California

Wings West Airlines Flight 628, a commuter flight, departed Los Angeles for San Francisco, with scheduled en route stops at Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo. At 11:10, Flight 628 left the gate at San Luis Obispo. The weather at the time was essentially clear and the visibility was 15 miles. At 11:16, after taking off from runway 29, Flight 628 called the Los Angeles ARTCC and reported that it was climbing through 2,700 feet 'IFR to San Francisco.' At 11:17:23, the Los Angeles ARTCC’s radar controller cleared Flight 628 to the San Francisco airport, as filed, to climb and maintain 7,000 feet. At 11:17:38 the aircraft collided head-on with Rockwell Commander N112SM at 3,400 feet. This single-engined aircraft had departed Paso Robles Airport on a training flight with two pilots on board. Nll2SM was flying in visual meteorological conditions and under VFR in the vicinity of the San Luis Obispo Airport just before the collision.

Ground witnesses reported that this and another aircraft were engaged in a mock 'dogfight'; both aircraft were circling the accident area between 500- 800 feet agl and neither aircraft was negotiating any aerobatic maneuvers. The pilot stated that during a descending 30° right banking turn, the aircraft entered into a right spin. Control inputs, including 'aft stick pressure,' could not arrest the spin. The pilot had not received any spin/spin recovery instruction from a cfi in the aircraft. However, the pilot's father stated he had given the pilot spin/spin recovery instruction. The passenger was killed and the pilot was seriously injured.

The piper PA-31T was a foreign registered aircraft (Federal Republic of Germany). The owner/pilot in the left front seat held a German commercial certificate with airplane instrument, single engine land and multi-engine land ratings. The pilot in the right front seat held an American private certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. During arrival, the aircraft was cleared to enter a right traffic pattern for runway 32R and was to follow a Decathlon that was landing on the same runway. When the PA-31 aircrew called turning onto a base leg, the tower asked if they had the Decathlon in sight, but they did not reply. The Decathlon pilot was then instructed to change his approach to 32L and was cleared to land. The PA-31 was observed to overshoot the turn to the final approach course to runway 32R. Witnesses reported the aircraft made an erratic, slow speed, nose high turn at low altitude, then it entered a right turn, nose down spin, crashed and burned. Impact occurred on a ground structure. An investigation revealed no preimpact/part failure or malfunction. Fire damaged to 5 autos. All six occupants were killed.

The aircraft was found where it had crashed and burned on a rough lava bed. The crash site was about one mile northeast of a road where drug smuggling aircraft had been known to land in the past. There was evidence that cocaine had been removed from the accident site. The wreckage had been camouflaged by placing lava rocks on the shiny pieces of metal. There was evidence that the plane had crashed in a left wing low attitude while in a landing configuration. No preimpact/mechanical part failure or malfunction was found. The elevation of the crash site was about 2,930 feet. The aircraft wreckage was discovered on 6/2/84. The actual time of the accident was not determined. Both occupants were killed.

The aircraft departed on a sales demo flight to Monterey, CA with potential buyers aboard. En route, the destination was changed to Avalon, CA. Unicom advised the crew of the wind direction and speed on downwind. Witnesses reported the aircraft was slightly high on final, but said the pilot corrected the angle of descent. The aircraft touched down approximately 500 feet down the runway, which was crowned (sloped upward for approximately the 1st 2,000 feet, then leveled off). The crew could not see the end of the runway at touchdown. The thrust reversers were deployed approximately 1,000 feet after touchdown. Witnesses heard the engine sound increase, then decrease, then increase again as the aircraft went off the runway and over a 90 feet bluff. Fire erupted immediately. Within 3 minutes, airport personnel arrived with firefighting equipment, but they were not trained as firefighters and did not try to stop the fire for fear of an explosion. No evidence of a mechanical failure/malfunction was found. Found left flap extended, left spoiler retracted and locked, tire marks on runway. Estimated gross weight: 11,500 lbs. Computed landing distance over a 50 feet obstacle: 3,100 feet. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

While taking off, the aircraft climbed approximately 100 to 200 feet, then began loosing altitude. During a forced landing on a street, it hit a parked car and a light pole and burst in flames. The pilot, who later expired, said that neither engine developed full power (2575 rpm). He said this was not unusual when power was 1st applied, but said full rpm was generally obtained shortly after the roll was begun. After being committed for takeoff, both rpm's were reportedly between 2,300 and 2,400 rpm. Several witnesses stated the engines sounded like they were running rough. A witness reported the aircraft swerved 'as tho the pilot had difficulty with the left engine.' Reportedly, the pilot 'dropped some more flaps' below the 20° takeoff setting 'in order to pull it off' and raised the gear immediately after liftoff. Engine teardowns revealed excessive spark plug gaps, 1 magneto on the right engine had a .008 point gap (.016 required), its #1 and #4 distributor blocks were cracked and the #1 and #6 leads would not fire properly. Hartzell f-6-5a prop governors installed in place of f-6-35a. Aircraft was approximately 348 lbs over max weight limit. All five occupants were killed.

The aircraft began to lose power at about 400 feet agl after takeoff and the pilot elected to land along the shoreline in the ocean. The aircraft ditched about 100 yards off shore. All 4 occupants were able to exit thru the airstair door and received only minor injuries. The aircraft sank after about 5 minutes. It was not recovered from the 27 feet deep water. Two occupants swam ashore and two were rescued by the coast guard. The line attendant who serviced the aircraft mistook it for a king air. The pilot requested that all four tanks be topped off. The line attendant added 110 gallons of Jet A fuel.

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Sacramento-Mather AFB, consisting in a Minimum Interval Takeoff and Landing (MITO) mission. The crew started the takeoff procedure 10 seconds after a first USAF B-52 that departed the same runway. After liftoff, during initial climb, the airplane encountered wake turbulences. The pilot-in-command decided to reduce the engine power but his reaction was excessive, causing all eight engines to flame out. Due to a loss of speed, the aircraft stalled and struck the ground. It exploded on impact and debris were found on a 400 yards distance. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj James Henry York, pilot,
Cpt Lyle Allen Brunner, instructor,
Cpt Dennis Earl Davis, electronic warfare instructor,
M/Sgt Jere E. LeFever, gunner,
2nd Lt Scott A. Semmel, student copilot,
2nd Lt Peter M. Riley, student copilot,
2nd Lt Richard P. Robeson, student navigator,
2nd Lt Benjamin C. Berndt, student navigator,
2nd Lt Daniel N. Bader, student navigator.

While rolling on a taxiway, the airplane went out of control and collided with a hangar. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Following an uneventful training mission out from Castle AFB, the crew was returning to his base. After landing, the crew started the braking procedure when a fire erupted in the nose gear section. The aircraft was stopped and all six crew members escaped with no injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.