California

After liftoff at Shelter Cove Airport, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. The undercarriage struck an electric transformer and the left engine struck the roof of a sewage disposal building. Shortly later, the airplane entered a left bank and crashed into the sea about 150 yards offshore. Both pilots and 15 passengers were killed while seven other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Airwest flight 706, a DC-9, was to fly from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Seattle, WA (SEA) with intermediate stops at Salt Lake City (SLC), Boise (BOI), Lewiston (LWS), Pasco (PSC) and Yakima (YKM). The aircraft departed Los Angeles at 18:02. At 18:09 the crew reported leaving FL120 and Los Angeles ARTCC cleared them direct to Daggett. At 17:16 h a US Marine Corps McDonnell F-4B Phantom 151458 departed Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Fallon for a flight to MCAS El Toro at low altitude. The aircraft had several technical difficulties, including an inoperative transponder and a leak in the oxygen system. Due to deteriorating visibility northwest of Palmdale, the crew climbed to 15,500 feet . Shortly after level-off, aircraft was 50 miles from MCAS El Toro. The pilot executed a 360° aileron roll at this time, which took approximately 3 seconds to complete. The Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) estimated that the true airspeed in the climb and after level-off was 420 knots. The F-4B collided with the Airwest DC-9 about 1 minute and 20 sec after the roll, at 15150 feet. After the collision, the F-4 began to tumble violently about the lateral axis. The RIO waited about 5 seconds, and, after seeing numerous warning lights in the cockpit, he ejected from the aircraft . The ejection was successful, and he parachuted to the ground without injury. The other F-4 crewmember did not survive the accident.

The crew was completing a training flight from Los Angeles to Ontario. The pilot under supervision was supposed to complete an ILS approach with one engine inoperative, to make a missed approach and a go-around procedure. On final to runway 25R, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a field. The airplane was totally destroyed and all five crew members were killed.

While on approach to Helendale Airport, the twin engine aircraft speed was too low. The left wing dropped and the airplane dove into the ground and crashed in flames. Both occupants were killed. They were completing an electrical chute device drop test from Van Nuys Airport.

The aircraft was engaged in a local skydiving mission, carrying 10 skydivers and one pilot. Following a roll of about 900 feet, the pilot started the rotation. At a speed of 75 mph, the airplane lifted off then stalled and struck the ground. Out of control, it veered off runway and came to rest in flames. All 11 occupants were rescued, one passenger was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

While approaching San Francisco Airport in foggy conditions, the crew reduced his altitude and passed below the minimum descent altitude when the twin engine airplane struck the water surface and crashed into the San Francisco Bay, few hundred yards off shore. All four occupants were injured and rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to fog.

After touchdown at El Toro AFB, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in flames on the apron, less than 50 yards from 'Air Force One'. A crew member was killed while four others were injured.

Following a firefighting mission, the crew was returning to Columbia Airport when, on final approach, the airplane was too low and struck a rocky wall located about 252 feet short of runway threshold. The airplane crashed and was destroyed. Both crew members were killed.

While taxiing at Palmdale AFB, the airplane caught fire. The crew immediately stopped then airplane on the taxiway and was able to evacuated the cabin. The aircraft was totally destroyed after 45 minutes of an intense fire. The cause remains unknown.

The Aero Spacelines 377MGT was a converted Boeing Stratoliner. Prototype N111AS first flew on March 13, 1970. In the following period flight testing was carried out, a.o. at Edwards AFB. The accident occurred during the sixth takeoff of Flight Number 12 following the scheduled shutdown of the engine number one at about 109 knots IAS. The takeoff was being made on runway 22 and the wind was from approximately 200 degrees at about 10 knots. Rotation occurred at about 114 knots and several seconds after rotation, according to one witness, the aircraft turned and rolled to the left, settling as it did so. The left wingtip subsequently contacted the ground, causing a severe yaw. The forward fuselage struck the ground, causing the flight deck to be destroyed. The test flight was under FAR Part 25 certification program.
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