Piper PA-31 Cheyenne

Johannes Ruttinger Systemtechnik

Operator:

Registration:

OE-FKG

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kassel-Calden - Toulouse

MSN:

31-8020036

YOM:

1980

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1145

Captain / Total hours on type:

217.00

Aircraft flight hours:

7300

Aircraft flight cycles:

5434

Circumstances:

The pilot, accompanied by three passengers who were family members, took off at 1835LT from Kassel-Calden Airport (Germany) for a private flight under IFR to Toulouse-Blagnac. After about three hours of flight, he was cleared for approach and received radar vectoring for the runway 14R ILS. During the last exchange with the controller, as the aeroplane was on final at 900 feet, the pilot stated that he had a problem without specifying what type, as the message was interrupted. Shortly afterwards, radar and radio contact was lost. The wreckage was found close to the threshold of runway 14R. Two passengers were rescued while the pilot and another passenger were killed. The occupants were four members of the same family : the parents and two children, a boy aged nine and a girl aged 13. While the parents were killed upon impact, the daughter died from her injuries a day later and the boy died three days later.

Probable cause:

Causes of the Accident:
It is likely that during the final approach, a right engine anomaly, detected by the pilot, led to power asymmetry. As a result of a high workload, during the phase of deceleration and gear and flap extension, the pilot likely did not monitor the indicated airspeed, or noted a decrease in it. He may then have encountered difficulties in managing the power asymmetry before losing control of the aeroplane.
The following factors may have contributed to the accident:
- continuation of a fast arrival in a cloud layer, at night to a height of about 1,000 feet before configuring the aeroplane to land, which resulted in a significant increase in the pilot’s workload during processing of the anomaly;
- probable fascination with the objective given the proximity of the runway and the attraction induced by the approach lights;
- degraded type rating training to adapt to the pilot’s constraints during its renewal;
- absence of specific exercises relating to the conduct of a single engine approach at a speed close to VMCA, in the type rating training for single pilot multi-engine high performance aeroplanes.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II in Valparaiso

Date & Time: Apr 15, 2011 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Línea de Aeroservicios - LASSA

Operator:

Registration:

CC-CZC

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Robinson Crusoe Island - Valparaiso

MSN:

31-7920072

YOM:

1979

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7396

Captain / Total hours on type:

1092.00

Aircraft flight hours:

7168

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed Robinson Crusoe Island on a cargo flight to Valparaiso, carrying one passenger, one pilot and a load consisting of 1,000 lbs of lobsters. Upon landing at Valparaiso Airport in good weather conditions, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway, crossed a road and came to rest in a wooded area located along the highway. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and both occupants escaped with minor injuries.

Probable cause:

The most likely cause of the accident would have been the loss of control of the aircraft when performing the flare, caused by a loss of lift (stall), because the CofG was beyond the rear limit.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The aircraft was unstable on its longitudinal axis because the CofG was too far aft,
- The cargo was not properly secured in the cabin.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II near La Fragua Dam: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 2010 at 1020 LT

Type of aircraft:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Operator:

Registration:

XB-MPV

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Piedras Negras - Piedras Negras

MSN:

31-7820077

YOM:

1978

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft was chartered by the State of Coahuila to conduct a survey flight of the area around Piedras Negras following recent floods and damages caused by hurricane Alex. The aircraft departed Piedras Negras Airport at 0930LT bound to the northwest. En route, while performing an aerial inspection of the area around the La Fragua Lake, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found 600 metres south of the La Fragua Dam, about 35 km northwest of Piedras Negras Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all 8 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Juan Roberto Rendón, pilot,
Guillermo Ainsle Ibarra, copilot.
Passengers:
Horacio del Bosque Dávila, Coahuila's Secretary of Public works,
José Manuel Maldonado Maldonado, Mayor of Piedras Negras,
Ricardo Garza Bermea, Director of the Piedras Negras Civil Protection,
David Rey Chavira Jiménez,
Guillermo Ainsle Montemayor,
Alfonso Ainsle Montemayor.

Crash of a Piper PA-31 Cheyenne in Bankstown: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 2010 at 0805 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VH-PGW

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Ambulance

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Bankstown - Brisbane - Albury

MSN:

31-8414036

YOM:

1984

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2435

Captain / Total hours on type:

779.00

Aircraft flight hours:

6266

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft, with a pilot and a flight nurse on board, was being operated by Skymaster Air Services under the instrument flight rules (IFR) on a flight from Bankstown Airport, New South Wales (NSW) to Archerfield Airport, Queensland. The aircraft was being positioned to Archerfield for a medical patient transfer flight from Archerfield to Albury, NSW. The aircraft departed Bankstown at 0740 Eastern Standard Time. At 0752, the pilot reported to air traffic control (ATC) that he was turning the aircraft around as he was having ‘a few problems. At about 0806, the aircraft collided with a powerline support pole located on the eastern side of the intersection of Sackville Street and Canley Vale Road, Canley Vale, NSW. The pilot and flight nurse sustained fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed by impact damage and a post-impact fire.

Probable cause:

Contributing safety factors:
• While the aircraft was climbing to 9,000 feet the right engine sustained a power problem and the pilot subsequently shut down that engine.
• Following the shutdown of the right engine, the aircraft's descent profile was not optimized for one engine inoperative flight.
• The pilot conducted a descent towards Bankstown Airport that was consistent with a normal arrival profile without first verifying that the aircraft was capable of achieving adequate performance with one engine inoperative.
• Following the engine problem, the aircraft's flightpath and the pilot’s communication with air traffic control indicated that the pilot's situation awareness was less than optimal.
• The aircraft collided with a powerline support pole on the eastern side of the intersection of Sackville Street and Canley Vale Road, Canley Vale, about 6 km north-west of Bankstown Airport.
Other safety factors:
• The pilot did not broadcast a PAN following the engine shutdown and did not provide air traffic control with further information about the nature of the problem in order for the controller to positively establish the severity of the situation.
• Section 4 of Civil Aviation Advisory Publication (CAAP) 5.23-2(0), Multi-engine Aeroplane Operations and Training of July 2007 did not contain sufficient guidance material to support the flight standard in Appendix A subsection 1.2 of the CAAP relating to Engine Failure in the Cruise. [Minor safety issue]
Other key finding:
• Given the pilot’s extensive experience and testing in the PA-31 aircraft type, and subsequent endorsement training on a high performance turboprop multi-engine aircraft since the issue by CASA in 2008 of a safety alert in respect of the pilot’s PA-31 endorsement, it was unlikely that any deficiencies in that endorsement training contributed to the accident.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T-620 Cheyenne II in Forest City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 2010 at 1355 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Mayes Aviation

Registration:

N250TT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Chesterfield – Forest City

MSN:

31-7820050

YOM:

1978

Location:

Forest City

Iowa

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10352

Aircraft flight hours:

9048

Circumstances:

A witness reported that the multi-engine turboprop airplane was on final approach to land when it suddenly veered to the left and entered a rapid descent. The witness stated that he heard the "whine of the engines" before the airplane impacted terrain about 1/2 mile south of the runway threshold. In the days preceding the accident flight, the airplane had been at a maintenance facility to resolve a vibration in the rudder system while the autopilot system was engaged. There were no anomalies reported with the autopilot system during a test flight completed immediately before the accident flight. However, anomalies with the rate gyro were noted by a mechanic who recommended replacing it, but the pilot departed on the accident flight without the recommended repair having been completed. Further, examination of the autopilot annunciator panel indicated that the autopilot was likely not engaged at the time of impact, likely because the airplane was on a short final approach for landing. Accordingly, any existing autopilot faults would not have affected the flight as the autopilot system was likely not in use. There were no failures identified with the primary flight controls, engines, or propellers that would have prevented the pilot from maintaining control of the airplane manually. Toxicological testing revealed the presence of Zolpidem in the pilot's blood (Zolpidem, the trade name for Ambien, is used for short-term treatment of insomnia); however, the reported levels would likely not have resulted in any impairment.

Probable cause:

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during final approach.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II-XL in Harrison: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 2009 at 1845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Cheyenne Sales & Leasing

Registration:

N85EM

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Charlevoix - Tiffin

MSN:

31-8166055

YOM:

1981

Location:

Harrison

Michigan

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

13000

Aircraft flight hours:

9436

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff in the pressurized twin-engine airplane, the pilot was cleared to climb and maintain 16,000 feet. The pilot reported passing through instrument conditions with heavy snow and that he cleared the tops of the clouds at 7,000 feet. The pilot was then cleared to climb and maintain flight level (FL) 230. Radar data showed the airplane's altitude and course varied throughout the flight after having reached FL 230. Several times during the flight the air traffic controller questioned the pilot regarding his altitude and/or course. Each time the pilot responded that he was at the correct altitude and/or course. The radar data showed that after each of these conversations, the airplane would return to the assigned altitude and/or course. The controller then informed the pilot that, because radar showed the airplane’s altitude fluctuating between FL 224 and FL 237, he was going to have to descend out of positive controller airspace. The pilot acknowledged this transmission. The controller instructed the pilot to descend to 17,000 feet. The last transmission from the pilot was when he acknowledged the descent. Radar data showed that one minute later the airplane was at FL 234. During the last minute and 12 seconds of radar data, the airplane reversed its course and descended from FL 233 to FL 214, at which time radar data was lost. Witnesses reported hearing loud engine sounds and seeing the airplane in a spiraling descent until ground impact. Post accident inspection of the engines did not identify any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Most of the fuselage was consumed by fire; however, flight control continuity was established. Given the pilot’s experience and the flight’s altitude and course variations the investigation considered that the pilot may have suffered from hypoxia; however, due to the post impact fire the functionality of the airplane’s pressurization system could not be observed and no conclusive determination could be made that the pilot as impaired.

Probable cause:

A loss of aircraft control for undetermined reasons.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T-500 Cheyenne I in Buenos Aires: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 2008 at 0619 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Avia Center

Registration:

LV-MYX

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Buenos Aires-San Fernando

Schedule:

Buenos Aires – Victoria

MSN:

31-7904045

YOM:

1979

Location:

Buenos Aires City

Country:

Argentina

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

13109

Captain / Total hours on type:

31.00

Circumstances:

Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 05 at Buenos Aires-San Fernando Airport, the pilot initiated a left turn at low altitude when the twin engine aircraft collided with two poles and two parked trucks then crashed on the ground, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

A loss of power on the left engine shortly after takeoff for undetermined reasons.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- A probable inadequate compliance with emergency procedures,
- Probable little and discontinuous flight activity on the aircraft type during the year 2008,
- Low turn.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II in Charallave: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 2008 at 2321 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Dovler Mangelli Fonialli

Registration:

YV-1165

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga

Schedule:

San Cristóbal – Charallave

MSN:

31-7820067

YOM:

1978

Location:

Miranda

Country:

Venezuela

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed San Cristóbal-Paramillo Airport on a private flight to Charallave with two passengers and one pilot on board. At 2319LT, he was cleared for a VOR-DME approach to runway 10. It was dark but the visibility was about 10 km. Shortly later, another aircraft on approach declared an emergency and became priority. The pilot was instructed to follow a holding pattern when two minutes later, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded and hilly terrain, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found the following morning 5,5 km northeast of the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Given the circumstances in which the accident occurred, it would be considered a CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) type accident, which occurs as a result of unintentional impact on the ground, when the aircraft is under the control of the pilot in command. It is considered that the most probable cause of the accident was the loss of situational awareness, caused mainly by the concern that he was becoming distracted by the emergency of the aircraft preceding him on the approach, because of his administrative relationship with this aircraft and its crew.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II in Foremost

Date & Time: Apr 25, 2008 at 1430 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

C-FRJE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site: