Mountains

The crew departed Volos-Néa Anchialos Airport on a fire fighting mission in the area of Karystos, in the south of the Euboea Island. Approaching the zone under fire at low height, the crew dropped the load of water then elected to gain height when the right wing tip float struck a tree and was torn off. The airplane entered a right turn and descended to the ground, crashing in a hilly terrain southwest of the initial impact. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and both crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Christos Moulas, pilot,
Cpt Periklis Stafanidis, copilot.

The single engine airplane departed Elelim Airport at 1054LT on a flight to Poik, carrying four passengers, two pilots and a load of cargo. About six minutes later, it impacted the slope of a wooded mountain located 12 km from the airport. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and all six occupants were killed.

En route from Masset to Tofino, the single engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in hilly terrain about 29 km northwest of Tofino. Two occupants were killed and two others were rescued.

The airplane departed Elizabethton Airport in Tennessee on a private flight to Ronkonkoma-Long Island-McArthur Field (Islip), New York. Approaching the destination, the airplane did not initiate a descent but an almost 180 turn and continued to the southwest. As there was no radio contact with the pilot anymore and as it was approaching the Washington DC area, ATC informed the authorities about the situation and two F-16 fighters were dispatched. The military pilots were unable to establish any contact with the crew. Flying at an altitude of 34,000 feet, the Cessna entered a right turn then an uncontrolled descent and spiraled to the ground before crashing in a wooded and hilly terrain located near Staunton, Virginia, some 600 km southwest from the destination airport. All four occupants were killed.

The twin engine airplane departed Legazpi-Bicol Airport in the early morning on an executive flight to the capital City. Few minutes after takeoff, while climbing to an altitude of 6,000 feet, it impacted the rocky slope of Mt Mayon located about 16 km north of Legazpi Airport. The wreckage was found the next day near the crater of the volcano. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all four occupants were killed.

The crew departed Lamezia Terme Airport on a fire fighting mission at the foot of the Etna Volcano, north of Catania. Approaching the area on fire, the crew initiated a right hand turn and while descending to rising terrain, the right wing tip impacted the ground, causing the aircraft to crash, bursting into flames. Both pilots were killed.

While approaching Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga Airport, the crew encountered technical problems (apparently with the reversers) and declared an emergency. The captain initiated a go around procedure and completed a circuit south of the airport. During a second approach, the airplane deviated from the approach path to the south and continued until it impacted the top of a hill located 8 km south of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all six occupants were killed, among them Christian Toni, President of the Estudiantes de Mérida football club.

The twin engine airplane departed Pokhara City Airport Runway 04 at 0955LT on a schedule service to Jomsom, carrying 19 passengers and three crew members. After takeoff, the pilot initiated a turn to the left and continued to climb to 12,000 feet (calibrated altitude) when a turn was initiated to the right. In limited visibility, the aircraft impacted the slope of a rocky mountain located in the area of Shikha, some 14 km southwest from the Annapurna Mountain. The wreckage was found the following day. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 22 occupants were killed.

The pilot, sole on board, departed Siegerland Airport at 1100LT on a ferry flight to Monte Argentario, Tuscany. En route, while overflying Switzerland, he encountered marginal weather conditions. While cruising in IMC conditions, the single engine airplane impacted the slope of a rocky and snow covered face located west of Mt Grüehorn, in the south part of the canton of saint Gallen. The wreckage was found at an altitude of 1,700 metres. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and the pilot was killed.

The airplane departed Kunming-Wujiaba Airport at 1315LT on a schedule service (flight MU5735) to Guangzhou, carrying 123 passengers and a crew of nine. At 1420LT, while cruising at an altitude of 29,100 feet, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent until 7,400 feet then climbed to 8,600 feet. It finally entered a steep descent and crashed almost two minutes later in a vertical attitude on hilly and wooded terrain located southwest of Wuzhou. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 132 occupants were killed. Two days after the accident, the CVR was found while the DFDR was found on March 27.