Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Voznesenskoye

Date & Time: Jun 27, 2010 at 1545 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-62631
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G178-23
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2643
Captain / Total hours on type:
2643.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
645
Copilot / Total hours on type:
645
Aircraft flight hours:
3208
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a survey flight while in a fire fighting program. In flight, the engine failed and the crew elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft stalled and crashed in the Varnavka River. Both pilots and the passenger were injured while the aircraft sank and was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a forced landing on the water surface due to unstable operation of the engine after a loss of power which was caused by the re-enrichment of the fuel-air mixture because of jamming of the needle valve of the left float chamber of the carburetor. The most probable reason for jamming of the needle valve of the left float chamber is its clogging by foreign particles that resulted from failure to comply with section 2.02.01.20 of the rules of maintenance of the AN-2 while performing 100-hour maintenance works due to lack of RTO requirements for mandatory compliance.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune in Reno: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 2008 at 1810 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N4235T
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Reno - Reno
MSN:
726-7285
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
Tanker 09
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
9520
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2812
Aircraft flight hours:
10217
Circumstances:
Just after the airplane's landing gear was retracted during takeoff for a retardant drop mission, a ball of fire was observed coming out of the left jet engine before the airplane rolled steeply to the left and descended into the terrain. Prior to takeoff, the captain said he would make the takeoff and provided a takeoff briefing concerning the runway to be used and his intentions should an emergency develop. Shortly thereafter, the captain informed the co-pilot that this would actually be his (the co-pilot's) takeoff. On the cockpit voice recorder, the co-pilot stated "Same briefing (sound of laughter)". The co-pilot did not give an additional takeoff briefing beyond the one given by the captain and the captain did not ask the co-pilot to give one. During the initial climb, the captain said he detected a fire on the left side of the airplane and the copilot responded that he was holding full right aileron. At no point did either pilot call for the jettisoning of the retardant load as required by company standard operating procedures, or verbally enunciate the jet engine fire emergency checklist. Recorded data showed that the airplane's airspeed then decayed below the minimum air control speed, which resulted in an increased roll rate to the left and impact with terrain. The 11th stage compressor disc of the left jet engine failed in fatigue, which caused a catastrophic failure of the compressor section and the initiation of the engine fire. Metallurgical examination of the fracture identified several origin points at scratches in the surface finish of the disk. The scratches were too small to have been observed with the approved inspection procedures used by the company. A review of the FAA sanctioned Approved Aircraft Inspection Program, revealed no shortcomings or anomalies in the performance or documentation of the program. A post-accident examination of the airframe and three remaining engines revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Probable cause:
The failure of the flight crew to maintain airspeed above in-flight minimum control speed (Vmca) after losing power in the left jet engine during initial climb after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the crew's inadequate cockpit resource management procedures, the failure of the captain to assume command of the airplane during the emergency, the flight crew's failure to carry out the jet engine fire emergency procedure, and the failure of the crew to jettison the retardant load.
Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Novoternovskiy: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 2008 at 0950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-68068
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
1G193-38
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
In the early morning, the crew took off with this aircraft that was not airworthy for a survey mission (fire fighting). The crew did not file any flight plan and continued the mission without any contact with ATC. Approaching Novoternovskiy, weather conditions worsened and the horizontal visibility dropped to 10 metres due to thick fog. The crew reduced his altitude to 5 metres in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground when the pilot saw a the structure of an irrigation complex. At a height of 5 metres, he made a steep turn to the left at an angle of 45° to avoid the collision when the aircraft plunged to the earth and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of the combination of the following factors:
- The pilots decided to carry out the mission without filing any flight plan, without authorization from ATC and without information related to the weather conditions,
- The aircraft was operated with documents which were not up to date although its certificate of airworthiness had expired since October 2000 and it was no longer on the Russian Federation Civil Aircraft Registry,
- The pilot-in-command was not authorized to fly as a captain and was flying for the first time following a long haul period.

Crash of a Canadair CL-215-1A10 in Duru Lake

Date & Time: Oct 4, 2007 at 1844 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-SRME
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Istanbul - Istanbul
MSN:
1049
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed Istanbul-Atatürk Airport in the afternoon on a fire fighting mission. While completing a scooping manoeuver in Lake Duru located about 50 km northwest of Istanbul, the aircraft crashed and burned. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed. It was leased from Società Richerche Esperienze Meteorologiche (SOREM) to the Municipality of Istanbul (Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi).

Crash of a Canadair CL-415-6B11 near Acciano: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 2007 at 1806 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-DPCX
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Pescara - Pescara
MSN:
2045
YOM:
2000
Flight number:
CAN19
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
6240
Captain / Total hours on type:
1321.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1200
Copilot / Total hours on type:
55
Aircraft flight hours:
2742
Circumstances:
The crew departed Pescara-Liberi Airport at 1719LT on a fire fighting mission in the Sirente-Velino Regional Natural Park under callsign CAN19. While approaching the area under fire, the aircraft initiated a slight turn to the right when it collided with the top of a hill and disintegrated, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found at an altitude of 1,155 metres near Acciano. While the copilot was seriously injured, the captain was killed.
Probable cause:
Even if it was not possible to define with certainty why the aircraft impacted against the ground, it is nevertheless considered reasonable that the impact occurred as a result of improper management of the manoeuvre by the crew, the result of an inadequate assessment by the crew of the flight altitude with respect to the top of the hill and the critical environmental conditions, characterized by the presence of strong turbulence, strong wind and visibility affected by the presence of smoke. (The cause of the accident would therefore be substantially due to human and environmental factors).
Final Report:

Crash of a Canadair CL-415-6B11 in Diliso: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 2007 at 1546 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
2055
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
2055
YOM:
2001
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a fire fighting mission in the region of Diliso, on the Evia Island, with four other water bomber and two helicopters. While approaching the zone under fire, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed, killing both occupants.

Crash of a Canadair CL-215-1A10 off Patroklos Island

Date & Time: Jul 6, 2006 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1112
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1112
YOM:
1990
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was taking part to a fire fighting mission on the Tzia Island. While returning to scope in the Saronic Gulf, the aircraft struck a wave and came to rest off the Patroklos Island. Both pilots were rescued by the crew of a Super Puma helicopter from the Greek Navy while the aircraft was recovered but damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Grumman S2F-1 Tracker in Valgorge: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 2005 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBFE
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Marseille - Marseille
MSN:
32
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
Pélican 17
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
3400
Copilot / Total flying hours:
5300
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Marseille-Marignane and was dispatched in an area west of Aubenas to fight a forest fire with one other Tracker, one De Havilland DHC-8 and two Canadair CL-415. After a first Tracker successfully dropped its retardant, the second Tracker approached the area when it collided with hilly terrain and crashed, bursting into flames. Both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Régis Huillier, pilot,
Albert Pouzoulet, pilot.

Crash of a Canadair CL-415 in Calvi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 2005 at 1005 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBEO
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Ajaccio - Ajaccio
MSN:
2011
YOM:
1995
Flight number:
Pélican 36
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
After take-off from Ajaccio Airport and a first scooping, the fleet composed of three planes with respective callsigns Pelican 44, Pelican 36 and Pelican 37 intervened on a fire at Piétramaggiore, near Calvi, Corsica, France. A first sector of the fire zone was treated by six passes. During the two following passages, the fleet dropped on another sector of the fire. Pelican 36 began its last scooping in the Gulf of Revellata at heading 250°, three minutes and fourteen seconds before the accident. At the end, it gained height and continued the circuit to arrive on the drop axis. The "doubling" action consists of releasing the water load at the precise location of the previous aircraft's release. During the last turn, it reached an altitude of 2,160 feet. Pelican 36 was observed on a trajectory estimated to be consistent by the crew of the following aircraft (Pelican 37) a few seconds before it passed over the drop site. However, video evidence shows that the track of Pelican 36 is further west than that of Pelican 44, which preceded it, and over higher terrain. One and a half seconds before the flight recorder stopped, the aircraft was in a right turn at an altitude of 1,360 feet. The angle of roll to the right and increasing was then 17°. While the elevators were nearly stable, the altitude stored by the flight recorder increased to 1,500 feet in one and a half seconds. After that the tail section of the aircraft separated from the fuselage. The aircraft then impacted the side of a mountain and broke up.
Crew:
Ludovic Piasentin, pilot,
Jean-Louis de Bénédict, copilot.
Probable cause:
Environmental area:
The load case studied during the investigations did not explain the observed fuselage failure. However, the characteristics of the upward aerological disturbance caused by the fire are likely to have generated airframe stresses of an order of magnitude close to that of the loads capable of causing the fuselage to fail. Given the uncertainties encountered during the evaluation of the parameters of the rising air column that affected the accuracy of the research results concerning the effects of the stresses on the airframe, the aerological phenomenon encountered represents a possible cause of the event.
Technical Area:
The research undertaken to find in-flight loads capable, in the context of the event, of breaking the intact fuselage without damaging the empennage was unsuccessful. Detailed observation of the airframe did not reveal any damage prior to the occurrence. However, the results of these investigations do not rule out the existence of such damage, so the hypothesis of prior damage to the airframe cannot be totally rejected.

Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 680FL in North Las Vegas

Date & Time: Jul 21, 2005 at 1707 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N7UP
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
North Las Vegas - North Las Vegas
MSN:
680-1349-29
YOM:
1963
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5285
Captain / Total hours on type:
75.00
Aircraft flight hours:
8942
Circumstances:
The airplane descended into the ground during takeoff-initial climb on a local fire reconnaissance flight. Witnesses reported that airplane became airborne, but was not climbing, and it continued down the runway in a nose-up attitude in ground effect until impacting terrain about 600 feet southeast from the departure end of the runway. The ambient temperature was about 107 degrees Fahrenheit, and the density altitude was calculated at 5,878 feet mean sea level. On scene examination found the flaps in the 30-degree position, which also corresponded to the flap actuator position. The cockpit indicator for the flaps also showed a 30-degree extension. A subsequent bench test of the combined flap/gear selector valve was conducted. During the initial inspection, both the gear selector and the flap selector valves were bent, but otherwise operational. The "stop-pin" on the flap selector lever was missing. There was no leakage of fluid during this test. Examination of both engines revealed no abnormalities, which would prevent normal operations. The aircraft flight manual specifies that the flaps should be set at 1/4 down (10 degrees) for normal takeoff.
Probable cause:
The pilot's excessive selection of flaps prior to takeoff, which resulted in a failure to obtain/maintain an appropriate climb airspeed, and an inadvertent stall/mush during takeoff-initial climb. A factor contributing to the accident was a high density altitude.
Final Report: