ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS

(29 June – 5 July 2008)

Airline, Corporate, & AeroMedevac

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

28 June

San Francisco

Airborne Inc.-operated Boeing 767

Reg: N799AX

The plane caught fire just aft of the cockpit area while the flight crew were preparing to start the engines. The airplane was parked at SFO with all cargo loaded at the time the fire erupted.

2 Uninjured

29 June

Flagstaff, AZ

Air Methods-operated

Bell 407

Reg: N407GA

Two EMS helicopters collided, near Flagstaff Medical Center.  The collision occurred while both were approaching the hospital for landing.

6 Fatal, 2 Minor

29 June

Flagstaff, AZ

Classic Helicopters-operated Bell 407

Reg: N407MJ

See above.

This most recent EMS accident is the ninth accident of its kind of 2008 and brings the death toll for the year to 16.

2 July

Seattle, WA

Airtran-operated

Boeing 737-700

A runway incursion occurred at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle, Washington. Airtran flight 227 crossed runway without a clearance while Northwest flight 106, A332 was departing.

191 Uninjured

The Federal Aviation Administration reported the two airplanes missed colliding by 400 feet vertically as the Airbus overflew the 737.

2 July

Seattle, WA

Northwest-operated

Airbus 332

Reg: N857NW

See above.

5 July

New York, NY

Cayman-operated Boeing 737-300

An incident reported by controllers as a near midair collision occurred at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) involving Cayman Airways flight 792 (CAY792) and Linea Aerea Nacional de Chile flight 533 (LAN533).

4 Uninjured

According to initial reports, CAY792 was executing a missed approach to runway and conflicted with LAN533 as it was departing from another runway. Controllers assigned diverging headings to both aircraft to resolve the conflict. According to preliminary radar data, the closest proximity of the two aircraft was slightly over 1/2 mile laterally and 200 feet vertically. The controllers when interviewed said, “The two blips turned into one.”

5 July

New York, NY

Linea Aerea Nacional de Chile-operated Boeing 767-300

See above.

General Aviation and Helicopter

Date/

Location

Aircraft/Reg

Narrative

Casualties

Comments

28 June

Mt. Charleston, NV

Piper PA-32-300

Reg: N4063W

The aircraft collided with mountainous terrain. Plane was unable to gain altitude prior to collision.

4 Fatal

Plane was seen flying at “full throttle” below witnesses who lived in mountaintop homes.

28 June

Hollywood, FL

Piper PA-18-135

Reg: N3257B

The plane, while on a banner tow flight, rolled over during landing.

1 Uninjured

Pilot was unable to reduce power during landing. Finally, after applying brakes, the airplane nosed over inverted.

28 June

Sa Pobla, SPAIN

Cessna 172N

Reg: EC-IRP

Aircraft sustained substantial damage upon impact with terrain while maneuvering after take-off from Son Bonet Aerodrome (LESB). The pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured.

3 Fatal

Spanish air safety officials said that the single-engined Cessna 172 registered at Sabadell airdrome near Barcelona in northeast Spain was one of several planes taking part in a rally. The personal flight had an intended destination of San Luis Aerodrome LESL, Spain

29 June

Katmandu, NEPAL

Fishtail Air-operated Nepali Army Helicopter

Helicopter crash-landed at Annapurna Base Camp.

3 Minor

The helicopter was flying tourists on a trip to see the Himalayas.

29 June

Wasilla, AK

Piper PA-18

Reg: N2581P

Aircraft sustained substantial damaged when it collided with a stand of trees during an attempted go-around while landing at a private airstrip, about 6 miles east of Wasilla

1 Fatal, 1 Minor

During landing, plane became unstable and drifted towards a large group of trees. Immediately before crash, engine power increased significantly.

29 June

Santa Rosa, NM

Cessna U206F Reg: N2905Q

Flight from Santa Rosa to Chicago crashed into terrain shortly after takeoff

5 Fatal

Plane had initial trouble departing runway, but managed to takeoff without incident.  Shortly after, however, plane rotated nearly 180 before impacting hilly terrain.

29 June

Iliamna, AK

Bell UH-1B

Reg: N64RA

Severe vertical vibration occurred before a hard landing at Iliamna Airport substantially damaged the helicopter.

2 Uninjured

Pilot was demonstrating a practice autorotation to a student and chose to attempt landing in spite of heavy vibration.  Damage to fuselage, tail boom assembly and main rotor transmission supports.

30 June

Bend, OR

Cessna TR182

Reg: N7XZ

Aircraft, operated by Spirit Flight, was damaged during forced landing.

1 Serious, 1 Minor

Pilot felt serious vibration during initial descent and noticed the propeller RPM was "in the red" and that the oil temperature was rising steadily. Subsequently, oil began streaking across the windscreen, and the pilot initiated a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a barbwire fence and came to rest on a two-lane highway.

1 July

Siberia, RUSSIA

UTAir operated Mi-8 helicopter

While flying to an oil drilling platform, the helicopter collided with terrain.

9 Fatal, 7 injured

2 July

Piru, CA

Cessna 152

Reg: N25490

Operating under Part 91 rules, plane crashed into terrain. The plane was destroyed.

1 Fatal

The flight originated from Whiteman Airport, Los Angeles as a pipeline surveillance operation.  Piru is located about 50 NW of Los Angeles.

3 July

Middletown, RI

Piper PA-28-161

Reg: N9888K

Aircraft was substantially damaged upon impacting trees shortly after takeoff. Engine noise ceased shortly before impact. 

2 Fatal, 1 Serious

Upon examination of the wreckage, three of the top spark plugs were found to be oil-soaked.

4 July

Arusha, TANZANIA

Cessna C 82

The aircraft, owned and operated by the Tanzanian government, crashed into Monduli Hills, near Arusha.

3 Fatal

All three killed were government officials. 

4 July

Khartoum, Sudan

Ilyushin 76 Russian-made Cargo plane

Aircraft, operate by Juba Cargo, crashed outside of Khartoum shortly after takeoff from that city. It was the second plane crash in Sudan in one week and the third in June.

4 Fatal

Later that day, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir sacked the chief of the country's Civil Aviation Authority, Abu Bakar Gaafar, and banned Russian-made cargo planes from operating in Sudan's civil aviation, the state SUNA news agency said.

All entries are preliminary and subject to confirmation/correction by formal accident reports.