at about 0144, the aircraft reported "outbound" from the Masset non-directional beacon (NDB) on the published NDB "A" instrument approach procedure to runway 12. Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar, situated near Sandspit, tracked the aircraft as it flew the approach. Radar data shows that the aircraft began a descent about 10 seconds after it had completed the procedure turn and was established on the final inbound approach track. Forty-three seconds later, at a point 8.8 nautical miles (nm) from the threshold of runway 12 and on the final, inbound track, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Department of National Defence (DND) Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft began searching the area shortly after the aircraft was declared missing, and were later assisted by other private and military aircraft and vessels. On the second day of the search, flotsam from the aircraft was found in the area. Extensive underwater searching using sonar and underwater cameras found the aircraft wreckage on 31 January 1995, in 260 feet of water, near the last known position. The aircraft had been destroyed. The bodies of two occupants were found several days after the accident, but the other three occupants have not been found and are presumed to have been fatally injured. The accident occurred at latitude 54/08NN and longitude 131/58NW, at about 0149 PST, during the hours of darkness in unknown weather conditions.
Probable cause:
The crew most likely conducted the instrument approach with reference to an unintentionally mis-set altimeter of 30.17 in. Hg, and unknowingly flew the aircraft into the water. The circumstances leading to the incorrect altimeter setting could not be determined, nor was it determined why the crew did not detect the mis-set altimeter.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 off Rinca Island: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1995
Operator:
Registration:
PK-NUK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bima - Ruteng
MSN:
390
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
MZ6715
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
En route from Bima to Ruteng, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed in the Molo Strait off Rinca Island. All 14 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2B-20 Islander in the Pacific Ocean

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1994 at 1548 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N16VM
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Majuro - Honolulu
MSN:
2204
YOM:
1989
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
9900
Captain / Total hours on type:
150.00
Aircraft flight hours:
2359
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was supposed to ferry the aircraft from Majuro, Marshall Islands, to Honolulu, Hawaii. About two hours into the flight, while cruising at the altitude of 7,000 feet, the pilot informed ATC about engine problems and decided to return to Majuro. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the pilot was forced to ditch the aircraft about 320 km northeast of Majuro Atoll. A pilot who was flying in a second aircraft was able to give the exact position and the pilot was rescued 20 hours later. The aircraft sank and was not recovered.
Probable cause:
The left engine failed in flight for unknown reasons and the pilot was forced to feather its propeller. Due to lack of evidences, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined.

Crash of a Learjet 55 Longhorn in Rio de Janeiro

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1994 at 1412 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PT-LIG
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
55-111
YOM:
1984
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown on runway 20L at Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance (runway 20L is 1,320 metres long). The aircraft overran and came to rest in the Guanabara Bay. All five occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.