Georgia

The normal fuel load for the flight was 1,500 lbs, but with a forecast tail wind and an estimated flight time for only 1+10, the crew accepted the lower indicated (950 lb) fuel load. The flight was uneventful until an indication of 250 lbs per side, then the fuel 'seemed to dissipate faster.' With an indication of 150 lbs on downwind, the copilot recommended declaring an emergency. The captain's response was to ask ATC for the anticipated length of the downwind leg. He was told 20 miles. Priority handling was requested, but was only available for a declared emergency. The approach was continued with normal handling for approximately 10 minutes. At 1608:39, the crew declared an emergency, then reported the aircraft was out of fuel. It crash landed on rough terrain, short of runway 08. An exam revealed fuel sensors had been improperly installed (interchanged between the inboard and outboard tanks). Thus the gages indicated about 180 lbs more than the approximately 763 lbs that was actually aboard at takeoff. A special 500 hour inspection of the entire fuel system was made on 7/8/84 using the 'wet' method, but only the capacitance method checks each individual sensor. All 11 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

According to witnesses, the aircraft entered clouds at low altitude during the initial climb after takeoff. They reported that the aircraft then turned sharply back toward the airport and descended below the clouds. It rolled out in the direction of the crash site with the wings rocking. One witness said the aircraft 'turned over 2 or 3 times' before it crashed. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was evident. All four occupants were killed.

The twin engine airplane departed Dobbins AFB on a local training flight, carrying two pilots and one instructor. While flying at an altitude between 1,900 and 2,100 feet, the crew reduced the speed, lower the gears and the flaps then initiated a 180 turn when control was lost. The aircraft entered a dive and crashed in a wooded area located in Hiram, bursting into flames. All three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cw2 James Q. Tyner Jr.,
Civ John R. Bailey,
Maj David M. Bishop.

At approximately 2130 edt, the aircraft collided with a tree while the pilot was making a low pass over a wooded area. After hitting the tree, the plane crashed into a pond. Reportedly, the aircraft had returned from Columbia (South America) and the aircrew were preparing to drop duffel bags of cocaine. When the aircraft hit the tree, the pilot was flying while the other person was getting ready to throw out the bags. Both occupants were seriously injured.

The aircraft collided with trees during an attempted off airport landing at night for marijuana unloading. The aircraft was being followed by a u.s customs helicopter, the occupants of this helicopter said the aircraft had made one missed approach and during the go-around on the downwind leg the aircraft descended until it hit the trees. There was a layer of 'scud' at about 100-200 feet agl. Visibility under the low lying intermittent cloud layer was about 2 miles. After the crash the helicopter landed about 30 yards away but approach on foot was not possible due to heat from the burning wreckage. Both occupants were killed.

The aircraft was on the return portion of a round trip flight, hauling canceled bank checks. When they boarded before takeoff, the pilot's wife, who was not a pilot, occupied the right front seat and his two daughter's, ages 4 and 6, were in the passenger seats. Previous legs of the flight were accomplished without incident. While en route on the 4th leg, a radar handoff was made from Jacksonville to Atlanta Center at 0225 est and the pilot reported at FL180. This was his last known transmission. At 0230, the ATC controller noted the aircraft was passing Macon VOR. Shortly thereafter, radar contact was lost and efforts to make radio contact were unsuccessful. Several persons in the vicinity heard the aircraft engines alternately at high speed, then demishing, before the accident. The wreckage was found scattered over a 2 miles area. An exam revealed the right wing had failed upward and the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer had failed downward from overload. There was evidence of course reversal and descent before breakup; light turbulence and icing at cruise alt. Reason for descent unknown. All four occupants were killed.

The pilot reported that after he taxied to the rwy, the n°1 oil temperature was not up to the minimum temperature. He set the parking and advanced the n°1 throttle to 1,500 rpm until the engine warmed up. When both oil temperatures were within limits, he advanced both throttles to 30 inches manifold pressure and 2,250 rpm for a pretakeoff check. At that time, he used the normal (toe) brakes, since the parking brake would not hold the aircraft above approximately 1,700 rpm. He then applied full power and released the brakes for takeoff. As he started to roll with a slight left crosswind, the aircraft began drifting left. He corrected with right rudder, some right brake and right aileron. The aircraft then began drifting right and the pilot suspected a wind-shift from that direction. He applied left rudder and right aileron, but the plane veered right, went off the runway and headed for a ditch. Unable to stop, the pilot tried to clear the ditch. As the aircraft became airborne, the left wing dropped and hit the ground, and the aircraft yawed and crashed. The parking brake was found partially engaged. Tire marks were evident on the runway. All four occupants escaped uninjured.

The pilot reported he was on a missed approach and was returning to Charleston "heading 360°..." the aircraft crashed about 1/4 mi south and 100 feet short of the departure end of runway 27. The wreckage scatter pattern was oriented on a heading of 155°. Missed approach procedures specify a climbing right turn via a 325° heading. The left engine prop drive gear shaft had evidence of both bending and torsional failure loads. There was no evidence of machining or rotational smearing. Two of the three propeller blade tips were bent aft about the blade face. The left turbocharger had a tension failure of the turbine wheel shaft. No smear marks were noted on the fracture face. Single turbine blade impact marks were noted on the housing. The n°1 tach needle indicated 900 rpm and the n°2 tach needle indicated 1,900 rpm. All four occupants were killed.

The pilot reported that on the previous flight, the center fuel tank gauge was malfunctioning and indicated 800 lbs even when it was full with 1400 lbs. After landing at Charlotte, NC, it was still indicating 800 lbs. Before takeoff, the center tank was refilled. While en route about 40 miles west of Atlanta, GA, the pilot noted that the fuel gauge indicated 500 lbs and was dropping rapidly. A few minutes later, both engines flamed out. Vectors were obtained to fly to the nearest airport. During the descent, the engines were restarted. The pilot intercepted the ILS and remained high on the glide slope. The weather at the airport was reported as 100 feet overcast, visibility 1/4 mile with fog and rain. The aircraft broke out of the clouds approximately 2/3 of the way down the runway, then continued off the end of the runway and went thru ILS antenna array. An exam revealed the center fuel cap was missing, it was found in the grass near the parking ramp at Charlotte. The fuel cap was found to be worn and would not lock securely.

While in cruise flight on Airway J79-121 en route to Orlando, Florida, from Teterboro, New Jersey, the flightcrew of N100TA, an IBEX Corporation Gates Learjet 23, was cleared by the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center to descend from its altitude of Flight Level 410 to Flight Level 390. The flightcrew acknowledged the clearance, and air traffic control observed the radar target descend. About 2 minutes later, the airplane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, from a steep, high-speed descent about 12 miles from Savannah, Georgia. The air traffic controller made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the airplane. The pilots had reported no difficulties in any of their radio transmissions. The pilot, copilot, and the two passengers on board were killed. Beyond 1158:49, the program showed a gradual increase in indicated airspeed from 271 to 400 KIAS. The average rate of descent was 15,375 fpm based on the radar data using pressure altitude (mode C).