Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 2 Heron into the Irish Sea

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XR444
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
14091
YOM:
1955
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying over the Irish Sea on a liaison flight, all four engines stopped simultaneously. The crew reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft. All 11 occupants were quickly rescued and the aircraft was later recovered. It was written off.
Probable cause:
It was reported that the wing fuel tanks had not been selected thus starving the engines of fuel.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2B in Ponce: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1972 at 2317 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N554PR
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
San Juan - Ponce
MSN:
14085
YOM:
1955
Flight number:
PQ191
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
8297
Captain / Total hours on type:
3017.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1434
Copilot / Total hours on type:
102
Aircraft flight hours:
11364
Circumstances:
On a night approach to Ponce-Mercedita Airport, the crew decided to make a go-around when control was lost. The airplane overrotated then crashed 2,200 feet past the runway 29 threshold and 260 feet to the south. Both pilots and three passengers were killed while all other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the loss of directional control during a go-around from a landing attempt. Control was lost when the aircraft was overrotated at too low an airspeed to sustain flight. The crew’s reasons for rejecting the landing are not known.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2D into the Pacific Ocean

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1972 at 2144 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N19D
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
San Francisco - Hilo
MSN:
14109
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
11980
Captain / Total hours on type:
2500.00
Circumstances:
On a ferry flight from San Francisco to Hilo, while cruising by night, all four engines stopped simultaneously. The crew informed ATC about his position and attempted to ditch the aircraft that came to rest in water about 219 miles off the Hawaiian coast. Both pilots were rescued and evacuated while the aircraft sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
Inadequate preflight preparation on part of the crew who miscalculated the fuel consumption and the flight time to check point. The following factors were reported:
- The crew became lost and disoriented.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Tegucigalpa: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HR-ASN
Survivors:
No
MSN:
14009
YOM:
1953
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
On final approach to Tegucigalpa-Toncontin Airport, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed in a little valley located 1,5 km short of runway 19 threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control on final approach at low altitude caused by turbulences.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Ruddervoorde

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1969 at 1642 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TN-ABA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Charleroi – London-Gatwick
MSN:
14034
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
8530
Captain / Total hours on type:
0.00
Aircraft flight hours:
16723
Circumstances:
The airplane arrived in Charleroi on January 24 and was parked there since. In June, a ferry permit was issued and on July 11, it was decided to ferry the airplane from Charleroi to London-Gatwick Airport. The pilot departed Charleroi-Gosselies Airport at 1551LT. At 1634LT, while at cruising altitude, the engine n°4 suffered vibrations and the pilot decided to shut it down. Three minutes later, the engine n°3 emitted smoke then caught fire. The pilot was able to shut it down but for unknown reason could not feather its propeller. He reduced his altitude and attempted to make an emergency landing when the airplane struck trees and crash landed in a potatoes field. The pilot was unhurt while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair. The pilot's total flying hours was 8,530 with zero experience on this type of aircraft.
Probable cause:
Failure of two engines in flight due to the non-observation of the procedure published by the manufacturer regarding the engine start-up following a long standstill period.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron in the Sierra de Luquillo: 19 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1969 at 1738 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N563PR
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Charlotte Amalie – San Juan
MSN:
14125
YOM:
1961
Flight number:
PQ277
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Captain / Total flying hours:
26800
Captain / Total hours on type:
1000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1524
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1200
Aircraft flight hours:
4167
Circumstances:
Prinair flight PQ277 departed Charlotte Amalie Airport (Saint Thomas Island) at 1715LT for an IFR flight to San Juan. At 17:32, the flight contacted San Juan Approach Control and advised that the flight was maintaining 4,000 feet. The trainee approach controller replied: "Prinair two seven seven San Juan Approach Control radar contact three miles east of Isla Verde fly a heading of two five zero for a vector to ILS final maintain four thousand." Actually the flight was 3 miles east of the Fajardo intersection instead of the Isla Verde intersection which is located about 10 miles west of the Fajardo intersection. One minute later the Heron was cleared to descend to 3,000 feet. At 17:38, after being vectored for a runway 07 approach, the airplane contacted trees and crashed, coming to rest near the top of a knoll in the Sierra de Luquillo mountains at an elevation of about 2400 feet (731 m). The wreckage was found about 24 km southeast of San Juan-Isla Verde Airport and all 18 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The vectoring of the aircraft into mountainous terrain, under IFR conditions, without adequate obstruction clearance altitude by a controller who, for reasons beyond his control, was performing beyond the safe limits of his performance capability and without adequate supervision.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2D off Bodø

Date & Time: Sep 4, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LN-NPH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
14127
YOM:
1959
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea few hundred meters off Bodø. While all occupants were rescued, the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B off Moroni: 16 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-OCED
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Dar es-Salaam - Moroni
MSN:
14040
YOM:
1954
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
During the final approach to Moroni-Hahaya Airport following an uneventful flight from Dar es-Salaam, the crew failed to realize that his altitude was insufficient. On short final, the right wing struck approach lights. The captain increased engine power in an attempt to make a go-around when the airplane went to an excessive nose-up attitude, stalled and crashed into the sea near to the shore. None of the 16 occupants survived the crash.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who let the airplane descending below the glide. While attempting to go-around, the flaps were fully extended.

Ground accident of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 1B in Enugu

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
VP-WAM
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
14008
YOM:
1953
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident at Enugu Airport during November 1967 (exact date remains unknown). No casualties.

Ground accident of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2C in Amman

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
394
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
14106
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident at Amman Airport. No casualties.