Cessna 402

The twin engine airplane departed Juradó Airport at 1653LT on a VFR charter flight to Medellín, carrying eight passengers and two pilots. En route, weather conditions worsened and necessitated an IFR flight. While cruising at an altitude of 10,675 feet at a speed of 176 knots and heading 107°, the airplane contacted trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located on the slope of Mt Aná-La Virgen, 15 km east of Urrao. The wreckage was found the following day. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and all 10 occupants were killed.

On approach to Easton-Newman Field Airport Runway 04, MD, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed into the Tred Avon River. The wreckage was found about 7 km short of runway. The airplane sank and the pilot was killed. The pilot apparently reported engine problem on final.

Apparently engaged in an illegal mission, the twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a plantation located in the region of Chaparral, State of Portuguesa, Venezuela. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire and both occupants were killed. The registration may be false.

About 3 months before the accident, the twin-engine airplane underwent an annual maintenance inspection during which the mechanic identified numerous discrepancies with both engines and the airframe. The airplane was not subsequently approved for flight and the owner was provided a list of the discrepancies. The purpose of the accident flight was to relocate the airplane to another airport where the pilot planned to have the discrepancies addressed. The mechanic reported that he had advised the pilot that he needed to apply for a ferry permit from the FAA in order to complete the accident flight, but there was no evidence that the pilot had obtained one. On the day of the accident flight, air traffic control data showed that the pilot departed and climbed the airplane to about 1,500 ft mean sea level (msl). About 2 miles from the departure airport the pilot advised air traffic control of his intent to return to the departure runway due to a vibration of the right engine. The controller immediately cleared the pilot to enter the left downwind for the departure runway. The airplane then turned to the left and began a descent toward the left downwind leg of the traffic pattern. When the airplane was about a mile from the airport, the pilot reported that the airplane had an “engine failure” and that he intended to land on the departure runway, but in the opposite direction. Recorded flight track data showed that the airplane then turned directly toward the approach end of that runway and that during the final 30 seconds of track data, the airplane’s altitude and groundspeed decreased rapidly. Surveillance video captured the final few seconds of flight, and showed the airplane in a steep vertical descent and a right roll. The airplane impacted a residential area into trees, powerlines, and propane fuel tanks. After the impact, the airplane sustained significant postimpact fire damage. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was killed. One person on the ground was slightly injured.

The twin engine airplane took off on a private flight from Crocodile Nest Private Aerodrome near Thabazimbi in Limpopo province to Deza Private Aerodrome, west of Thabazimbi, in the same province. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) by day prevailed at the time of the flight. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 2011 as amended. According to the pilot, the flight from Crocodile Nest Private Aerodrome to Deza Private Aerodrome was approximately 15 minutes. The aircraft approached from the south-east and landed in a north-westerly direction on Runway 34, which is an upslope. During the landing roll as the aircraft slowed down with an indicated airspeed of 20-25 knots, it drifted to the left of the runway and the left wheel rolled over the soft sand. The left wing tip tank impacted the trees on the side of the runway and broke off. As a result, the aircraft turned 90 degrees before it impacted another tree with its nose section. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the occupants were not injured. After the accident, it was found that the first tree that the left-wing tip tank impacted was located approximately 98 metres (m) from the runway threshold. The farm owner of the land on which the private aerodrome is located stated that the runway is 1,300 metres long and 20 metres wide. The tree line span alongside the length of the runway.

The flight was for commercial purposes and had a destination of Fresh Creek Airport (MYAF), Fresh Creek, Andros, Bahamas. The pilot in command reported that upon contacting Nassau air traffic control, he requested a runway 14 departure from taxiway Bravo, but his request was denied. He subsequently requested a departure from taxiway Lima, which was granted by air traffic control. The pilot advised that upon receiving takeoff clearance from air traffic control, he entered the active runway and backtracked for additional room before commencing take off roll. After adding takeoff power and accelerating for some distance down the runway, shortly after, the pilot observed the left manifold pressure starting to drop and the aircraft started to “pull to the left”. Recognizing that the a problem was arising, the pilot added additional power to the right engine and continued takeoff roll but after achieving some lift, the pilot reported to observe the aircraft stall and it was unable to clear the inner layer of perimeter fencing (height of approximately 12 feet), at a distance of approximately 820 feet from the approach end of threshold of runway 32. The aircraft impacted the inner layer of perimeter fencing, hitting the surface and travelling for some 57 feet on a heading of approximately 123° before impacting the second outer layer of perimeter fencing. The aircraft’s trajectory continued in that general direction travelling for an additional 216 feet, sliding across Coral Harbour Road before coming to rest in a swampy area. The pilot advised that shortly after the aircraft came to rest, he observed flames from the left side of the aircraft which prompted him to make a hasty exit from the aircraft. While exiting the aircraft, the pilot observed flames on the outside, around the aircraft, and it was during his attempt to vacate the area, he received burns to the face. As soon as he was able to vacate the general area of the downed aircraft, the pilot observed an explosion and the aircraft continued to burn.

The twin engine airplane departed Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert Airport Runway 01 on a private flight to David-Enrique Malek Airport, carrying one passenger and one pilot. Immediately after takeoff, it encountered difficulties to gain height, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a wooded and hilly terrain located 1,100 short of runway 19, bursting into flames. The passenger was killed and the pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

On 19th August 2023 at approximately 12:25 pm local (1625 UTC), a Cessna 402B aircraft which was last registered in The Bahamas until 17th July 2022 as C6-SPK (serial number 402B-1054), departed from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport (KFLL), Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA with one (1) person on board enroute to the North Eleuthera International Airport (MYEH), Eleuthera, Bahamas. The aircraft was expected to return to KFLL shortly after 2:00 pm later that afternoon, however, it never arrived at its intended destination. It was reported that at approximately 12:58 pm (1658 UTC), KFLL air traffic control observed the aircraft in a rapid descent from an altitude of approximately 8,400 feet mean sea level (MSL) to about 4,500 feet MSL, while at coordinates 25.84N 78.90W, approximately some 70 nautical miles south east of KFLL, or approximately 18 nautical miles north east of Bimini, Bahamas. The aircraft was not observed on radar after the rapid descent. Upon notification that the aircraft was overdue, search and rescue protocols were initiated with coordination between the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), with assistance from the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association (BASRA). During search and rescue, aerial and marine assets from the US Coast Guard and RBDF responded to areas in vicinity of the last known position of the aircraft, initially identified at coordinates 25.84N 78.90W. An updated position of the aircraft was later provided by the US Coast Guard and identified at coordinates 25°20'35.00"N 76°59'46.00"W, at a distance of approximately 17 nautical miles southwest from MYEH. Assets also searched the updated position with combined search efforts extending up to 21st August 2023. As of the time of release of this report, neither the pilot nor the aircraft has been located.