Mountains

The single engine airplane departed Gap-Tallard Airport on a local skydiving mission, carrying 15 skydivers and one pilot. After all 15 skydivers jumped out, the pilot was returning to his departure point. This was the sixth flight of the day. The pilot started the descent then made a wide left turn to reach the final approach. At an altitude of 6,400 feet, in contrast to previous flights, the pilot turned right onto a south-westerly course and continued the descent in a straight line. At 1050LT, the plane collided head-on with the mountainside near the Pic de Crigne. The airplane disintegrated on impact and the pilot was killed.

The crew departed Volos-Néa Anchialos Airport on a fire fighting mission in the area of Karystos, in the south of the Euboea Island. Approaching the zone under fire at low height, the crew dropped the load of water then elected to gain height when the right wing tip float struck a tree and was torn off. The airplane entered a right turn and descended to the ground, crashing in a hilly terrain southwest of the initial impact. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and both crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Christos Moulas, pilot,
Cpt Periklis Stafanidis, copilot.

The single engine airplane departed Elelim Airport at 1054LT on a flight to Poik, carrying four passengers, two pilots and a load of cargo. About six minutes later, it impacted the slope of a wooded mountain located 12 km from the airport. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and all six occupants were killed.

At 1121LT on 20 June 2023, the privately registered Quest Kodiak 100 amphibious float-equipped aircraft (registration C-GKTX, serial number 100-0010) departed Masset Airport (CZMT), British Columbia (BC), on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight to Tofino/Long Beach Airport (CYAZ), BC, with 1 pilot and 3 passengers on board. While enroute, at 1246, the pilot contacted air traffic control to cancel IFR and continued the flight under visual flight rules (VFR). The aircraft continued the flight to the planned final destination, which was a cabin approximately 60 nautical miles northwest of CYAZ. The aircraft followed an inlet (Tahsis Narrows) toward the destination and continued for a straight-in landing on the water, near the cabin. On initial touchdown, both floats touched the surface of the water simultaneously. The aircraft bounced and, as the aircraft approached the surface of the landing area the 2nd time in a level attitude, the left float reportedly made contact with either a boat wake or object. 2 The force of the contact resulted in the aircraft bouncing to a height of approximately 30 feet and banking to the right. The pilot initiated a go-around. At 1337, during the initial climb over land, the aircraft contacted trees and then impacted the terrain. The pilot and 1 passenger were fatally injured, 1 passenger received serious injuries, and 1 passenger received minor injuries. There was a post-impact fire. The aircraft was destroyed. The emergency locator transmitter signal was received by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria, BC. The Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Armed Forces search and rescue, the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), and fire personnel responded.

The airplane departed Elizabethton Airport in Tennessee on a private flight to Ronkonkoma-Long Island-McArthur Field (Islip), New York. Approaching the destination, the airplane did not initiate a descent but an almost 180 turn and continued to the southwest. As there was no radio contact with the pilot anymore and as it was approaching the Washington DC area, ATC informed the authorities about the situation and two F-16 fighters were dispatched. The military pilots were unable to establish any contact with the crew. Flying at an altitude of 34,000 feet, the Cessna entered a right turn then an uncontrolled descent and spiraled to the ground before crashing in a wooded and hilly terrain located near Staunton, Virginia, some 600 km southwest from the destination airport. All four occupants were killed.

The flight was bound for Manila with one pilot, one aircraft mechanic, and two passengers on board. The aircraft was reported missing after it took off from Bicol International Airport (RPLK) at Daraga, Albay. The aircraft is being operated by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) and was on a routine general aviation flight. All aircraft occupants were fatally injured in this accident. The pilot submitted a VFR to IRF flight plan that will utilize standard departure on RWY 05 of RPLK. According to the flight plan, it will be transitioning to IFR and intercepting NAGA VOR. It will further continue W9 airway and proceed to ALABAT for the arrival procedure in Manila. The flight departed from RWY 05, made a procedural right upwind turn, and crossed the final approach of RWY 05. At 0647LT, ATC established contact with the aircraft while passing 2,600 ft. The ATC inquired if the flight had already passed Camalig by-pass, and the pilot responded "We're passing Camalig by-pass now". The pilot was instructed by ATC to continue climbing and report twenty nautical miles out of RPLK, which was acknowledged by the pilot. At 0650LT, no position report was received from the aircraft. The ATC initiated contact with the aircraft several times, but no response was received. The duty ATC contacted the Manila Area Control Center (MACC) for any signatures of the aircraft that they might have picked up. The MACC informed the ATC that there was an initial signature contact that later disappeared on the radar monitor. At about 0900LT, the Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordinating Center (PARCC) elevated the alert to a DETRESFA on the missing aircraft. On the next day, February 19, 2023, the operator launched their own search operation using an AW139 helicopter, which was able to locate the missing aircraft at about 6,300 feet on the south-west slope of Mt Mayon Volcano with grid coordinates of 13°14'56.45 N and 123°40'57.79 E. An aerial reconnaissance by CAAP-AAIIB investigators and EDC using a helicopter was conducted on 20 February 2023. The general impact area shows the scattered wreckage of aircraft debris and signs of post-impact fire. All four occupants were killed.

The crew departed Lamezia Terme Airport on a fire fighting mission at the foot of the Etna Volcano, north of Catania. Approaching the area on fire, the crew initiated a right hand turn and while descending to rising terrain, the right wing tip impacted the ground, causing the aircraft to crash, bursting into flames. Both pilots were killed.

While approaching Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga Airport, the crew encountered technical problems (apparently with the reversers) and declared an emergency. The captain initiated a go around procedure and completed a circuit south of the airport. During a second approach, the airplane deviated from the approach path to the south and continued until it impacted the top of a hill located 8 km south of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all six occupants were killed, among them Christian Toni, President of the Estudiantes de Mérida football club.

On 29 May 2022, Tara Air’s 9N-AET, Twin Otter (DHC-6/300) aircraft was scheduled for three flights on Pokhara-Jomsom-Pokhara sector. Tara Air had also filed flight plans for two additional Charter flights on the same sector. Among those five flights, four flights were to be conducted by a set of crews already positioned at Pokhara while the last flight was scheduled to be commanded by the PIC who had reached Pokhara from Kathmandu that very morning. Since Jomsom Airport was closed for operations due to bad weather, the PIC went to Tara Air crew camp and waited for the updates of weather improvement of Jomsom. After Jomsom Airport was open for operations at 0321 UTC, Tara Air operation decided to operate the first scheduled flight. However suspecting the next flight operation to Jomsom could not be operated, the original PIC assigned to the flight seated on board as a passenger to Jomsom for his scheduled business trip and the PIC assigned for the last flight took command. The Flight Plan was amended accordingly. At 0342 UTC, Summit Air’s 9N-AKZ, LET-410 took-off from Pokhara to Jomsom. At 0405 UTC, it reported an altitude of 12,500 ft and patches of cloud over Tatopani. At 0409 UTC, Summit Air’s second aircraft 9N-AMG, LET-410, took-off for Jomsom and subsequently, at 0410 UTC, 9N-AET of Tara Air (TRA197) took-off with 19 passengers and three crews on board. The Copilot had initially reported 3 crew and 18 passengers onboard to Pokhara Tower but later, revised the passenger figure was 19 prior to takeoff. 9N-AET was supposed to take-off before SMT 601 but the PIC seemed hesitant to commence the flight due to weather PIREP from 9N-AKZ that, the en-route weather was not favorable for VFR flights and critical around LETE and TATOPANI. All the crew members of TRA 197 and SMT 601 were in their respective cockpits and communicating with the preceding flight 9N-AKZ as well as with Pokhara tower for the updated information of en-route and destination weather. No flights had been conducted since morning and most of the passengers of Tara air and Summit Air were already at airport. In this situation it can be assumed that there was pressure to conduct flight from each angle. While listening to the CVR of TRA 197, it was observed that someone, either ground staff or some intimate passenger to the crew, advising strongly to the PIC to conduct the flight. Following the PIREP from 9NAKZ, both TRA197 and SMT 601 subsequently started their engines to commence the flights. The PIC of TRA 197 was still hesitant to conduct the flight for Jomsom even after the engine start and delayed the taxi as he was not yet convinced about the weather report received from preceding 9N-AKZ aircraft. In the meantime, SMT 601 lined up for departure to Jomsom. That was one of the most important pressure points to the PIC of TRA 197 to initiate departure. TRA 197 finally lined up and took off from Pokhara at 0410 UTC following the SMT 601 based on the en-route weather information (VMC) from 9N-AKZ, through Pokhara Tower. The en-route weather provided by Summit Air’s 9N-AKZ to Pokhara Tower and the crewmembers of TRA 197 and SMT 601 was not the same. Aircraft took off from Pokhara from runway 04 heading North. Tower instructed “report 5 DME northwest RW 04”. Then after departure at 90 climb power aircraft turned left to maintain a heading of 345 and planned to join heading 305 degree towards Ghodepani. After four minutes, TRA 197 reported, “Now on course…. 6000 climbing and ETA Jomsom 32” (0432 UTC). At 04:21 TRA 197 reported to Pokhara Tower as position approaching Ghodepani 12000 climbing for 12500. After 6 Seconds ATC Pokhara asked TRA 197, “confirm would like to change level and TRA 197 replied, “No Ma'am we have crossed Ghodepani and like to be on”. Pokhara Tower instructed, “Tara 197 contact Jomsom Tower 122.5” CVR recordings show that after TRA 197 crossed Ghodepani, the PIC was not comfortable with the en-route weather. However, the flight was continued following the advice of SMT 601. At 0426 UTC, TRA 197made the first contact with Jomsom AFS and reported its position to which Jomsom Tower conveyed the prevailing weather as “Wind South Westerly up to 30 kts, QNH 1019, Temp 18º”. The PIC of TRA 197 reconfirmed twice if the wind was maximum, up to 30 Kts and currently South Westerly-25kts. The crew was discussing about the bad weather being encountered and the PIC himself voiced his dissatisfaction about the behavior of other pilots who conduct VFR flights in such unfavorable weather. The CVR recordings reveal that the aircraft was encountering clouds and the PIC was trying his best to remain clear of the clouds. During the course of flight, TRA 197 hadn’t reported any abnormalities encountered and neither any technical defect on aircraft either to Jomsom tower or Pokhara Tower. As per CVR, PIC was searching for light and brighter areas and adamantly heading towards it. As per CVR and V2 tracker data, the aircraft was maintaining 12000 ft and was in a climbing attitude. During the continuous attempts of crew to avoid the clouds with Terrain Avoidance and Warning System [TAWS] inhibited, the aircraft met with an unfortunate CFIT accident into the rocky terrain at an altitude of 4050 meter AMSL at Sanusare Mountain, Thasang Rural Municipality, Mustang. As per V2 tracker, last position of 9N-AET was 7.7 nm SW of Jomsom Airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed by the impact and there were no survivors.

The pilot, sole on board, departed Siegerland Airport at 1100LT on a ferry flight to Arezzo, Tuscany. En route, while overflying Switzerland, he encountered marginal weather conditions. While cruising in IMC conditions, the single engine airplane impacted the slope of a rocky and snow covered face located west of Mt Grüehorn, in the south part of the canton of St Gallen. The wreckage was found later in the afternoon at an altitude of 1,700 metres. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.