Phoenix

On approach to Elk City Airport, both engines failed simultaneously. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing off airport on land. The aircraft crash landed and came to rest in a field. All three occupants were injured, two of them seriously.

The pilot initiated the descent to Santa Ana-John Wayne Airport by night and poor weather conditions with a limited visibility due to rain showers. On final, the airplane was too low, struck the ground and crashed in flames in Tustin, few miles from the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.

While cruising by night at an altitude of 17,500 feet on a ferry flight from Phoenix to Butte, the twin engine airplane collided with a USAF General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark registered 67-0055. Following the collision, both aircraft entered a dive and crashed in flames near Kingston. The pilot of the Commander was killed while both military pilots were seriously injured.

On approach to Palm Springs Airport, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in an isolated area. The wreckage was found a day later and all three occupants were killed.

While cruising over a mountainous area, the twin engine airplane adopted a slight descent until it struck the slope of a mountain located near Fort Hancock. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor both occupants was found. The wreckage was localized on December 9, 1972, in an isolated area. Both occupants have been killed.

While cruising at an altitude of 9,100 pieds by night and in poor weather conditions, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of Stockton, Utah. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the five occupants was found. On 13 May 1972, walkers found the wreckage in an isolated area. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and the accident was not survivable.

Apache Airlines Flight 33 of May 6, 1971, was a regularly scheduled air taxi flight from Tucson to Phoenix, Arizona. The aircraft was a De Havilland Dove Model 104-7AXC (Carstedt CJ600A Conversion), N4922V. The flight departed Tucson International Airport, under visual conditions, at 1253 m.s.t. with 10 passengers and a crew of two, and with 140 gallons of fuel on board. At about 1315, ground witnesses near Coolidge, Arizona, observed the aircraft flying in a northwesterly direction. Some of these witnesses reported that they first heard loud engine noises emanating from the aircraft, and that the engine sound then ceased. According to two of the witnesses, the aircraft initially descended at a “slight angle” which steepened to a 45-to-50 degree dive angle. None of the witnesses saw smoke or fire while the aircraft was in the air, and none saw parts separate from the aircraft. According to the witnesses, there were high scattered cumulus clouds in the area. A pilot, who flew a light aircraft through that general area after the accident, reported that he encountered severe turbulence at about 4,200 feet in the Phoenix area. The 1258 surface weather observation at Phoenix was reported as, measured ceiling of 4,800 feet broken clouds, 25,000 feet overcast, visibility 40 miles, wind from 250’ at 8 knots, and an altimeter setting of 29.78 inches. The crew was current in the aircraft and qualified for the operation involved. The wreckage site, a flat plowed field, revealed two distinct craters with no impact marks between them. One crater was oriented north/south. Most of the fuselage and left wing wreckage was found north of that crater and within 200 feet of it. The other crater, which contained remains of the right wing and the right engine, was located approximately 35 feet southeast of the fuselage crater. Scattered parts of the right wing were located northeast of the crater formed by that wing. Only one piece of wreckage was found outside the immediate area of the craters. This piece, a fairing from the lower aft wing root, was located 1,160 feet northwest (downwind) of the fuselage crater. Although the entire airframe of N4922V was fragmented, the degree of fragmentation was greater on the right side of the fuselage. Both engines were recovered, still attached to portions of their wing attach structure. No evidence of any pre-existing damage was noted on the engine mounts. The engines revealed no evidence of malfunction or failure prior to impact. Neither engine was producing power at impact. Both propellers were found in the feathering range: Disassembly and examination of both fuel controls, the fuel pumps, and the propeller governors revealed no discrepancies except for impact damage. All 12 occupants were killed.

Weather was poor near Las Vegas with indefinite ceiling at 500 feet, sky obscured, 900 m visibility and light snow. Flight 114 was flying a VOR/DME-3 approach when the plane descended below altitude minima. At 9.7 DME, at an elevation of 3575 feet msl the plane struck rising terrain and crashed. The flight should have been at 4300 feet msl at that point. It appeared that the VOR/DME-3 approach procedure was relatively new, having become effective on October 3, 1964. Until November 15 no approaches using this procedure had been flown. The approach chart depiction for the segment of the approach from the 15 mile fix to the 6 mile fix displayed no descent information on the profile section. However, the profile did show a solid horizontal line between the 6 mile fix and the 3 mile fix, with an altitude of 3,100 feet. Further, the solid line was defined in the Chart Legend as "Flight Path," which implied that a descent to 3,100 feet was proper once the fix to which the flight has been cleared is reached.

During the takeoff roll, the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft swung on runway and came to rest. All 60 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

The crew started the descent to Hollywood-Burbank Airport at night and in marginal weather conditions (low clouds) when he was instructed by ATC to divert to Los Angeles for a safe ILS approach. While descending in dark conditions, the aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Puente located two miles east of Whittier. The wreckage was found few hours later. All 29 occupants have been killed.