Crash of a Convair C-131F Samaritan in Galivan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1975
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
141012
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
El Toro - El Toro
MSN:
295
YOM:
1955
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight out from El Toro MCAS. After takeoff, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed in the garden of the Saddleback College located about 8 miles southeast of the airfield. Four crew members were killed while two others were injured.

Crash of a Grumman E-2A Hawkeye in Elizabeth City

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1974
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
150530
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
A010
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Veered off runway and collided with a building. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas R6D-1 on Great Sitkin Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
131615
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Whidbey Island - Elmendorf - Adak
MSN:
43718/371
YOM:
1953
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane was on its way from Whidbey Island NAS to Adak with an intermediate stop at Elmendorf AFB. The goal of the flight was to repatriate Navy personnel back to Whidbey Island for the Christmas period. Following an uneventful flight from Anchorage, while cruising at an altitude of 4,700 feet in limited visibility, the airplane struck the slope of a volcano located on the Great Sitkin Island, about 25 miles northeast of Adak Airfield. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-8 in Sólheimasandur

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1973 at 1400 LT
Operator:
Registration:
17171
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Höfn - Keflavik
MSN:
43309
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to Keflavik after having delivered various equipment at Höfn-Hornafjörður Airport. While flying along the south coast of the island, the crew encountered icing conditions and as the pilot was unable to maintain the prescribed altitude, he decided to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in a snow and icy terrain located in the uninhabited area of Sólheimasandur. While all seven occupants were rescued, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and abandoned on site.
Probable cause:
Icing conditions.

Crash of a Grumman C-2A Greyhound off Chania: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1973 at 1148 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
152787
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
4
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Chania-Souda Airport, en route to a US Navy ship cruising in the Mediterranean Sea, the airplane suffered a double engine failure and crashed into the sea about 8 km offshore. Three crew members were rescued while seven others were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the double engine failure could not be determined. However, the assumption of a fuel contaminated by water was not ruled out.

Crash of a Grumman E-2B Hawkeye in Norfolk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1973 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Norfolk - White Plains
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew departed Norfolk-Chambers Field on a flight to the Northrop Grumman facilities in White Plains, NY. About two minutes after takeoff from runway 10, while in initial climb, the airplane encountered difficulties, stalled and crashed on a beach located in Ocean View Beach, about 4 miles east of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Walter J. MacLeod Jr.,
Lt Randall M. Moore,
Lt Edward W. Cassel,
Lt Arthur T. Dunn,
Ens Howard E. Wagoner.

Crash of a Lockheed P-3C-125-LO Orion at Moffett AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1973 at 1450 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
157332
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moffett - Moffett
MSN:
185-5547
YOM:
1970
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a local training flight with a crew of six on board. At a same time was approaching to Moffett AFB a NASA Convair CV-990-30A-5 registered N711NA that was returning to Moffett following a test flight over the Monterey Bay with eight scientists and a crew of three on board. Following an uneventful mission, the crew of the Convair started the approach and was cleared to land on runway 32R while seven miles out. After been cleared, the Orion's crew informed ATC he was joining the runway 32L approach path when the controller cleared the crew of the Convair to land at runway 32L. Shortly later, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the nose gear of the Convair struck the top of the Orion's tail. Both airplanes went out of control and crashed in flames on the Sunnyvale golf course located about 0,3 mile short of runway threshold. A crew member from the Orion was seriously injured while all 16 other occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the collision was the consequence of several errors on part of the approach controller. He firstly cleared the Convair's crew to land on runway 32R and the Orion's crew to land on runway 32L. But during the approach, after the Orion's crew confirmed he was joining the runway 32L approach path, the controller cleared the crew of the Convair to land on the same runway 32L. For reasons undetermined, the Convair's crew did not ask any question about this runway change. Also, none of the crew was able to see and avoid each other.

Crash of a Lockheed P-2H Neptune at South Weymouth NAS

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
141250
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
726-7122
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered an accident at South Weymouth NAS. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Lockheed P-3B-70-LO Orion off Brunswick: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 15, 1973 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
152749
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Brunswick - Brunswick
MSN:
185-5189
YOM:
1966
Location:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a training flight out of Brunswick NAS when it crash in unknown circumstances into the Atlantic Ocean about 40 miles offshore. The wreckage sank by a depth of 300-600 feet. All five crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident could not be determined.