Ground accident of a Fairchild F27A in Paris-Orly

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-GBRS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
108
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While parked at Paris-Orly Airport with 15 passengers and a crew of three on board, the airplane suffered an accident in unclear circumstances. All 18 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Fairchild F27A in Iquique

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CC-CBR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
55
YOM:
1959
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after liftoff from runway 01, the crew raised the landing gear when the airplane stalled and struck the runway surface. It skidded for about 750 meters before coming to rest. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It is believed that one of the engine failed shortly after rotation.

Crash of a Fairchild F27 in Quebec: 17 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1979 at 1845 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-FQBL
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Quebec - Montreal
MSN:
47
YOM:
1959
Flight number:
QB255
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
Shortly after liftoff from Quebec-Ancienne Lorette Airport, en route to Montreal-Dorval Airport, the right engine caught fire. The captain contacted ATC, declared an emergency and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. He initiated a turn to the right when the airplane lost height, struck the ground and crashed in flames about 1,300 meters short of runway. Seven passengers were seriously injured while 17 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that during initial climb, the low pressure impeller from the right (n°2) engine burst, causing the forward part of the engine to separate. The gear couldn't be raised because of engine debris damage to the electronic gear selection circuitry. This, including the exposed engine and lower cowl, increased the drag. In this configuration the aircraft wasn't capable of out-climbing obstacles straight ahead nor capable of maintaining altitude during the right hand turn. Engine separation and passenger movement resulted in the center of gravity shifting beyond its aft limit. The airspeed then decreased until the aircraft struck the ground at or below the minimum control speed (Vmc). Investigations revealed that the low pressure impeller burst due to the presence of fatigue cracks that had not been detected by the technicians in charge of the aircraft's maintenance.

Crash of a Fairchild F27A in Nouakchott

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5T-CJY
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
28
YOM:
1958
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing for unknown reasons. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Fairchild F27B in Gambell: 10 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1975 at 1357 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N4904
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nome – Savoonga – Gambell
MSN:
21
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
WC099
Location:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
28
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
6607
Captain / Total hours on type:
4626.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2738
Copilot / Total hours on type:
470
Aircraft flight hours:
26068
Circumstances:
Wien Air Alaska Flight 99, a Fairchild F27B , was a regularly scheduled passenger and cargo flight from Nome, Alaska, to Savoonga and Gambell, two villages on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. The captain's IFR flight plan, as filed with the Nome Flight Service Station (FSS), indicated a route of flight from Nome to Savoonga, via Island Intersection, then to Gambell, with a return to Nome via Island Intersection. The requested altitude was 12,000 feet and the listed alternate airports were Galena and Nome. At 1216, Flight 99 departed Nome and landed at Savoonga at 1306. The aircraft departed Savoonga at 1327 with an estimated time en route of 15 minutes to Gambell. There were 32 persons on board, 28 passengers and 4 crewmembers. When the Wien agent at Gambell heard Flight 99's radio transmissions after takeoff from Savoonga, she activated the Gambell Non Directional Beacon (NDB) . According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript, the crew identified the Gambell NDB shortly after departing Savoonga and contacted the Wien agent at Gambell. The crew gave their estimated time of arrival and requested the weather. The agent replied, "Our current weather is partial obscured sky. Visibility 1 to 1/2 miles ... 1 mile to 1/2 mile with ... and fog, Temperature is 47°, wind is calm, altimeter 29.70." Soon thereafter, Flight 99 questioned the visibility; the agent replied that it was, "sometimes about 5 miles, it's very hard to tell..." When the flight arrived in the Gambell area, the captain, who was flying the aircraft, remarked to the first officer that fog appeared to be a problem. He also stated, "We'll take a shot from this way and if we can't make it, we'll come around and hit it from that side. If we can't make it from there, we'll turn out and (come in underneath it)." The pilot then made several attempts to land. According to some surviving passengers, the aircraft descended to a low altitude over the tundra to the south of the airport during one of the approaches. During another of the approaches, ground witnesses saw the aircraft make a low pass down the runway and then a right turn out to sea before it disappeared into the fog. Some of the survivors, including the flight attendant, believed that the aircraft touched down on this approach. The CVR indicates that the crew had the runway in sight but decided to execute a missed approach because they were too far down the runway to land safely. Flight data recorder (FDR) information shows that the aircraft descended to within a few feet of the surface. According to correlated CVR/FDR information, the aircraft then turned right, flew north, and make a relatively steep turn to the right. During this turn, the first officer said that a 155° heading inbound would be perfect. Cockpit conversations during the rollout indicated that the flight passed the NDB while on a heading of 140°. The captain then called for final flaps and landing gear. When last observed by ground witnesses, the aircraft was heading southeast. It flew over a beach and near boat racks located about 240 yards northeast of the NDB. It continued its course and passed over the eastern end of some newly constructed houses just north of Troutman Lake, which is located between the runway and Sevuokuk Mountain. Ground witnesses stated that the landing gear was lowered before they saw the aircraft disappear into the fog. Ground witnesses and survivors of the crash generally agreed that there was a considerable amount of patchy fog in the area and that visibility ranged from 1/4 to 1 1/2 miles. A heading of 140° was maintained for about 28 seconds until the aircraft struck Sevuokuk Mountain at an altitude of 424 feet. Several of the passengers could see the ground and were aware of their position relative to the village of Gambell. Some of them realized that the aircraft was going to hit the mountain and braced themselves. Shortly after the aircraft entered the fog and just before impact, some witnesses and survivors heard an increase in engine sound. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and three crew members and seven passengers were killed. All other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flight crew's failure to adhere to prescribed company instrument approach procedures while attempting to land in adverse weather conditions. The following findings were reported:
- Weather in the area of the flight was below authorized minimums for an approach,
- The crew did not comply with approved instrument approach procedures during several attempts to land in instrument flight conditions,
- The runway rotating light beacon was no operating.
Final Report:

Crash of a Fairchild F27 in Baguio

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1975
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP-C874
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
17
YOM:
1958
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon touchdown at Baguio-Loakan Airport, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane slid on runway for few meters before coming to rest. All five crew members who were completing a positioning flight were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the lower lug of the oleo strut due to corrosion.

Crash of a Fairchild F27 in Daet

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PI-C875
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
10
YOM:
1958
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll on runway 06, while at a speed of 60 knots, the crew encountered technical problems with the nosewheel steering system. The airplane deviated to the right, veered off runway and came to rest against a pile of gravel. All 24 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Fairchild F27 in Istanbul

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1972 at 0915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TC-KOC
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bursa - Istanbul
MSN:
81
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
TK012
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
37
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the airplane belly landed on runway 06/24 and slid for dozen meters before coming to rest. All 40 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Fairchild F27 near Valledupar: 19 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1139
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Bogotá - Valledupar
MSN:
75
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
VC772
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
The crew started the descent to Valledupar-Alfonso Lopez Airport in limited visibility when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located few dozen km from Valledupar. The wreckage was found three days later and all 19 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain due to a premature descent.

Crash of a Fairchild F-27J in Inuvik

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-GNG
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
114
YOM:
1965
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing at Inuvik Airport, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of a technical issue with propellers as only one was in fine pitch, causing asymmetric thrust.