Ferry

Approaching Kisangani, the single engine airplane descended into trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located 34 km of Kisangani, bursting into flames. A passenger was seriously injured and six other occupants were killed. The airplane was ferried to Kisangani to be subject to a technical inspection by the Authority to officially authorize the operation of the aircraft in accordance with the regulations in force. According to Authorities, the control tower at Kisangani Airport was unaware of this flight.

Shortly after takeoff from runway 05 at Southend Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine airplane rolled to the left then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a grassy area nearby the runway, bursting into flames. The airplane was returning to its base in Lelystad following an ambulance flight from Athens to Southend with an intermediate stop in Pula. All four occupants, two pilots, one doctor and one nurse were killed.

While on a ferry flight from Sebastian to Palatka, the single engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a dense wooded area located in Codys Corner, Florida. The airplane was totally destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The business jet landed on the runway at the completion of a visual approach with the landing gear retracted. The airplane slid to a stop, and a post-crash fire ensued which resulted in the airplane sustaining substantial damage. The two pilots, the sole occupants, egressed the airplane successfully without injury. In telephone interviews and written statements, the pilots each stated that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded deployment of the landing gear and a successful landing. The first officer further stated that the gear warning was only audible in the left seat (Captain’s) headset and was not heard in her headset (right seat) or the overhead speaker, and that the communications panel had a “history” of problems. Review of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) confirmed the limitations of the airplane’s communication system, that the crew was aware of them, and that they discussed and debated how to mitigate the system’s limitations. The review also revealed that during the flights on the day of the accident, the performance of Before-Starting-Engines, Engine Start, Before Taxi, Before Takeoff, Before Landing and other tasks did not comport with the manufacturer’s checklists and were sometimes performed without any verbal communication between crew members. The CVR recording further revealed that the captain removed his headset due to a 500Hz “squeal” that he failed to identify as the gear warning horn, and consequently missed the repeating, “too low, gear” aural warning that followed.

A Piper PA-31 Navajo operated by Airborne Energy Solutions Inc. was conducting a round robin instrument flight rules flight from Calgary International Airport (CYYC), AB, to Hinton/Entrance Aerodrome (CEE4), AB, and back to CYYC with only the pilot on board. The plan was to conduct the flight without refueling in CEE4. Prior to departure from CEE4, the pilot determined there was sufficient fuel for the return flight to CYYC. While in cruise, with the left engine being supplied by the left outboard tank, the pilot observed the left engine fuel pressure start to fluctuate, and the engine operation became erratic. The pilot then selected the left engine to run on the left inboard fuel tank. Concerned about the fuel quantity in the left-wing fuel tanks, the pilot elected to cross feed the left engine from the right-side fuel system. During the final approach into CYYC the right engine stopped running. The pilot secured the right engine, feathered the propeller, declared a Mayday with ATS and elected to continue the approach. Two to three minutes later, the left engine stopped operating, and the pilot proceeded to perform a forced approach onto a golf course located directly south of the approach end for Runway 35R. The aircraft came to a rest approximately 1/2 nm south of the threshold for Runway 35R. The pilot received minor injuries; however, the aircraft was substantially damaged. There was no post-accident fire. On site post-accident examination of the aircraft found the left-hand fuel selector in the outboard position, the right-hand fuel selector in the off position and the cross-feed valve in the off (normal) position. The aircraft was subsequently removed from the golf course and transported to a secure location for further investigation. The investigation found that there was no fuel remaining in the left inboard, left outboard and left nacelle fuel tanks. The right nacelle tank was empty, however approximately 24 USG were recovered from the right inboard, and approximately 29 USG were recovered from the right outboard fuel tanks.

The airplane departed Dunkirk-Chautauqua County Airport, State of New York, on a ferry flight to Fort-Lauderdale-Executive Airport, carrying a crew of two. After he reached the altitude of 10,000 feet, the crew reported technical problems with the onboard electric system and elected to divert to Jamestown-Chautauqua County Airport. On final approach to runway 25, at an airspeed of 157 knots and with a rate of descent of 1,000 feet per minute, the airplane impacted the ground at runway threshold and went out of control. It caught fire, veered off runway to the left and came to rest in a grassy area, bursting into flames. Both crew members were rescued with various injuries. The airplane was totally destroyed by fire.

The airplane departed Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport, carrying technical engineers and staff of the airline. The airplane was ferried to Pokhara to proceed with a C-check maintenance program. At 05:25:55, the aircraft rotated near 120 knots computed airspeed. It attained a pitch up of 13 degrees within 4 seconds (15 degrees in 6 seconds) at a maximum calculated pitch rate of 8.6 degrees/second, and the aircraft rolled 26 degrees right at a maximum calculated roll rate of 15.5 degrees/second. The maximum pitch rate was obtained over a 0.25 s window, while sampling at 4 Hz. During this 3 second period, the aircraft reached 131 knots computed airspeed and 11 feet radio height (18 feet change in pressure altitude). At this time, the stick shaker activated on both sides for a duration of 4 seconds, which coincided with an unidentified GPWS audio message. The fuselage angle of attack recorded 6.9 degrees during the activation. Take-off During the subsequent 4 seconds from 05:26:01 to 05:26:05, the aircraft rolled left up to 55 degrees at a recorded roll rate of 36.6 degrees/second. The aircraft remained approximately 15 degrees nose up and ground peed remained steady around 147 knots. The radio height increased to 77 feet (95 feet change in pressure altitude). The N1 engine power remained constant at 92%. The stick shaker deactivated for 1 second, followed by another activation for 2 seconds correlating with another GPWS audio message. The stick pusher was also activated on both sides during the second stick shaker activation, which was immediately followed by a pitch down and a GPWS Pull Up message. At approximately 05:26:05, the aircraft rolled right reaching 94.6 degrees at the maximum capable recorded roll rate of 56.1 degrees/second. The aircraft pitched up to 19 degrees, followed by a reduction to 2 degrees pitch (recorded rate of -8.1 degrees/second) during the maximum roll angle. During the entire take-off, the heading changed by 12 degrees. The vertical acceleration ranged from 0.40G to 1.69G and the lateral acceleration peaked at 1.54G during the maximum roll rate. Impact into Terrain The final recorded value of the radio height was at 63 feet during a roll of 30 degrees right with pitch ranging between -3 degrees and 1 degree. The speed was 142 computed airspeed with the fuselage angle of attack reaching between 8 and 12 degrees. The last recorded location is approximately 6100 feet from the threshold of runway 02, just prior to taxiway Juliet. The aircraft impacted the terrain East of the runway at 27°42’3’’ North and 85°21’42’’ East. The right wing made first impact on the ground. There onwards, the impact trail extended by around 1000 ft towards the east of the runway. The captain was seriously injured while 18 other occupants were killed.

The airplane departed Lukhovitsy-Tretyakovo Airport at 1452LT on a ferry flight to Moscow-Vnukovo Airport, carrying a crew of three. About eight minutes after takeoff, it entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an almost vertical attitude in a dense wooded area located near the village of Bokovo-Akulovo, some 37 km northwest of Tretyakovo Airport. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all three crew members were killed. The airplane was ferried back to Moscow following a maintenance program at Tretyakovo Airport.

The pilot departed runway 19 at Albany International Airport on a ferry flight to Montreal. After takeoff, while climbing, the pilot informed ATC about engine trouble and was able to climb to an altitude of about 800 feet when the airplane entered a left descending turn. It later gained a little altitude then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a residential area, bursting into flames. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed. The airplane was en route to Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

On the morning of 10 November 2023, a Cessna 421C, registered VH-VPY, departed the Sunshine Coast Airport, Queensland for a transpacific international ferry flight to Oakland, California in the United States. Two pilots were on board to conduct the flight, where the first leg was planned to stop at Pago Pago, American Samoa. The aircraft was configured with additional ferry fuel tanks to ensure sufficient fuel was available between the stops for the extended journey across the open ocean. Approximately 50 minutes after departure, the left engine failed and the pilots initiated a return to the Sunshine Coast. During the return leg the pilots identified that the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and calculations based on the descent rate indicated they would be unable to reach the Sunshine Coast. The pilots notified air traffic control of their intention to ditch, who immediately engaged the national search and rescue service provider. After considering the configuration of the aircraft, the pilots elected not to follow the aircraft manufacturer’s guidance on ditching. They configured the aircraft to avoid a nose down attitude on touchdown and allowed their airspeed to slow before the aircraft contacted the water. Both occupants were uninjured and exited through the rear door. After deploying the emergency life raft, both pilots were retrieved by a rescue helicopter 32 minutes after ditching. The aircraft sank and was not recovered.