Portugal

The aircraft departed Ponta Delgada Airport at 0930LT on a schedule flight to Horta, carrying 31 passengers and a crew of four. The weather en route was affected by a frontal system with scattered cumulonimbus, heavy showers, turbulence and strong winds from the southwest. The crew decided to alter their flight plan, opting for a route that included approach descent over the channel between Pico and São Jorge islands to intercept the 250 degree VOR/VFL Horta radial. Horta tower initially cleared the flight to FL100. The crew then requested and were cleared to descent to 5,000 feet with the instruction of maintaining visual contact with Pico Island. During the descent heavy rain and turbulence were encountered. Seven minutes after initiating the descent, while in IMC conditions, the airplane impacted the northern hillside of Pico da Esperança (1067 metres high) located on São Jorge Island. It was later reported that the GPWS alarm sounded 17 seconds before impact. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 35 occupants were killed.

The four engine aircraft was completing a mail flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada and Lajes and back to Lisbon. On the last leg from Lajes to Lisbon, the cargo consisted of 1,693,5 kg of cargo and mail. Shortly after takeoff from runway 33, while in initial climb, the engine n°3 failed and its propeller autofeathered. Six seconds later, the engine n°4 failed as well. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in hilly terrain not far from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all seven occupants were killed.

Because of construction works on runway 35, the threshold at Porto was displaced by 760 metres. This was published in a Notam but during the flight preparation at Madrid-Barajas Airport, the crew was not informed about this notice. Following an uneventful flight, the crew was cleared to descent and received instructions for a landing on runway 35 but no information about the displaced threshold. On final approach, the controller realized that the aircraft was approaching too low and instructed the crew to 'overshoot please'. The crew did not react to this instruction and continued the approach when the aircraft undershot the displaced threshold and landed in the construction area. It struck several trenches which caused the undercarriage to be torn off and slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest on the runway. All 37 occupants were evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

After takeoff from Ponta Delgada-Nordela Airport, the aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height. It collided with power lines, stalled and crashed in the sea few dozen metres offshore. All seven crew members were killed.

En route from Lisbon to Bragança, while cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet over clouds, the right engine suffered vibration. Few minutes later, the crew decided to shut it down and its propeller was feathered. As the crew was unable to maintain a safe altitude on one engine, he decided to descend and to attempt an emergency landing on a road. On final, the aircraft struck trees and crashed. All four occupants were slightly injured.

At 0552LT, the aircraft departed Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport on a charter flight to Faro. The flight had been delayed for 40 minutes due to n°2 engine reverser problems. After a flight of 2 hours and 17 minutes, the crew was cleared to descend to FL070. Shortly afterwards Faro Approach Control provided the crew with the following weather: wind 15°/18 knots; 2,500 metres visibility, thunderstorms with 3/8 clouds at 500 feet, 7/8 clouds at 2,300 feet and 1/8 cumulonimbus at 2,500 feet, OAT 16° C. Clearance to descend to 1,220 metres was given at 0820LT, followed by a clearance to 915 metres and 650 metres 4, respectively 6 minutes later. At 0829LT the crew were informed that the runway was flooded. At an altitude of 303 metres and at a speed of 140 knots, the aircraft became unstable and at 177 metres the first officer switched the autopilot from CMD (command mode) to CWS (control-wheel steering). One minute later it was switched from CWS to manual and the airspeed began falling below approach reference speed. About 3-4 seconds short of touchdown, elevator was pulled to pitch up and engine power was increased. When the n°3 and 5 spoilers extended, the aircraft banked to the right to an angle of 25°. The right main gear struck the the runway surface with a rate of descent of 900 feet per minute and at a speed of 126 knots. With a nose up attitude of 8,79° and a roll angle of 5,62°, the aircraft touched down with a positive acceleration of 1,95 g. Upon impact, the right wing separated while the aircraft slid down the runway and came to rest 1,100 metres from the runway 11 threshold and 100 metres to the right of the centreline, bursting into flames. Two crew members and 54 passengers were killed while 284 other occupants were evacuated, among them 106 were seriously injured.

The twin engine airplane departed Ponta Delgada Airport at 1449LT on a survey flight over the Atlantic ocean to trace shoals of tuna, carrying two passengers, one observer and one pilot. At 1751LT, the mission was over and the pilot was cleared to descend to Horta Airport. On final approach to runway 29, after being cleared to land, the aircraft entered a right turn then lost height and crashed 600 meters to the right of the runway 29 extended centerline. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

Independent Air flight IDN1851, a Boeing 707, departed Bergamo, Italy (BGY) at 10:04 UTC for a flight to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) via Santa Maria, Azores (SMA). At 13:56:47 Santa Maria Tower cleared the flight to descend to 3000 feet for a runway 19 ILS approach: "Independent Air one eight five one roger reclear to three thousand feet on QNH one zero two seven and runway will be one niner." In that transmission, the trainee controller had transmitted an incorrect QNH that was 9 hPa too high. The actual QNH was 1018.7 hPa. After a brief pause the message resumed at 13:56:59: "expect ILS approach runway one niner report reaching three thousand." This transmission was not recorded on the voice recorder of Flight 1851, probably because the first officer keyed his mike and read back: "We’re recleared to 2,000 feet and ah ... ." The first officer paused from 13:57:02 to 13:57:04, then unkeyed the mike momentarily. This transmission was not recorded on the ATS tapes. In the cockpit, the first officer questioned aloud the QNH value, but the captain agreed that the first officer had correctly understood the controller. After being cleared for the ILS approach the crew failed to accomplish an approach briefing, which would have included a review of the approach plate and minimum safe altitude. If the approach plate had been properly studied, they would have noticed that the minimum safe altitude was 3,000 feet and not 2,000 feet, as it had been understood, and they would have noticed the existence and elevation of Pico Alto. At 14:06, the flight was 7.5 nm from the point of impact, and beginning to level at 2,000 feet (610 meters) in light turbulence at 250 KIAS. At 14:07, the flight was over Santa Barbara and entering clouds at approximately 700 feet (213 meters) AGL in heavy turbulence at 223 KIAS. At 14:07:52, the captain said, "Can’t keep this SOB thing straight up and down". At approximately 14:08, the radio altimeter began to whine, followed by the GPWS alarm as the aircraft began to climb because of turbulence, but there was no reaction on the part of the flight crew. At 14:08:12, the aircraft was level when it impacted a mountain ridge of Pico Alto. It collided with a rock wall on the side of a road at the mountain top at an altitude of approximately 1,795 feet (547 meters) AMSL.