Yap Island

The pilot reported that, during a short field takeoff on a runway that was flooded by heavy rain, the airplane’s right landing gear wheel went into a deep puddle of water and the airplane veered right. The pilot attempted to lift the airplane into ground effect to regain directional control, but the airplane was traveling too slow. The airplane exited the right side of the runway into tall grass and vegetation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing spar and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. All 10 occupants escaped uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Air Micronesia Flight 614 departed Saipan at 07:30 for a flight to Palau with intermediate stops in Guam and Yap, Western Caroline Islands. The aircraft departed Guam at 08:30 and climbed to FL350. An en route descent to Yap was made from the north through broken to scattered clouds and the captain, who was flying the aircraft, turned onto a downwind leg at the northeast portion of the airport. The downwind leg was flown at an altitude of 600 feet above the runway 07 elevation while the crew checked to see if the runway was clear, to see if the fire truck was in place, and to see the direction of the windsock. The flaps were set at 30° on the base leg. Abeam the approach end of runway 07, the captain began a right 90° and a left turn manoeuvre to align the aircraft with the final approach to runway 07. During a portion of the downwind leg, the captain relinquished control of the aircraft to the first officer while the captain took pictures of the airport. He then resumed control and passed the camera to the second officer and asked him to take pictures of the runway. As the aircraft passed through 90deg from the runway heading, it had descended to about 300 feet above the runway elevation of 52 feet msl. When the aircraft was aligned with the runway heading, it was about 480 feet above runway elevation at a point 1.5 miles from the approach end of the runway. At 09:52 the aircraft touched down 13 feet short of runway 07. The right main landing gear immediately separated from the aircraft. The aircraft gradually veered off the runway and came to rest in the jungle about 1,700 feet beyond the initial touchdown. A severe ground fire erupted immediately along the right side of the aircraft as it came to rest. All occupants had evacuated within about 1 minute after the aircraft came to rest.

En route from Woleai Atoll to Yap Island, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions and became lost. In adverse winds aloft (winds gusting up to 30 knots), both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot attempted an emergency landing about 80 km east of Yap Island. All seven occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

While conducting a reconnaissance mission for a missing B-29 & its crew from the 23rd Reconnaissance Squadron since November 7, 1948, the aircraft suffered multiple failures of its navigation & radio systems and eventually run out of fuel. The captain ditched the aircraft in shallow water off Fais Island, about 250 km northeast of Yap Island. The aircraft sank and was lost while all ten crew members were later rescued by the crew of a Navy Catalina.