Cessna 208A Caravan

The single engine airplane was approaching Minembwe when it was shot down by FARDC soldiers and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. Both pilots were injured as well as two people on the ground, a woman and her child. The airplane was apparently performing a humanitarian flight, carrying medics from Kigali. DRC Government reported that the airplane entered the Congolese airspace without permission and that the airplane failed to have any registration marks on the fuselage. The exact circumstances of the mishap remains unclear.

The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country repositioning flight at dusk in preparation for skydiving activities the following morning. Although he had accumulated more than 8,600 total flight hours, he did not hold an instrument rating. The ADS-B data for the flight showed that the pilot did not fly a direct route to the destination airport and that the airplane’s altitude varied throughout the flight. During the first half of the flight, the pilot flew the airplane northbound along a major interstate at an altitude of about 1,700 ft mean sea level (msl). He then turned left and flew the airplane west over a city and climbed to 3,100 ft msl before turning right to the north-northeast. Weather conditions along the latter portion of the route included areas of low ceilings and cloud cover. The airplane’s meandering flight path was consistent with a pilot attempting to avoid entering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and/or using ground lighting and roadways to navigate and maintain visual references. The ADS-B data showed that, in the final minute of the flight, the airplane entered a descending 180° turn to the right, and the descent rate increased steadily to greater than 12,000 ft per minute (fpm) until the data ended. Although the pilot’s initiation of the right turn may have been an attempt to avoid or exit IMC, a review of available weather information revealed that, about the time of the right turn, the airplane likely encountered and remained in IMC consisting of significantly reduced visibility and low ceilings while flying over a rural area with few ground lights or other visual references. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

After takeoff from the Thomson Bay in Rottnest Island, the single engine seaplane banked left, causing the left wing tip to struck the water surface. The airplane water looped and plunged into the water, floating in a vertical attitude. Three passengers were seriously injured while one was unhurt. Two others (one Swiss and one Danish citizen) as well as the pilot were killed.

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 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.

On a cargo flight from Montevideo to Buenos Aires, while cruising at night over the Río de la Plata, the crew encountered engine problems and decided to divert to La Plata Airport located in the Buenos Aires Province. On approach, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing when the airplane impacted trees and crashed on a small road located about 5 km northeast of runway 20 threshold, bursting into flames. Both pilots escaped uninjured while the airplane was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

The single engine airplane departed Boituva Aerodrome on a local skydiving flight, carrying 15 skydivers and one pilot. After takeoff, while climbing, the pilot encountered engine problems. He attempted an emergency landing in an open field when the airplane successively impacted an embankment and a fence before coming to rest upside down in a grassy area. Two passengers were killed, nine were injured and five escaped unhurt. The airplane was damaged beyond repair.

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.

On 08 March 2022, the Bamaji Air Inc. (Bamaji) wheel-equipped Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft (registration C-GIPR, serial number 20800343) was conducting a series of visual flight rules (VFR) flights from Sioux Lookout Airport (CYXL), Ontario. At 1031, after checking the aerodrome forecast (TAF) valid from 0900 to 2000, and the graphic area forecast (GFA) valid from 0600 to 1800, the pilot departed on a flight to an ice runway on Springpole Lake, Ontario, about 78 nautical miles (NM) north-northwest of CYXL. The aircraft returned to CYXL with 2 passengers at 1200. In preparation for a second flight to Springpole Lake, the pilot loaded approximately 900 pounds of freight into the cabin and secured it under a cargo net. The aircraft had 750 pounds of fuel remaining on board, which was sufficient for the planned flight. The pilot and 1 passenger boarded the aircraft. The pilot occupied the left cockpit seat and the passenger occupied the right cockpit seat. Both occupants were wearing the available 5-point-harness safety belt system. At 1250, a snow squall began to move across CYXL, reducing ground visibility. The pilot taxied the aircraft to a position on the apron and waited for the fast-moving snow squall to pass. At 1301, the pilot taxied the aircraft to Runway 34 and took off in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft climbed to approximately 1800 feet above sea level (ASL), then, once clear of the control zone, it descended to approximately 1600 to 1700 feet ASL, roughly 500 to 600 feet above ground level (AGL), to remain below the overcast ceiling. As the aircraft began to cross Lac Seul, Ontario, the visibility straight ahead and to the west was good. However, when the aircraft was roughly midway across the lake, it encountered turbulence and immediately became enveloped in whiteout conditions generated by a snow squall. The pilot turned his head to inspect the left wing and saw that ice appeared to be accumulating on the leading edge. He turned his attention back to the flight instruments and saw that the altimeter was descending rapidly. He then pulled back on the control column to stop the descent; however, within a few seconds, the aircraft struck the frozen surface of Lac Seul, approximately 17 NM north-northwest of CYXL. The aircraft was substantially damaged. There was no fire. The aircraft occupants received minor injuries. The Artex Model Me406 emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated on impact and the signal was detected by the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, re-tasked a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft that was in the area and 3 search and rescue technicians (SAR Techs) parachuted into the site within 1 hour of the accident. The aircraft occupants and the SAR Techs were extracted from the site by a civilian helicopter later that day.

The single engine airplane was on an unscheduled cargo flight from Moses Kilangin Airport, Timika (WAYY) to Ilaga Airport in Puncak district of Papua, Indonesia (WAYL). On board in this flight were two pilots and the flight carried 2,352 lbs (1,067 kg) of cargo. The flight departed from Moses Kilangin Airport, Timika on 24 October 2021 at 2154 UTC (25 October 2021 at 0654 LT) on day light. The Pilot in Command (PIC) acted the Pilot Flying (PF) and the Second in Command (SIC) acted the Pilot Monitoring (PM). The flight until commenced the approach at Ilaga was uneventful. According to the witness that was on the Ilaga apron, stated that the short final area of the Runway 25 partially covered by ground fog. Two aircraft that were making approach landing before PK-SNN cancelled the approach and made go around. About 0725 LT, PK-SNN made approach and impacted to the embankment about 15 meters before the runway. The aircraft stopped about 90 meters from the beginning runway 25. A pilot was killed and a second was injured.