Region

Crash of a Piper PA-31T-620 Cheyenne II in Cascais: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 2017 at 1204 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HB-LTI
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Cascais – Marseille
MSN:
31T-8020091
YOM:
1980
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
4900
Aircraft flight hours:
8323
Circumstances:
On April 17th, at 11:04 UTC, the aircraft turboprop Piper PA-31 Cheyenne II, registration HBLTI, private property, took off from runway 17 of the Cascais aerodrome (LPCS) bound to Marseille airport (LFML), IFR private flight, with 1 pilot and 3 passengers on board. According to several eyewitness testimonies, after takeoff, the Swiss twin-engine started to put the left wing down and consequently to turn left while climbing slowly to about 300’ feet of altitude. The left bank1 increased and the speed decreased leading the aircraft to stall. The aircraft entered a steep dive and impacted the ground next to a logistics dock of a local supermarket, located southeast of the airfield. The crash occurred 700 m from the end of the departure runway. Following the impact, the aircraft exploded and caught fire affecting a logistic dock, a house and a truck. The aircraft was destroyed by impact force and the post-collision fire, all the four occupants were killed. The driver of the truck affected by the explosion of the plane was also killed. The fuselage, wings, the engines and propellers were severely damaged by the impact force and post-impact fuel-fed fire. The structural damage to the aircraft was consistent with the application of extensive structural loads during the impact sequence, and the effects of the subsequent fire. No pre-crash structural defects were found. All aircraft parts and control surfaces were located at the site. The flaps and the landing gear were found retracted at the time of impact.
Probable cause:
- The pilot’s failure to maintain the airplane control following the power loss in the left critical engine. The root cause for the left engine failure could not be determined due to the extensive impact damages and intensive fire.
Contributing factors:
- Lack of proper pilot training especially concerning the emergency scenario of critical engine failure immediately after takeoff.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules at Montijo AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 2016 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
16804
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Montijo AFB - Montijo AFB
MSN:
4777
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training exercise at Montijo AFB, consisting of touch-and-go maneuvers. During the takeoff roll on runway 26, the four engine aircraft deviated from the centerline to the left then went out of control, veered off runway to the right and eventually crashed 1,460 meters past the runway threshold, bursting into flames. Four crew members were injured while three others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter in Ferreira do Alentejo: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 2016 at 1750 LT
Operator:
Registration:
D-FSCB
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Figueira dos Cavaleiros - Figueira dos Cavaleiros
MSN:
634
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1400
Captain / Total hours on type:
900.00
Aircraft flight hours:
6556
Circumstances:
On the afternoon of the 19th of June 2016 a Pilatus PC-6 aircraft, German registration DFSCB, took off from the airfield of Figueira dos Cavaleiros (LPFC) for its 17th launch of skydivers that day. On this flight there were 8 persons on board: 1 pilot, 5 skydivers and 2 passengers that were jumping in tandem with two of the skydivers. The meteorology featured a day with clear sky, the wind blew from 040° with 10 kt and the air temperature was around 32° C. The Pilatus took off for a local skydiving training flight and started a climb to an altitude of 14.500 ft. During the initial climb at a rate of 1.000 feet per minute, when crossing 7.000 feet above mean sea level, according to some of the skydivers in the group, a sound similar to the cracking/ripping of a metal structure was heard, and simultaneously the aircraft pitched up to a high nose-up attitude while yawing to the right, causing a severe flight instability. Suddenly, the entire rear fuselage structure disintegrated. According to the reports, some occupants were pushed against the structure of the aircraft before they were thrown outside. During the following seconds the skydivers who did not suffer serious injuries, managed to jump out of the plane and triggered their parachutes. Two of them were seriously injured before leaving the aircraft, their emergency parachutes being automatically deployed by the barometric opening mechanism. As a result, the disintegration of the remaining aircraft parts continued until the impact with the ground. Fragments of the aircraft parts were found over a length of approximately 1.500 meters and a width of about 500 meters and were widely dispersed, with an alignment with the direction of flight from west to east. The pilot was thrown out of the remains of the cockpit and hit the ground at about 400 meters from the impact site of the cabin. He did not trigger his parachute and it was not, nor is it a procedure to be equipped with an emergency parachute with an automatic barometric opening mechanism.
Probable cause:
The investigation considers that, after the fracture of the HT-trim attachment accessory, the horizontal stabilizer was loose, uncontrolled and vibrated, causing the fracture of the left side of the horizontal stabilizer.
Contributing factors:
- Failure on the inspection method by part 145 organization to the critical parts identified on SB 53-001 R1.
- The weakness of regulator (ANAC) oversight to the aircraft operator.
Final Report: