Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 400MPA off Bạch Long Vĩ Island: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 16, 2016 at 1305 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
8983
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Hanoi - Hanoi
MSN:
482
YOM:
2012
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew departed Hanoi-Gia Lam Airport at 0930LT on a SAR mission after a Vietnam Air Force Sukhoi SU-30 was missing since two days. While cruising over the gulf of Tonkin in good weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the sea, some 22 km southwest of the Bạch Long Vĩ Island. Some debris were found few hours later, floating on water. All nine occupants were killed.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Gai: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 2016 at 1244 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-40204
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Sterlitamak – Zilair – Akyar – Orsk – Akyar – Sterlitamak
MSN:
1G219-54
YOM:
1986
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
4332
Captain / Total hours on type:
1204.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
454
Copilot / Total hours on type:
454
Aircraft flight hours:
6952
Aircraft flight cycles:
20236
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Sterlitamak to Orsk and return via Zilair and Akyar, taking part to an oil pipeline survey mission on behalf of the oil company Transneft. While flying at low height in marginal weather conditions, the crew initiated a turn when the single engine impacted the ground and crashed in a snowy field located 2 km southwest of Gai, about 25 km north of Orsk. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all three occupants were killed. There was no fire. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced to 800 metres and down to 300 metres locally. The cloud base was at 90 metres with freezing fog.
Probable cause:
Most probably the fatal accident with An-2 RA-40204 aircraft was caused by spatial disorientation by the crew turning in visibility restriction conditions (fog) and "whiteout" of snow underlying surface that resulted in uncontrolled descending and aircraft ground impact.
Most probably the following factors contributed to the accident:
- Incorrect evaluation of weather conditions by the crew resulted in unreasonable decision to perform VFR flight,
- Flight operation at the unauthorized law height above ground,
- Lack of IFR operation skills, training and checks for minima reduction by PIC were formal, weather conditions during operations didn't comply with assigned minima requirements.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air in New Delhi: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 2015 at 0938 LT
Operator:
Registration:
VT-BSA
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
New Delhi - Ranchi
MSN:
BB-1485
YOM:
1994
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
964
Captain / Total hours on type:
764.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
891
Copilot / Total hours on type:
691
Aircraft flight hours:
4766
Aircraft flight cycles:
2745
Circumstances:
Beechcraft Super King Air B-200 aircraft, VT-BSA belonging to BSF Air Wing was involved in an accident on 22.12.2015 while operating a flight from IGI Airport, New Delhi to Ranchi. The flight was under the command of a CPL holder with another CPL holder as Second-in-Command. There were ten persons on board including two flight crew members. As per the scheduling procedure of the Operator, the flying programme for 22.12.2015 was approved by the ADG (Logistics) on the recommendation of the DIG (Air) for VT-BSA on 21.12.2015. The programme included names of the flight crew along with the following sectors: from Delhi to Ranchi ETD 0800 ETA 1030 and from Ranchi to Delhi ETD 1300 ETA 1600. The task was as per instructions on the subject dated 23rd July 2015. As per the weight & load data sheet there were 8 passengers with 20 Kgs. of baggage in the aft cabin compartment. The actual take-off weight shown was 5668.85 Kgs as against the maximum take-off weight of 5669.9 Kgs. Fuel uplifted was 1085 Kgs. The aircraft was taken out of hangar of the Operator at 0655 hrs on 22.12.2015 and parked outside the hangar for operating the subject flight. At around 0745 hrs, the passengers reached the aircraft who were mainly technical personnel supposed to carry out scheduled maintenance of Mi-17 helicopter of the Operator at Ranchi. They were carrying their personnel baggage along with tools and equipment required for the maintenance. At around 0915 hrs the flight crew contacted ATC Delhi and requested for clearance to operate the flight to Ranchi. The aircraft was cleared to Ranchi via R460 and FL210. Runway in use was given as 28. At 0918 hrs the doors were closed and the flight crew had started carrying out the check list. After the ATC issued taxi clearance, the aircraft had stopped for some time after commencing taxiing. The pilot informed the ATC that they will take 10 minutes delay for further taxi due to some administrative reasons. The taxi clearance was accordingly cancelled. After a halt of about 6 to 7 minutes, the pilot again requested the ATC for taxi clearance and the same was approved by the ATC. Thereafter, the aircraft was given take-off clearance from runway 28. The weather at the time of take-off was: Visibility 800 meters with Winds at 100°/03 knots. Shortly after take-off and attaining a height of approximately 400 feet AGL, the aircraft progressively turned left with simultaneous loss of height. It had taken a turn of approximately 180o and impacted some trees before hitting the outside perimeter road of the airport in a left bank attitude. Thereafter, it impacted 'head on' with the outside boundary wall of the airport. After breaking the outside boundary wall, the wings impacted two trees and the aircraft hit the holding tank of the water treatment plant. The tail portion and part of the fuselage overturned and went into the water tank. There was post impact fire and the portion of the aircraft outside the water tank was destroyed by fire. All passengers and crew received fatal injuries due impact and fire. The ELT was operated at 0410 hours UTC (0940 hours IST). The fire fighting team reached the site and extinguished the fire. The bodies were then recovered from the accident site. 08 bodies were recovered from the holding tank of the water treatment plant and bodies of both pilots were recovered from the heavily burnt portion of the cockpit lying adjacent (outside) to the wall of the holding tank of the water treatment tank.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused due to engagement of the autopilot without selecting the heading mode by the flight crew just after liftoff (before attaining sufficient height) in poor foggy conditions and not taking corrective action to control the progressive increase in left bank; thereby, allowing the aircraft to traverse 180° turn causing the aircraft to lose height in a steep left bank attitude followed by impact with the terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 in Louisburg

Date & Time: Sep 6, 2015 at 1540 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N181CS
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Washington - Louisburg
MSN:
181
YOM:
1968
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
7337
Captain / Total hours on type:
1058.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3187
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1180
Aircraft flight hours:
26915
Circumstances:
The airline transport pilot was conducting a cross-country aerial observation flight in the multiengine airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane was on the final leg of the traffic pattern when he reduced the power levers for landing and noticed that the right engine sounded like the propeller was moving toward the beta position. The pilot increased the engine power, and the sound stopped. As the airplane got closer to the runway, he decreased the engine power, and the sound returned. In addition, the airplane began to yaw right. The pilot applied left aileron and rudder inputs to remain above the runway centerline without success. While over the runway, the pilot reduced the engine power to idle, and the airplane continued to yaw right. The pilot applied full power in an attempt to perform a go-around; however, the airplane yawed about 30 degrees off the runway centerline, touched down in the grass, and impacted trees before coming to rest. The right wing, right engine, and right propeller assembly were impact-separated. The right engine propeller came to rest about 50 ft forward of the main wreckage, and it was found in the feathered position. A review of maintenance records revealed that the right propeller had been overhauled and reinstalled on the airplane 2 days before the accident and had operated 9 hours since that time. Subsequent testing of the right propeller governor revealed that it functioned without anomaly; however, the speed settings were improperly configured. Further, the testing revealed that the beta valve travel from the neutral position was out of tolerance. Although this could have let oil pressure port to one side of the spool or the other and, thus, changed the propeller blade angle, it could not be determined whether this occurred during the accident landing. Impact damage precluded examination of the right propeller governor control linkage; therefore, it could not be determined if it was inadequately installed or rigged, which could have resulted in the propeller moving into the beta position. The investigation could not determine why the right propeller moved toward the beta position as engine power was reduced, as reported the pilot.
Probable cause:
The propeller’s movement to the beta position during landing for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination and testing, which resulted in an attempted goaround and subsequent loss of airplane control.
Final Report:

Crash of a Tupolev TU-95MS near Litovko: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 2015 at 1650 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF-94204
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ukrainka - Ukrainka
MSN:
00854
YOM:
1984
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training/reconnaissance mission out from Ukrainka AFB. While cruising at an altitude of 5,000 metres in clouds and icing conditions, three of the four engines failed. At an altitude of 3,500 metres, all seven crew members bailed out and the aircraft crashed in a tundra located some 30 km from Litovko, Amur district of the Khabarovsk region. Five crew members survived while two others were killed. The registration of the 'Bear' was dual RF-94204 and 77 Red.
Probable cause:
Triple engine failure while flying icing conditions.

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

Date & Time: Jun 19, 2015 at 1653 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-40646
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kodinsk - Kezhma
MSN:
1G213-53
YOM:
1985
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
12732
Captain / Total hours on type:
5074.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
4747
Copilot / Total hours on type:
3538
Aircraft flight hours:
5824
Aircraft flight cycles:
9346
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Kodinsk at 1400LT on a survey flight, carrying five fire bombers and four crew members (two pilots and two observers). About two hours into the flight, the occupant spotted a fire. All five fire bombers were dropped with their materials in two groups. Then the crew increased engine power and continued at an altitude of about 150-200 metres. The engine oil temperature started to increase and reached 150°. Five minutes later, the engine failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft impacted 20 metres tall trees, stalled and crashed in a wooded area. The wreckage was found south of Kezhma, some 126 km east of Kodinsk. All four occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The accident with An-2 RA-40646 aircraft occurred during the emergency landing on a forest. The landing was due to inadvertent in-flight engine shutdown caused by destruction of bronze filling of hub 62.06.02 of master rod big end of crank mechanism. Most probably the destruction of hub bronze filling was caused by manufactured flaw consisting in a lack of bronze adhesion with steel base on the part of a surface.
Final Report:

Crash of a Dornier DO228-101 off Pichavaram: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 8, 2015 at 2123 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CG791
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Chennai - Chennai
MSN:
4114
YOM:
2014
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Chennai NAS at 1730LT on a maritime patrol flight along the Tamil Nadu coast and over the Palk Bay. The last radio contact was established at 2100LT and the last radar contact was observed at 2123LT while the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet some 176 km offshore. SAR operations were initiated and some debris were found the following morning. All three occupants, two pilots and one observer, were killed. On July 10, the wreckage was found at a depth of 995 metres some 30 km off Pichavaram.

Crash of a Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty in Afghanistan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 2014
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N195AE
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
FA-195
YOM:
1989
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was performing a special mission with a crew of two and a member of the ISAF on board. The accident occurred in unknown circumstances somewhere in the east part of Afghanistan. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed. There are no indications that the aircraft was brought down by enemy fire, said a Defense official. It was later reported that the airplane involved was completing an Air Medium-Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (MARSS) mission.

Crash of a Britten Norman BN-2B-21 Islander in Devil's Hole

Date & Time: Nov 3, 2013 at 1020 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-CIAS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Guernsey - Guernsey
MSN:
2162
YOM:
1982
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
25200
Captain / Total hours on type:
60.00
Circumstances:
At approximately 1830 hrs on 3 November 2013 the operator’s duty pilot received a request that the aircraft should be dispatched to carry out a search. The volunteer crew-members were alerted and made their way to the airport. Weather conditions in the Channel Islands were poor, with a southerly wind gusting up to 41 kt, turbulence, rain, cloud below 1,000 ft aal, and visibility of 3 to 6 km. On arrival at the aircraft’s hangar, the crew was established, consisting of a pilot, search director, and three observers. They donned immersion suits and life jackets and prepared for flight. The search director obtained details of the search request, which was to search for two fishermen near Les Écréhous (a group of rocks in the English Channel approximately 5 nm north-east of the north-eastern corner of Jersey). Some evidence suggested the men were in a small dinghy; other information was that they were in the water. The men were reported to be alive and communicating by mobile telephone. One crew-member carried out pre-flight preparations, although he did not check the fuel quantities or carry out a water drain check. When interviewed, he recalled having reported to the pilot that he had not checked the fuel. The aircraft was then pulled out of its hangar and the search director explained the details of the search request to the pilot and other crew-members. Bearing in mind the weather, the fact that it was dark, and the fishermen’s predicament, the pilot recognized the need for “a lot of urgency” about the task. In the context of the operation, he regarded the task as being routine, but the weather not so. The pilot “walked round” the aircraft, though he did not carry out a formal pre-flight inspection; it was the organization’s custom to ensure that the aircraft was ready for flight at all times. The technical log showed that the aircraft was serviceable, with no deferred defects, and that the wing tanks contained 55 USG each side and the tip tanks, 18 USG each side. The search director recalled asking the pilot whether he was content to fly in the prevailing conditions, and that the pilot stated that he was willing to fly. The crew boarded the aircraft. The observer in the front right-hand seat had recently obtained a Private Pilot’s Licence and this influenced the decision for him to be placed next to the pilot. The pilot reported that he carried out a “fairly rapid” start, although the normal pre-departure sequence was interrupted while a problem with switch selections, affecting the functioning of the search equipment in the aircraft’s cabin, was resolved. The pilot obtained clearance from ATC to taxi, enter the runway, and take off when ready. He described that he carried out engine power checks during a brief back-track, checking the magnetos and propeller controls at 2,100 rpm, before carrying out pre-takeoff checks. He did not refer to the written checklists provided in the aircraft but executed a generic set of checks from memory. Following an unremarkable takeoff, in the strong crosswind , the pilot corrected for drift and established a climb towards a cruising altitude of 900 ft. When interviewed, he described the conditions as being “awful” and “ghastly”, with turbulence from the cliffs contributing to occasional activation of the stall warner, even though the speed was “probably 100 plus knots” . At 900 ft, the aircraft was “in the bottom” of the cloud, which was unhelpful for the observers, so the pilot descended the aircraft to cruise at 500 or 600 ft, flying by reference to the artificial horizon, and making constant control inputs to maintain straight and level flight. He stated that, although he would normally have begun checking fuel flow, mixture settings, etc, shortly after establishing in the cruise, he found that the conditions required him to devote his full attention to flying the aircraft. As the aircraft passed north abeam the western end of Jersey, the rain and low cloud continued and the turbulence worsened, The pilot gained sight of red obstacle lights on a television mast on the north side of the island but had few other visual references. The pilot noticed a change in an engine note. He immediately “reached down to put the hot air on” which made little difference; the observer recalled that the pilot checked that the mixtures were fully rich at this time. The right-hand engine rpm then began surging. The pilot made a quick check of the engine instruments, before applying full throttle on both engines, setting both propellers to maximum rpm and beginning a climb. The observer noticed that the fuel pressure gauge for the right-hand engine was “going up and down” but did not mention this to the pilot; the pilot did not see the gauge indication fluctuating. Around this time the pilot switched the electric fuel pumps on. The pilot turned the aircraft towards Jersey and made a MAYDAY call to ATC; the search director made a similar call on the appropriate maritime frequency. These calls were acknowledged, and a life boat, on its way to Les Écréhous, altered course towards the aircraft’s position. Although the pilot was “amazed” at how few lights he could see on the ground, he perceived what he thought was the runway at Jersey Airport, and flew towards it. The aircraft reached approximately 1,100 ft amsl. The right-hand engine then stopped. The pilot carried out the shut-down checks, feathering the propeller as he did so. The aircraft carried on tracking towards Jersey Airport, descending towards the north side of the island. Some moments later, the left-hand engine’s rpm began to fluctuate briefly before it also stopped. The pilot later recalled being “fairly certain” that he “was trying to change tanks” but acknowledged that he could not recall events with certainty. He trimmed the aircraft for a glide, still heading towards the airport at Jersey, but with very limited visual references outside the cockpit. The crew-members prepared the cabin for a ditching or off-airport landing; the observers in the rear-most seats considered how they might deploy the aircraft’s life raft (stored behind their seats) should a ditching occur. The pilot’s next recollection was that the automated decision height voice call-out activated (he had selected it to announce at 200 ft radio height). He switched the landing lights on and maintained a “reasonable speed” in anticipation of landing or ditching. One crew-member recalled the pilot calling “brace, brace, brace”, while another recalled being instructed to tighten seat belts and brace. No brace position had been set out in the operations manual, or rehearsed in training, and the responses of the crew-members to this instruction varied. The pilot glimpsed something green in front of the aircraft, and flared for landing. The aircraft touched down and decelerated, sliding downhill and passing through a hedge. With the aircraft now sliding somewhat sideways, it came to a halt when its nose lodged against a tree, with significant airframe damage. The pilot made various cockpit selections safe and all the occupants vacated the aircraft, with some difficulty. The search director became entangled in his headset lead as he egressed but freed himself. The front seat occupants experienced difficulty because their door could not be opened. They climbed over the search director’s desk and vacated the aircraft via the door adjacent to the search director’s position (the rear-row observers simultaneously opened the pilot’s door from the outside). The pilot and crew made their way to nearby habitation where they were subsequently assessed by an ambulance crew; none were injured. The search director returned to the aircraft with fire-fighters, to ensure that pyrotechnics and the self-inflating life raft on board the aircraft did not pose a hazard. In his very frank account of the flight, the pilot acknowledged that a decision to turn back soon after departure would have been justified by the weather conditions. He added that before the engine power changed, his workload was already very high, on account of the task and conditions.
Probable cause:
The inspection of the aircraft at the accident site, combined with the crew accounts gathered early in the AAIB accident investigation, indicated that no mechanical or electrical defect had been a factor in the accident. The evidence indicated that the fuel supply to the right-hand engine, and then the left-hand engine, had become exhausted in flight and the engines ceased producing power approximately 15 minutes after the aircraft became airborne. The fuel selector was found in the 'tip tank' position. It appears that the tip tanks had been selected on a flight the previous day and the selection had not been changed. At the commencement of the accident flight, each tip tank contained approximately 5-6 USG.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-8-202 near Acandí: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 2013 at 0100 LT
Registration:
N356PH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Panama City - Panama City
MSN:
502
YOM:
1997
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in the evening on an anti-narcotic survey flight over Colombia, carrying four passengers and two pilots, five US citizens and one Panamanian. En route, while cruising along the border between Panama and Colombia, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed on the slope of a wooded mountain, bursting into flames. All four passengers were killed and both pilots were seriously injured.