Portland

While en route, the pilot encountered headwinds and trace rime icing. He made a climb from 17,000 feet to FL190, then to FL210. After cruising at FL210 for about 27 minutes, the aircraft entered a descent (without ATC clearance). Radio and radar contact were lost in the vicinity of were the aircraft crashed. Just before impact, the aircraft was observed to descend out of low clouds in a spin. The pilot had been issued a Canadian instrument rating on 1/11/88, but it was valid for only 12 months. A person, who had given the pilot proficiency flight training in preparation for an instrument qualification check, reported that he had reservations about the pilot's ability to fly in instrument conditions without an autopilot. Avionics personnel at the departure airport reported the pilot had encountered an autopilot malfunction on the previous flight and that they had found an electrical short in the autopilot disconnect switch on the copilot control yoke. However, they were unable to repair it due to lack of a replacement part. Reportedly, the pilot borrowed a soldering iron to repair it himself. All three occupants were killed.

Before takeoff, the pilot received a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan to Idaho Falls, ID at 13,000 feet. He took off at 1804 pst. At 1814 pst, just prior to calling level at 13,000 feet, he reported he was encountering light turbulence and light rime ice. Approximately four min later, the pilot reported experiencing heavy vibrations. He requested and received a clearance to return to Portland and descend to 7,000 feet. Shortly after that, the aircraft entered a tight descending turn which the pilot reported he was having difficulty arresting. He reported regaining directional control at 6,000 feet and said the aircraft had a heavy load of ice. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft crashed in mountains at the 3,130 feet level. Due to damage from impact and wreckage retrieval, the preimpact condition of all deicing components was not verified. The aircraft was not certified for flight in known icing conditions. Moderate mixed icing condition and moderate turbulence were forecast. The pilot was briefed there had been reports of moderate icing thru-out the area. All five occupants were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Everett-Paine Field Airport, the twin engine airplane encountered difficulties to climb, stalled and crashed. Two passengers were seriously injured while five other occupants were killed.

On a night approach to Pendleton Airport, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and failed to realize his altitude was too low when the twin engine airplane struck the ground and crashed few miles from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was seriously injured.

While in cruising altitude on a flight from Portland from Sacramento in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine airplane suffered an airframe failure. It entered a dive and crashed in a field located near Cheshire, northwest of Eugene. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all seven occupants were killed.

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a delivery flight from Wichita to France via Portland and Gander. The approach to Gander was initiated by night and good weather conditions. On final, the pilot descended too low when the twin engine airplane struck trees and crashed few km short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed. Still owned by Cessna Aircraft, the airplane was on its way to France to be delivered to its future operator Flo Air.

The crew (two pilots under supervision and one instructor) was engaged in a local training mission at Portland Airport. On short final, at a height of 10-15 feet in a gear down and flaps 80% down configuration, the pilot-in-command initiated a go-around and added full power when the right engine lost power. The airplane stalled and crashed in flames onto the runway. The instructor was seriously injured and both pilots were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.

Zantop Air Transport, Inc., LOGAIR Flight 60-16 (VK060), a Curtiss C-40F, N616Z, crashed following an attempt to land on runway 17 at Thun Field, near Puyallup, Washington, at 1826 P.s.t., February 16, 1963. Both crew members survived the crash but were severely injured. There were no other occupants. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post-impact fire. An engine malfunction seven minutes after takeoff from McChord AFB, Washington, was followed by an unsuccessful attempt to feather the propeller and by intermittent overspeeding. During an attempted go-around from the landing approach the pilot lost control of the aircraft and crashed in a pasture approximately one-half tile northeast of Thun Field.

At approximately 0329LT, the airplane crashed on takeoff from Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A number of the 62 persons (including 2 infants) aboard suffered serious injuries but there were no fatalities. Fire, which broke out a short time after all occupants were evacuated, consumed the aircraft. The aircraft took off normally and climbed to a height of about 100 feet. It then gradually nosed over and entered a descent which continued until it struck the ground. Sky conditions were clear; however, the prevailing visibility was about three miles in fog, and in localized areas around the airport it was reduced to lens than a mile by patches of denser fog. Takeoff was made on runway 22 and the climbout was a from a lighted, built-up section toward an open, unlighted area. The Board believes that the pilot while trying to remain contact in reduced visibility allowed the nose of the aircraft to drop when flaps were retracted because of inattention to flight instruments. The darkness and reduced visibility during climbout contributed to a sensory illusion which completely obscured the fact of descent from the pilot.

Flight 2 was scheduled daily between Seattle, Washington. and New York, New York, with intermediate stops at Portland, Oregon, and Chicago., Illinois. It departed Seattle-Tacoma Airport at 0806 on an IFR flight plan to Portland, Oregon, via Victor Airway 23 to cruise at 6,000 feet. There were 32 passengers arid a crew of six consisting of Captain Robert Reeve Heard, First Officer Gene Paul Johnson, Flight Engineer Carl Vernon Thomsen, Flight Service Attendant David V. Razey, Senior Stewardess Elinor A. Whitacre. and Junior Stewardess Dorothy L. Oetting. Takeoff was made on runway 20 and the flight climbed to an altitude of 1,000 to 1,200 feet. At this time power reduced and the wing flaps which had been set at the normal 25-degree takeoff position, were retracted at an airspeed of 145 knots. Immediately the crew became aware of severe buffeting and a strong tendency of the aircraft to roll to the left. Because the buffeting began almost immediately after the flaps ware retracted, the captain believed that it was due to a split-flap condition, i. e., the wing flaps on one side of the aircraft being retracted while the flaps on the other side remained partially or fully down. Power was reduced momentarily in an attempt to alleviate the buffeting but this was not effective and maximum continuous power was again restored. After being cleared by the Seattle tower for return the captain decided not to turn the aircraft because of control difficulty and advised that he would proceed to McChord Air Force Base at Tacoma. Thereafter, the captain testified the trouble became worse and the aircraft continued to lose altitude. The captain elected to ditch and did so at approximately 0810. Touchdown was on smooth water at an airspeed of approximately 120 knots and there was no abrupt deceleration. Passengers and crew members, except the captain and first officer, left the aircraft through the main cabin door and emergency exits. The captain and first officer, after a passenger count, left the aircraft through cockpit windows and swam to the left and right wings, respectively. The aircraft sank in approximately 15 minutes and by that time all persons on the wings had been supplied with buoyant cushions from the cabin seats. Those who survived were rescued by surface craft from the 42-degree F. water within 30 to 35 minutes from the time of ditching.