Accidents and Incidents 11/08

Thursday, 20 November 2008

ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS (2 November – 8 November 2008)
Airline, Corporate, & AeroMedevac
Date/ Location	Aircraft/Reg.	Narrative	Casualties	Comments
2 November Graz-Thalerhof, AUSTRIA	Steirischen Motorflugunion-operated Piper PA-34-220T Seneca III Reg: OE-FEE	Aircraft crashed into a wooded area near Graz-Thalerhof.	3 Fatal	According to the operator's web site, they only operate one PA-34, which is OE-FEE.
3 November London, ENGLAND	Air New Zealand-operated Boeing 747-400 Reg: ZK-NBW	After departure from London (Heathrow), aircraft stopped climb at around 8,000 feet, depressurized the cabin, then steered the airplane over the North Sea to dump fuel. Requesting a slow descent towards Heathrow due to the depressurized cabin, the crew subsequently returned to the airport for a safe landing 131 minutes after departure.	337 Uninjured	Air New Zealand confirmed that the crew received an indication regarding the forward cargo door prompting them to initiate standard procedures including leveling off at 8,000 feet and dumping fuel.
4 November Natuasish, CANADA	Innu Mikun Airlines-operated DHC-6 Twin Otter Reg: C-FWLG	Aircraft was conducting a normal approach to the airstrip in Natuashish at 9:45 a.m. local time when it was hit from behind by an Air Labrador-operated Twin Otter.	12 Uninjured	"It is very unusual for an airplane to be that close," said a spokesman for Innu Mikun. "Our pilots reacted promptly and made a safe and uneventful landing and all the passengers deplaned safely." However, the Air Labrador chief operating officer said it was premature to say which plane hit which.
4 November Natuasish, CANADA	Air Labrador-operated Twin Otter DHC6-300 Reg: C-FGON	See above.	2 Uninjured	See above.
5 November Lviv, UKRAINE	Dnieproavia-operated Embraer ERJ-145	Aircraft diverted to Lviv (Ukraine) due to weather conditions at Ivano-Frankovsk. After landing ground staff discovered a 5mm deep dent of about 10cm by 1.5cm in the left wing tip and “several damages” in the paint of the aircraft.	16 Uninjured	The Ukrainian Ministry of Transport and Communications has launched a formal inquiry into the incident.
6 November Fak Fak, INDONESIA	Express Air-operated Dornier Do-328-100 Reg: PK-TXL	Aircraft landed short of the runway at Fak Fak. The left main gear collapsed causing damage to the left wing and propeller as the airplane slid along the runway and came to a stop on the right side of the 3,400 foot long runway.	36 Uninjured	Police reported the airplane touched down 3 meters short of the paved surface, collided with the concrete, ripping off the left main landing gear.
7 November Kozhikode, INDIA	Air India Airbus A310-300	Aircraft struck its right wing tip onto the runway while landing in Kozhikode.	159 Uninjured	A similar incident occurred on 1 March 2008 in Hamburg.
8 November Montreal, CANADA	United Airlines-operated Boeing 767-300 Reg: N643UA	Aircraft declared emergency and requested to divert to Montreal Trudeau (Canada) due to the failure of the right engine. The airplane landed safely 90 minutes after declaring emergency and taxied off the runway on its own power.	No injuries
General Aviation and Helicopter
Date/ Location	Aircraft/Reg.	Narrative	Casualties	Comments
2 November Gallatin, TN	Robinson R.44 Reg: N300FX	Helicopter departed from Lebanon Municipal Airport. Pilot needed 45 minutes more of night flight for rating. Aircraft was last seen on Nashville Radar flying over a river channel.	1 Fatal	Numerous witnesses heard a loud noise, but there were no eyewitnesses to the crash. Dragging and search efforts have provided limited results. The aircraft had not been located as of 11/10/2008. Two cushions and an antenna have been found floating downstream.
2 November Chadron, NE	Aeronca 7CCM Reg: N2259E	Aircraft engine failed shortly after departure, and force landed in a field.	1 Uninjured	According to the FAA, the aircraft suffered substantial damages.
2 November Socorro, NM	Lancair Legacy 2000 Reg: N273TE	Aircraft crashed on landing in Socorro.	1 Minor
2 November Providence, NY	Zenair CH 601 H Super Zodiac Reg: N2041J	Aircraft engine failed and force landed in a field near Providence.	1 Minor	According to the FAA, the aircraft suffered substantial damages.
2 November Paranavai, BRAZIL	Beech P35 Bonanza Reg: PT-LUQ	Aircraft crashed in severe inclement weather near Maringa Airport, Paranavai.	5 Fatal	According to Marcos Valencio, superintendent of Maringa airport, the pilot of the single engine plane had asked the control tower for information regarding weather conditions in the city of Paranavai. "The pilot said that he was headed towards Paranavai and that the weather was terrible. This may have contributed to the crash", Valencio commented.
2 November Blaine, MN	Cirrus Design Corp SR22 Reg: N558SR	Aircraft struck a deer during departure roll.	1 Uninjured
3 November Punta Chivato, MEXICO	Beech 200 Reg: N200JL	Aircraft was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Punta Chivato Airstrip, located near Punto Chivato. The aircraft was observed to barely clear a small hill after departure and appeared to lose airspeed and slow its climb. It was then observed to stall and impact the ground. There was a post crash fire that consumed the majority of the airplane. The flight was originating at the time.	1 Fatal	The aircraft is being recovered to a facility in Pearblossom, California, USA for further investigation. Technical advisors from Beechcraft Corporation, Hartzell Propellers Inc, and Pratt and Whitney Canada have been appointed to provide technical assistance to the Mexican authorities in conduct of the investigation. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Mexico. The investigation is being conducted by Mexico’s Dirreccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC), which is similar to the FAA.
4 November West Chester, PA	Rotorway Exec 162-F Reg: N8286D	Rotorcraft rolled over during hover-taxi.	1 Uninjured
4 November Waimea Estuary, NEW ZEALAND	Robinson R22 Beta Reg: ZK-HIW	Helicopter lost rotor rpm and landed heavily at the edge of the Waimea Estuary mudflats just short of a grass runway at Nelson Airport. The helicopter was extensively damaged when it rolled onto its right side.	2 Uninjured	Onboard were a flight instructor and a student who was practicing simulated auto-rotations in 25-knot winds.
4 November Valley Farm, ENGLAND	Cirrus SR22 Reg: N770CP	Aircraft clipped a tree, narrowly missing power lines and made a forced landing in a field at Staverton after the engine failed shortly after take-off from the Gloucestershire airport.	1 Uninjured, 1 Serious	The port undercarriage punched through the wing, the other undercarriage was torn off.
5 November Osceola, MO	Johnson Leonard G Cozy MK-IV Reg: 637ps	Experimental aircraft was substantially damaged when it struck a light pole and impacted terrain at Osceola Municipal Airport (3MO) following a loss of power and subsequent forced landing.	1 Serious	The pilot was performing a cross-country flight at 6,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) when the airplane engine overheated, then quit. The pilot performed a forced landing on a taxiway at 3MO. The airplane departed the taxiway and struck a light pole. Examination of the airplane revealed the forward fuselage and cockpit area were crushed aft and the outboard sections of both wings had separated. The pilot was taken to a hospital where he was treated for unspecified injuries.
6 November Wallace, CA	Universal Globe Reg: N80715	Aircraft impacted flat terrain near Wallace.	1 Fatal	According local law enforcement, the flight was to test a retractable tail wheel that had been installed on the airplane. It was a flight of two, with a friend of the pilot's flying in a second airplane behind to observe the tail wheel operation. The second pilot reported that nothing unusual was noted with the flight until he observed the accident airplane start to fly “erratically.” He attempted to raise the accident pilot on the radio, but received no response. The second pilot was able to catch up to the accident airplane and observed the accident pilot slumped over in the cockpit. The second pilot stayed with the accident airplane until his airplane became low on fuel; at which point he returned to the airport.
6 November Martinsville, VA	Van's RV-6 Reg: N8LK	Aircraft crashed on landing at Covington Airstrip, a private airstrip near Martinsville.	1 Fatal	According to the FAA, the aircraft suffered substantial damage.
7 November Bathurst, AUSTRALIA	Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain Panther Reg: VH-OPC	Aircraft was on a flight from Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne to Port Macquarie on New South Wales' mid north coast, but had stopped at Bathurst to refuel. Shortly after take-off from Bathurst, it crashed into a hillside and burned.	4 Fatal	Debris was strewn over several hundred feet and a large area of grass was alight.
7 November Gainesville, FL	Partenavia SPA P.68C Reg: N681KW	Aircraft was substantially damaged during approach to Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV).	3 Fatal	According to an employee at the fixed based operator (FBO) located at GNV, the pilot contacted him via radio between 0200 and 0300, and asked about the weather and runway lighting conditions. The employee replied that the visibility was low due to fog, and he could not see the terminal lights from the FBO. The employee also stated that the runway lights were pilot-controlled-lighting, and they were not currently on the highest setting. The pilot then asked about which was a closer alternate airport, Leesburg Florida or St. Augustine Florida, and the employee stated that he did not know. The employee then heard the pilot “click” the runway lights and contact Gainesville Radio. He did not hear any further communications from persons on the accident airplane.
8 November Mount Kilimanjaro, TANZANIA	Cessna U206F Reg: 5Y-AOO	Aircraft took off from one of the many tourist camps at Kyulu Hills on the Kenyan side of Mount Kilimanjaro on a sight-seeing trip. It then crashed on Mawenzi Peak at an altitude of 4,330m above sea level.	4 Fatal, 1 Serious	Four Italian tourists, two men and two women died, but the pilot survived and was taken to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, a referral hospital in Moshi, a town on the north-eastern foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. The pilot has serious injuries, but was in stable condition although he had difficulties narrating how the disaster happened.
8 November Mountain Home, ID	Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A Reg: N81705	During maintenance, aircraft lifted off, struck a fence and went into a ditch.	0 Uninjured
Military
Date/ Location	Aircraft/Reg.	Narrative	Casualties	Comments
4 November Pocheon, SOUTH KOREA	South Korean Air Force-operated Northrop F5E	Two F5E's collided during a training mission, causing the pilot of one of them to eject. The other aircraft landed safely.	1 Uninjured, 1 Minor
5 November Kymi Evoia, GREECE	Hellenic Army-operated Boeing AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopter Reg: ES-1015	Helicopter was engaged in simulated low-level attacks during night time against a Hellenic Army HAWK missile air-defense battery in mountainous terrain with a companion AH-64A. It is theorized that either the tail or the main rotor of the helicopter touched the ground.	2 Fatal	The crew radioed a message that they had hit the ground. The companion AH-64A alerted search and rescue and detected the flaming wreckage of the crashed Apache. Rescue efforts were hampered by exploding ammunition of the crashed Apache's 30 mm gun. This is the first AH-64A fatal accident in Hellenic Army Aviation after 25,000 hours of accident-free flights. Both of the deceased, a major and a captain, were experienced with more than 1,200 and 500 hours of flight duty respectively.
All entries are preliminary and subject to confirmation/correction by formal accident reports.

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