Hey guys, Sorry i've been gone. I didn't became interest of being on the site, so i left for a few months. I've decided to return. I will start that story and rescue it from Development hell but just like i mentioned in May,will be the last story i'll post on this thread since i have no interest of doing stories on this thread anymore. I've giving you something i have promised
Major Update: I will be continuing my real-life aviation accidents thread, hoping to writing some real life stories in the mean-time
I have decided to make a total of 2 stories that are coming in the future, both of whom are about Boeing airliners
(This story is inspired by Air Canada flight 797 and Saudia flight 163) Eastern Airlines flight 628 (An Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727-100 similar to the one involved) Accident Information Date: December 28th,1976 Summary: In-Flight Fire of Unknown Origin worsened by Pilot Error Site: Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonville, Florida, United States Aircraft Information: Operator: Eastern Air Lines Aircraft: Boeing 727-100 (-25) Registration: N8161N Occupants: 55 Passengers: 48 Crew: 7 Fatalities: 27 (25 passengers, 2 flight attendants) (24 on site, 3 in hospital) Survivors: 28 (23 passengers, 5 crewmembers) (31 initially) Injuries (Non Fatal): 25 (22 passengers, 3 crewmembers) Origin Airport: Miami International Airport, Miami, United States Destination Airport: Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport, Atlanta, United States On December 28th,1976, Eastern Air Lines 628 flying from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, United States to Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The plane operating the flight is an 10 year old Boeing 727-100 that was built in July 1966 and registered as N8161N . The Aircraft was delivered in August 1966. Flight 628 took off at Miami at 7:40 PM (EST) and is scheduled to land at Atlanta at 9:15 PM (EST) They're 3 Cockpit Crewmembers/ Flight Crew Captain Harry Mickelson (Aged 43) (Born 11/2/1933) Mickelson was hired by Eastern Air Lines in May 1964. Prior to flying with Eastern, Mickelson flew with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954-1964. He flew as a Flight Engineer on the Air Force One for Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy and on Cargo Aircraft Mickelson is rated Captain on the Boeing 727, Convair CV-240 Family, McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 and Lockheed L-188 Electra. He is also rated First Officer on the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar and McDonnell-Douglas DC-8 Mickelson has 20,420 Hours of Flight Time (Including 1,110 in the 727) Mickelson has been flying the 727 since 1968 His base airport is Atlanta (he lives in nearby Marietta) First Officer Bernard Wojcik (Aged 31) (Born 5/22/1945) Wojcik was hired by Eastern Air Lines in January 1974 He flew with the United States Navy (USN) from 1967-1974. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy as the Class of 1967. While with the Navy, he served in the Vietnam War He is rated First Officer on the Boeing 727 and McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 Wojcik has 11,788 Hours of Flight Time (Including 760 in the Boeing 727 but only 80 as an First Officer) Wojcik has been flying the Boeing 727 since January 1974 (Around the same time he was hired by Eastern) He upgraded to First Officer on the 727 only two months prior. His Base Airport is Miami (but lives in Clewiston, Florida) Second Officer/ Flight Engineer Eugene Miller (Aged 48) (Born 7/25/1928) Miller was hired by Eastern Air Lines in February 1952 Miller is rated Second Officer on the Boeing 727, McDonnell-Douglas DC-8, Lockheed L-1049 Constellation and L-1011 Tristar Miller has 18,456 Hours of Flight Time (Including 1,302 in the 727) Miller has been flying the Boeing 727 since 1964 (the same year the 727 was introduced to Eastern) His base airport is Miami (however lives in Pensacola, Florida) They're four flight attendants, They're by age: (Lead) Stewardess Ruth Appleton, 33 (Hired by Eastern in 1965) Steward John Gilbert, 31 (Hired by Eastern in 1968) Stewardess Betty Smith, 26 (Hired by Eastern in 1973) Stewardess Lois McGrew, 24 (Hired by Eastern in 1974) They're 48 passengers, 46 of whom seated in Economy and two (a couple from Chattanooga, Tennessee) are seated in First Class. Among the passengers are four children. Most of the passengers are returning home after spending Christmas with their families in the Miami area The Flights attendants are starting to serve Supper to the passengers. Captain Mickelson and First Officer Wojcik are already eating their food. Second Officer Miller notices that three circuit breakers for the rear left lavatory have popped. He doesn't tell Captain Mickelson or First Officer Wojcik about the problem despite the flashing lights and warning sounds. After identifying the circuit breakers, Miller attempts to reset them, but strangely, the Circuit breakers don't reset. He decides to wait a few minutes before resetting them again. Toilets get blocked all the time and its nothing to declare an emergency about. Miller attempts to reset the circuit breakers a second time but again with no success. A Passenger seated in row 29 complains to stewardess Smith about an unnerving smell. Smith also notices the Left Lavatory door pouring out smoke. The Cabin Crew moves all the passengers seated in rows 26-30 to the front of Economy. Lead Stewardess Appleton attempts to take out the fire with no success due to not seeing any flames in the lavatory. Appleton enters the cockpit and gives Second Officer Miller his meal and notifies the flight crew about the problem Captain Mickelson and Second Officer Miller don't believe the problem to be that serious due to it being small smoke and that they can probably continue to fly to Atlanta First Officer Wojcik decides to go to the cabin to look and determine if the problem is that serious. Stewardess Smith gets a brief notice to the flight crew that the passengers were moved to the front and that she believes the smoke will ease up The smoke appears to be dwindling in size. After the smoke cleared up, First Officer Wojcik decides to check the lavatory again with goggles and an Oxygen Mask on. He needs to take off his glasses to put the goggles on which clots his vision. If the problem is only a faulty toilet motor, Flight 928 can still be able to fly to Atlanta. If it becomes worse, Captain Mickelson need to preform an emergency landing. As Mickelson and Miller waits up for an update, Miller receives Master Warning Light and tells Mickelson. It seems like Electrical Systems of the aircraft are failing Captain Mickelson notifies Miami Air Traffic Control about electrical problems and that they may be off in communication First Officer Wojcik attempts to enter the lavatory but finds the handle hot to touch Wojcik returns to the cockpit and says "Okay, This is actually getting scary, there's no way we're going to continue to Atlanta like this, we should land at the nearest airport" Captain Mickelson notices fear in Wojcik's voice. So Mickelson declares an emergency. Just Then a warning light flashes, the plane had just lost most of its engine power. Air Traffic Control redirect to Jacksonville International Airport with Jacksonville only being 50.5 Kilometers (31.3 Miles) away for Flight 628. The flight descends to 3,000 feet The crew decides to use the emergency battery power but many of the aircraft's systems are still not working. Without power, the Horizontal Stabilizer can become frozen and it'll be stuck at cruising position. The Cockpit Crew considers it unsafe to deploy oxygen masks since Oxygen will feed to fire, so the flight attendants are instructed to give the passengers Wet cloths to breath in. Some passengers even took off their shirts when the flight attendants ran out of cloths for the passengers to use. Stewardess McGrew goes to rear of the cabin to try to find the cause of the smoke but never returns to the front, its presumed she passed out from the smoke or heat with her body being undiscovered by her fellow cabin crewmembers. Smoke is now entering he cockpit At 8:38, Flight 928 appears on Jacksonville radar and instructs Flight 928 to land on runway 32 At 8:44 PM, Flight 928 preforms an emergency landing at Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. (Blue= The distance/path Flight 928 took down the runway, Green=Resting stop of aircraft) The Aircraft continues down Runway 32 for nearly a mile before coming to a come after pulling into a taxiway The Cockpit Crew power the plane down causing the lights in the cabin to black out and the engines to die Stewardess Appleton opens the front left door and she ,Stewardess Smith, Second Officer Miller and 21 passengers (including the two passengers seated in first class ) escape via that exit , 1 passenger escaped by opening the exit on the right wing. Steward Gilbert remains in the aircraft to try to rescue more passengers and possibly Stewardess McGrew. However, due to the mix of thick smoke and darkness, He is only able to help and lead three passengers out. First Officer Wojcik escaped via his cockpit escape window. Captain Mickelson attempts to escape via his respective escape window but falls unconscious and hangs over his window. First Officer Wojcik pulls him out. Captain Mickelson is the last Cockpit Crewmember to leave the burning aircraft and would eventually be the last surviving crewmember to escape. Just after Mickelson was pulled out Steward Gilbert is guiding three passengers (two female, 1 male) out of the aircraft, when they reach the exit, an Flashover (an explosion which when certain organic materials are heated they undergo thermal decomposition and release flammable gases) breaks Ignities after under 100 seconds after landing. All of whom substained burns from the explosion. If they were off by a few seconds, they would have instantly been killed by the blaze. Unfortunately, 23 passengers and Stewardess McGrew weren't able to get out of the burning aircraft in time and either fell unconcious or became incapacitated to smoke inhalation or were consumed by the flashover. Steward Gilbert and two passengers he lead out later died in hospital due to smoke inhalation and burns they received from the Flashover (Gilbert and a passenger died the next day while the latter passenger died three days after the accident). The sole survivng passenger Gilbert rescued, 32-year old Mónica Munoz of ,Florida lost her husband Charles (Aged 37) who was also guided out by the late steward. In total, 27 (Steward Gilbert, Stewardess McGrew and 25 passengers) onboard were killed with the 28 remaining surviving. 25 of the survivors were treated for either burns or smoke inhalation, 22 of the passengers and 3 Crewmembers (Stewardess Appleton, Stewardess Smith and Captain Mickelson). 8 of the hospitilaized were labled as "Seriously injured" while the remaining 17 were labled as "Minorly injured" . All those who received Minor Injuries were released the next day. (Seatmap of the passengers , Red=Fatalities, Yellow=Passengers who Initially survived but died of injuries, Green=Survivors) (Note: Original seats of passengers before moving) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launch an investigation into the accident It was discovered that the 727 involved suffered an explosive decompression only 14 months prior in October 1975, the left engine was blown off but was eventually was repaired with an replacement engine. The NTSB tried cutting through the wire to see what could have caused the fire with no success. The NTSB is unable to determine what caused the fire but they do know what caused the Flashover . While the passengers and crew were escaping through the emergency exits, unlimited supply of oxygen from outside fed the fire with the intense heat causing the gases to ignite with the force of any explosion. The Cabin Crew (Both Deceased and Living) were criticized for not successfully finding the cause of the fire Captain Mickelson and Second Officer Miller were both criticized for not inquiring about the fire's intensity All the Cockpit crewmembers were also criticized for not descending later then expected The Airlines Pilot Association (APA) has a petition that defended the Flight Crew's action. But the NTSB Report still criticized Captain Mickelson's decision to not descend right away. The Crewmembers of Flight 928 (Both living and deceased) were awarded by Eastern Air Lines for their bravery. Fate of Crew: Captain Mickelson flew with Eastern until 1989 when he quit flying with the Airline after learning about Frank Lorenzo's scheme with Eastern, he flew with Delta Airlines from 1989 until his retirement in 1993. He died on June 16th,2019 at age 85 First Officer Wojcik continued to fly with Eastern until being furloughed in 1990, he flew with American Airlines from 1990 until retiring in 2005. He prefers not to talk about the events surrounding Flight 928 but calls it "the most intense part of his career" Second Officer Miller remained flying with Eastern until his death in October 1980 in the crash of Eastern Air Lines flight 329 (which is my next post) Stewardess Appleton remained flying with Eastern Air Lines until its bankruptcy in 1991, she worked with American Airlines until retiring in 1998 at age 55. She died of COVID-19 on May 24th,2020 at age 76 (Just two weeks short of her 77th birthday) Stewardess Smith now suffers from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of the accident and had to quit her job as a Flight Attendant. Steward Gilbert and Stewardess McGrew are both posthumously awarded for their bravery and actions during the evacuation There's an memorial outside Jacksonville International Airport dedicated to the 27 victims See also: Air Canada Flight 797 (A In-Flight Fire accidnet where the pilots failed to respond faster resulting in more passenger deaths) Valujet flight (A Dougulas DC-9 that crashed in the Everglades, coinincidently Flight 592's Flight route, Miami-Atlanta was the same flight route as 928)
Loss of Control in Flight, Glaser-Dirks DG-100, N968BG, Fatal accident occurred occurred December 25th, 2018, in So Cal Nevada Interstate, Nevada, USA: (View of accident glider on day of the accident following tow-release, via eyewitness) Location: So Cal Nevada Interstate, Nevada, USA Date & Time: 12/25/2018, 1426 PST Registration: N968BG Aircraft: Glaser-Dirks DG-100 Aircraft Damage: Destroyed Defining Event: Loss of Control in Flight Injuries: 1 Fatal Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal HISTORY OF FLIGHT: On December 25th, 2018, at about 1425 pacific standard time, a Glaser-Dirks DG-100 glider, registration N968BG, struck a wind turbine and impacted terrain during an apparent forced landing attempt in the SoCal-NV Interstate, Nevada, USA. The private pilot was fatally injured and the glider was destroyed. The glider was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and there was no flight plan filled for the local flight that departed the nearby airfield. According to the tow pilot, the purpose of the flight was to fly the glider around the airport for a local charity project. The pilot reported that the glider pilot did not report any problems before and after the tow release. The tow pilot observed the glider rocking left and right before starting a descending right turn. The glider did not recover from the descent and impacted a wind turbine located next to the abandoned airfield. There was no post crash fire. According to an eyewitness who observed the accident takeoff, he reported that everything looked normal up until a few seconds after the tow release, he observed the glider entering a flat descending right turn, the glider kept on descending and the speed increased along with the descent angle. The glider then went out of view but he heard two "crushing" impacts. An on scene examination of the wreckage by the investigator in charge (IIC) revealed that the glider clipped a wind turbine with the right wing and impacted terrain nose first, the wreckage was heavily fragmented, examination of the flight controls could not be done on scene due to the extent of damage to the fuselage. The glider was recovered to the local airfield for further examination. PERSONAL INFORMATION: Certificate: Private Age: 71, Male Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land Seat Occupied: Single Other Aircraft Rating(s): Glider Restraint Used: Instrument Rating(s): Airplane Second Pilot Present: No Instructor Rating(s): None Toxicology Performed: Yes Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/20/2018 Occupational Pilot: No Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 02/20/2018 Flight Time: 2534 hours (Total, all aircraft), 210.6 hours (Total, this make and model), 1500 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft) The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, and instrument. Additionally, The pilot was issued a second-class airman medical certificate on June 5, 2015, without limitations or waivers. The pilot records showed that he had accumulated 2,534 total flight hours, at least 210.6 hours were in the accident make and model glider. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION: The single pilot glider was an all-flying tailplane manufactured in Germany by DG Flugzeugbau, Gmbh, with anti-balance tabs along the entire trailing edges, and a two-piece canopy (movable and fixed parts), built of GFRP (glass-fibre reinforced plastic)/foam sandwich materials and resin impregnated rovings for high strength parts. The glider was incorporated with a retractable main landing gear. There were no maintenance logbooks obtained during the course of the investigation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION AND FLIGHT PLAN: The nearest weather observation reported these conditions: winds from 280 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition clear. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION: Examination of the accident site revealed that the glider clipped a wind turbine with the right wing and impacted terrain nose first, the wreckage was heavily fragmented. The glider was orientated on a 190° magnetic heading, with the debris field coming to the rest in the initial impact crater. All flight control surfaces were accounted for at the accident site. Examination of the of the fuselage revealed that the cockpit and aft section were fragmented. The instrument panel was located within the debris field sustained impact damage and thus did not provide any reliable information. The empennage was broken away from the fuselage and impact damaged. The rudder was found in a right position. The pushrods for the elevator and rudder were impact damaged and, when moved, revealed continuity. Further examination of the glider did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or anomalies. (View of accident scene) (View of accident scene) (View of empennage) (Close up view of the rudder/elevator) (View of main wreckage, note the heavy fragmentation) MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION: An autopsy was preformed on the pilot, his cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. - Analysis: The private pilot departed on a local flight, about twelve seconds after the tow release, the glider was seen in a flat right descent until it impacted the ground. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or anomalies, also, an autopsy of the pilot revealed was negative to carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. It most likely that the pilot lost control of the glider immediately after the tow release, the exact reason for this could not be determined with certainty. The Investigation determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the glider following the tow release. --- Post updated --- Loss of Visual Reference, Cessna O-1 Bird Dog (L-19), N154BG, Fatal accident occurred March 14th, 2019, in So Cal Nevada Interstate, Nevada, USA: (View of accident scene) Location: So Cal Nevada Interstate, Nevada, USA Date & Time: 03/14/2019, 1502 PST Registration: N154BG Aircraft: Cessna O-1 Bird Dog Aircraft Damage: Substantial Defining Event: Loss of Visual Reference Injuries: 2 Fatal Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal - HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT: On March 14th, 2019, at around 1502 Pacific Standard Time, a Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, registration N154B, was substantially damaged when it impacted a pond about 30 seconds after takeoff from the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, Nevada, USA. The student pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the student pilot under the provision of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a visual flight rules personal flight. Nighttime visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the nearby Interstate Airport. According to the pilot's family, the pilot departed with his son to teach him about night time flying and maneuvering. The pilot was also planning to a low level flyby over the pilot's residence. According to a private rated pilot who knew the occupants and was at the airport the time, the airplane departed in a southern heading before conducting a left turn. The airplane then disappeared from his view. After not hearing from the pilot for two hours. The pilot's family decided to contact first responders. A huge aerial search was conduced and at approx 1800 PST, a police helicopter located what looked like a small white airplane in a pond. The local police arrived on the scene and confirmed that the wreckage belonged to the missing airplane. The IIC (Investigator In Charge) was in the area at the time and flew over the pond with his private airplane. A diving team recovered the deceased occupants early in the morning. An on scene examination of the airplane by the IIC revealed that the airplane came to the rest on its left side, both wings were impact damaged and separated, multiple other parts (flaps/rudders/elevators) were located near the fuselage. The airplane was mostly intact and was impact damaged. The airplane was recovered in the morning to the local airfield for further examination. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration electronic airmen registry for the student pilot, revealed that he held a student pilot certificate. The limitation listed on the student pilot certificate states, "carrying passengers is prohibited." 14 CFR Part 61.89 discusses the limitations for student pilots and states that a student pilot may not act as a pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying a passenger. (View of accident scene as seen by the IIC) - Personal Information: Certificate: None Age: 54, Male Airplane Rating(s): None Seat Occupied: Single Other Aircraft Rating(s): None Restraint Used: Instrument Rating(s): None Second Pilot Present: No Instructor Rating(s): None Toxicology Performed: Yes Medical Certification: Last FAA Medical Exam: Occupational Pilot: No Last Flight Review or Equivalent: Flight Time: 105.1 hours (Total, all aircraft), 75 hours (Total, this make and model), 19 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft) According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a student pilot certificate. He did not hold a medical certificate and was not required to do so. A review of his logbook revealed that his flight training began in January 2017 and that he had accumulated 105.1 hours of total flight experience. The student's first flight in the accident airplane was on November 16, 2017. He had accumulated 75 flight hours in the accident airplane at the time of the accident, of which 29 hours were accumulated during solo flights. During the preceding 90 days, the student had logged 11 hours, all of which were in the accident airplane. - Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information: Aircraft Make: Cessna Registration: N154BG Model/Series: O-1 (L19) Bird Dog Aircraft Category: Airplane Amateur Built: No Operator: On file Operating Certificate(s) Held: None - Aircraft Information: The airplane was originally in 1957 and transported to Europe, and subsequently returned to the United States in mid 1990. The owner at the time of the accident acquired it 2017. The military designation of the airplane was L-19E, and the civilian designation was 305C. - METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION AND FLIGHT PLAN: The nearest weather observation reported these conditions: winds from 210 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition clear and overcast clouds at 10,000 ft above ground level. - Wreckage and Impact Information: The airplane impacted a body of water (pond) about 30 seconds after takeoff, the airplane came to the rest on its left side and was observed to have been impact damaged, both wings were impact separated, the fuselage remained intact. All flight control surfaces were accounted for at the accident site. The cockpit sustained substantial damage. The cockpit instrument panel was also damaged, the flight and performance instruments were successfully recovered. The attitude indicator and turn coordinator face were recovered. Flight control continuity was obtained from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit through breaks and fractures consistent with overload. The right wing and left wing were impact-separated and fractured but remained within the wreckage area. Aileron continuity was confirmed. The empennage remained attached to the fuselage. The left and right rudder were impact separated. The horizontal stabilizer and elevator were impact damaged and separated. The elevator trim tab was impact-damaged and remained attached to the right elevator through cables. The wooden propeller blades were impact-separated and fragmented. The engine remained attached to the airplane. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact anomaly or malfunction. (View of the airplane during recovery) - Medical And Pathological Information: An autopsy was preformed on the pilot, his cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. - Additional Information: According to the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3, Chapter 10: Night flying requires that pilots be aware of, and operate within, their abilities and limitations. Although careful planning of any flight is essential, night flying demands more attention to the details of preflight preparation and planning. Night flying is very different from day flying and demands more attention of the pilot. The most noticeable difference is the limited availability of outside visual references. Therefore, flight instruments should be used to a greater degree in controlling the airplane. Crossing large bodies of water at night in single-engine airplanes could be potentially hazardous, not only from the standpoint of landing (ditching) in the water, but also because with little or no lighting the horizon blends with the water, in which case, depth perception and orientation become difficult. During poor visibility conditions over water, the horizon will become obscure, and may result in a loss of orientation. Even on clear nights, the stars may be reflected on the water surface, which could appear as a continuous array of lights, thus making the horizon difficult to identify. According to Advisory Circular 60-4A, "Pilot's Spatial Disorientation," tests conducted with qualified instrument pilots indicated that it can take as long as 35 seconds to establish full control by instruments after a loss of visual reference of the earth's surface. AC 60-4A further stated that surface references and the natural horizon may become obscured even though visibility may be above VFR minimums and that an inability to perceive the natural horizon or surface references is common during flights over water, at night, in sparsely populated areas, and in low-visibility conditions. - Analysis: The student pilot departed with his 17-year-old son to give him lessons about night time flying. Only one person witnessed the airplane take off and nothing out of the ordinary was described. The airplane took off in a southern heading before conducting a left turn, this would have forced the pilot to fly over a body of water. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident but based on wreckage examination it is most likely that the airplane entered a slow left descent until it impacted the water pond. The dark night conditions combined with a flyover water with no cockpit lights/ground light references would have increased the difficulty associated with the tasks of maintaining aircraft attitude control and maintaining awareness of the airplane's height above the water while maneuvering in the initial climb. It is likely that the pilot either lost control due to spatial disorientation or inadvertently descended into the water; however, without track information from the final moments of the flight, there is insufficient information from which to determine which scenario was more likely involved in the accident. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. - Probable Cause: The student pilot's loss of control following a flight in dark night visual meteorological conditions, which resulted in an impact with water due to a loss of visual reference.
Loss of Lift, North American B-25 Mitchell, N5960NG, privately owned and operated, Fatal accident occurred June 27th, 1986, in Roane County, Tennessee, USA: (Overview of the accident scene, direction of travel) Location: Roane County, Tennessee, USA Date & Time: 06/27/1986, 2221 CDT Registration: N5960NG Aircraft: North American B-25 Mitchell Aircraft Damage: Destroyed Defining Event: Loss of Lift Injuries: 9 Fatal Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal - Analysis: The private rated pilot and the eight passengers departed the vintage aircraft on an instrument flight rules cross-country flight. Weather conditions around the time of the accident showed a high possibility of airframe icing and low clouds. The departure airport was not equipped with de-icing items and the plane was left on the runway for nearly 30 minutes. The pilot advised the airplane owner, who was a WW2 aircraft fan, that takeoff will be difficult with the current weather. The owner did not show any signs of concern and told the pilot to "try his best" during the flight. Eyewitnesses reported that the takeoff appeared to be normal, the airplane used the entire runway before briefly lifting off. A commercial pilot who witnessed the departure stated that the airplane did gain enough altitude to clear the rising hills ahead of the airport runway. The airplane was seen in a brief descent before an impact sound was heard along with a post crash fire appearing in the distance. The airplane impacted a rising hill in altitude level at a heading 46° with the nose first at an airspeed of approx 171 mph. The wreckage was spread over a large area and a brief post crash fire ensued. There were no survivors. First responders discovered pieces of ice at the accident site that displayed a curvature consistent with the leading edge of a wing or horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. A study showed that the airplane was close to the maximum gross weight, which would have effected the climbing abilities of the airplane. A study of the pilot's records showed that he was trained in a twin engine Piper aircraft in 1984, however, he had only accumulated a total of 45.6 hours as a first officer in the accident aircraft's make and model. The owner of the airplane was not aware of that. He hired the pilot from a world war two aircraft museum without requiring information about the pilot skills/hours. Based on the available evidence. It is most likely that the pilot, who was briefed about the weather conditions, decided to depart on an IMC flight with known airframe icing, near maximum gross weight, low visibility, in an airplane he was inexperienced with. The investigation revealed that the initial climb out from the airport is impossible with all these factors combined. - Probable Cause: The pilot's improper preflight planning, and his decision to depart and continue his flight into known adverse weather conditions with known airframe icing, which resulted in the airplane's inability to climb and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was (1) the foggy conditions (2) near maximum gross weight and (3) the pilot's lack of experience with the accident aircraft make and model. - General Information: On June 27th, 1986, at about 2221 central daylight time, a North American B-25 Mitchell, N5960NG, was destroyed when it impacted a hill near the departure runway of a local airport in Roane County, Tennessee, USA. The certified private pilot and the eight passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed from Roane County Airport, Tennessee, and was en route to a private airfield in Texas. According to preliminary information provided to the IIC, the airplane was owned and operated by a Texan business man, who was a WW2 aircraft enthusiast. The owner hired a private pilot from a local vintage aircraft museum to conduct the flight. The pilot showed little concerns about the fog and icy conditions that prevailed before takeoff, so did the owner. The airplane was parked in an airport hangar one hour before the accident. The pilot taxied the airplane to the departure runway at 2145 CDT, 36m before the accident. The airplane was parked on the runway for at least 35 minutes (figure 1). The time from takeoff to the impact was less than a minute. (Figure 1, showing owner's limo and accident airplane) Along with the pilot and aircraft owner, there were four friends of the owner, his son and daughter, and one distant relative. An eyewitness reported that the airplane struggled to attain any height after lifting off the runway. The airplane stayed on level heading before impacting a hill. A post crash fire ensued (figure 2). (Figure 2) - Personal Information: Certificate: Private Age: 37, Male Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land Seat Occupied: Left Other Aircraft Rating(s): None Restraint Used: Instrument Rating(s): Airplane Second Pilot Present: No Toxicology Performed: Yes Medical Certification: Class 1 With Waivers/Limitations Last FAA Medical Exam: 09/15/1985 Occupational Pilot: No Last Flight Review or Equivalent: Flight Time: (Estimated) 610 hours (Total, all aircraft), 45.6 hours (Total, this make and model) The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multiengine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA medical examination was conducted on September 15, 1985, following which he was issued a first-class medical certificate with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. The pilot had a total of 45.6 hours as a first officer in the accident aircraft make and model. - Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information: Aircraft Make: North American Registration: N5960NG Model/Series: B25 Aircraft Category: Airplane Amateur Built: No Operator: Operating Certificate(s) Held: None Operator Designator Code: The airplane was not equipped with flight recorders and it was required to do so. - Wreckage and Impact Information: The airplane's wreckage came to the rest in an area of hills less than a 1 km from the departure the runway. The first point of impact was identified with fragments from the cockpit and nose section area, the tail section was the first main section of the aircraft found in the wreckage path. The tail remained intact, but the ailerons/elevators/rudders were impact damage and separated, they were located within the wreckage path. The pushrods for the elevator and rudder were impact damaged and, when moved, revealed continuity. The next main section of the aircraft was both wings which were impact damaged and separated from the main fuselage. Both engines were impact damaged and crushed and separated from their attachment areas. The flaps were still in the takeoff position (40d each). Examination of the propellers revealed that they were damaged and showed continuity. The next major section was the fuselage (mid section) which was separated from the reminder of the airplane. The left engine was located near the fuselage, it displayed aft crushing damage. The cockpit section came to the rest on its left side (captain side) and was impact damaged. The cockpit instrument panel was also damaged, the flight and performance instruments were successfully recovered. The attitude indicator and turn coordinator face were recovered. Flight control continuity was obtained from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit through breaks and fractures consistent with overload. The last parts of the airplane found in wreckage path were the right engine and nose section. The engine displayed damage identical to the other one. The nose gear was the last part of the airplane found in the wreckage path. - Medical And Pathological Information: An autopsy was preformed on the pilot, his cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. - More photos:
Aircraft Structural Failure, Messerschmitt Me 262, N943BN, Accident occurred December 15, 2019, in Los Injurus, USA: (View of the airplane after the inflight structure failure) Location: Los Injurus, USA Date & Time: 12/15/2019, 411 PDT Registration: N943BN Aircraft: Messerschmitt Me 262 Aircraft Damage: Destroyed Defining Event: Aircraft Structural Failure Injuries: 1 (none) Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Test - Analysis: The commercial rated pilot departed in the vintage WW2 fighter for a local test flight, the pilot reported that everything seemed OK during the takeoff and subsequent climb out, the weather was calm and there were a few clouds present. The pilot reported that about one minute and six seconds from the initial takeoff, he heard a cranking like noise coming from his left side, the pilot then reported seeing the left wing suddenly separate from the airframe. The airplane was not equipped with an ejection seat, but the pilot managed to open the canopy and jump from the airplane and use his parachute. The pilot managed to land close to the shore and he was subsequently rescued by a small fishing boat. A two-seater training airplane was flying about 3000 feet above the vintage jet, it was equipped by a student pilot and a flight instructor, the flight instructor reported that as he was observing the jet cruise in the air, the left wing completely separated from the airframe. The flight instructor added that he did not see any planes or birds/drones near or in the jet's flightpath. The instructor captured a photo showing the jet in an out of control spiral towards the sea, the photo was taken after the pilot jumped and activated his parachute. The photo shows the left wing in the far distance with fire presumably visible from the left engine area. The airplane impacted the waters and was completely destroyed. Two small fishing boats saw the aircraft impact the water and went to the area to see if they can retrieve any wreckage. The boats managed to recover some small parts of the tail section and right engine. Nothing else was recovered and subsequent dive searches located fragmented wreckage resting on the bottom of the sea floor. A few additional parts of the cockpit were recovered, the left wing and engine were not located during the searches. The aircraft was built in mid 1944, records show that the aircraft was offered for sale in the US in the late 1950s, and that it has been on operation with several vintage flight museums ever since. Maintenance records indicated that the most recent annual inspection was completed on May 06, 2018, at an airframe total time of 13,472.3 hours. According to the entry, the engine had accumulated 451 hours since its most recent overhaul. Due to the lack of recovered wreckage, the investigators were unable to examine the airplane's left wing or engine. Testing done on the recovered parts revealed that there were no anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunctions. Additionally, a study of the photos and eyewitness accounts revealed the absence of any birds/drones/airplanes in the airplane's flightpath or surrounding area. It is most likely that the left wing suffered an inflight structure failure of undetermined origin, which resulted in the loss of control. - Probable Cause: An inflight structural failure of the left wing for reasons that could not be determined due to the lack of recovered wreckage. - History of The Flight: On December 15th, 2019, at around 411 Pacific Standard Time, a Messerschmitt Me 262 vintage jet, N943BN, was destroyed after an in-flight breakup and a subsequent impact with the water shortly after takeoff from Los Injurus International Airport, Los Injurus, USA. The commercial rated pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the local test flight. According to the pilot, the airplane's left wing separated about one minute after takeoff and the airplane entered a spiraling descent afterwards, the pilot opened the canopy, jumped, and activated his parachute, he was rescued by a nearby fishing boat. The airplane impacted the waters of the sea and was submerged, a few parts were located during the immediate recovery efforts, these parts were recovered and sent to a secure location for further examination. The Messerschmitt Me 262 was a single seat jet-powered fighter aircraft manufactured by Messerschmitt AG in the early 1940s, about 1,430 of these fighter jets were built. The accident airplane was powered by two Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines (figure 1). (Figure 1: accident airplane)
I originally decided to leave this forum for good but this story i made has been in my mind for a while now and i just wanted to post this. Japan Air Lines flight 76 (A Japan Air Lines Boeing 747-100 similar to the one involved0 Accident Information: Date: July 2nd, 1971 Summary Runway Excursion due to Pilot Error during go-around Site: Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Fatalities: 34 (28 plane, 6 ground) Survivors: 229 (Plane) Injuries (Non Fatal): 159 (145 plane, 14 ground) Aircraft/Flight Information: Operator: Japan Air Lines Aircraft: Boeing 747-146 (-100) Registration: JA8100 Occupants: 257 Passengers: 236 Crew: 21 Fatalities: 28 (25 passengers, 3 flight attendants) Survivors: 229 (211 Passengers, 18 crew) Injuries (Non Fatal): 145 (129 passengers, 16 crew) (43 serious, 102 Minor) Origin Airport: Tokyo International Airport, Tokyo, Japan (Now Tokyo- Haneda International Airport) Destination: Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, United States (Now Daniel K. Inouye International Airport) Call Sign: JAPAN AIR 76 IATA Sign; JA76 ICAO Sign: JAL76 Ground Casulties: Fatalities: 6 Injuries (Non Fatal): 14 Landing: On July 2nd, 1971. Japan Airlines is preparing to land at Honolulu International Airport (Now called Daniel K. Inouye International Airport) in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States after a 11 and half hour flight from Tokyo International Airport (Now called Tokyo-Haneda International Airport) in Tokyo, Japan. Flight 76 took off at 9:50 AM Japan Standard Time (JST) and is estimated to land on Runway 8L, the longest runway of the Airport at 9:20 PM Hawaii Savings Time (HST). The plane operating the flight is a 16 month old (1.4 Year old) Boeing 747-146 registered as J8100 which had it's first flight on February 8th,1970 and was delivered to Japan Air Lines on February 28,1970 making it the first 747 to fly with Japan Air Lines. This specific 747 has 2,045 Hours of operation and has 336 seats (22 is First Class, 92 is Executive Class; Japan Air Lines' equivalent to Business Class; and 222 Economy Class Seats). There are 236 passengers onboard, most of whom are Japanese nationals on vacation to Hawaii. Out of the passengers, 207 were adults, 25 were children and 4 were Infants. 15 of the passengers were seated in First Class, 31 were seated in Executive Class (with 7 of whom seated in the upstairs section) and the remaining 190 passengers are seated in Economy Class. There are 21 Crewmembers, 18 Cabin Crew (2 pursers, 16 flight attendants) and 3 Cockpit Crew. The three Cockpit Crewmembers were Captain James "Jim" Robinson (Aged 60) Robinson was born on December 24th,1910. He was hired by Japan Air Lines on January 8th,1971. He received his JAB DC-8 and 747 Captain ratings on February 10th,1971. Prior to Working with Japan Airlines, Robinson flew with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) from 1934-1970. He flew with the United States Navy as a transport pilot during World War II. He continued flying with Pan Am in September 1945 when the war ended. Robinson flew the 747 as a Captain for Pan Am from February 1970 until his retirement in December of that same year. Robinson has 27,778 Hours of Flight Time (1,270 of which is in the 747, 806 of which was for Pan Am, the remaining 464 hours of which for Japan Air Lines) First Officer Takashi Fukuda (Aged 39) Fukuda was born on May 31st,1932. He was hired by Japan Air Lines on June 26th,1956. He logged 10,428 Hours of Flight Time (945 of which in the Boeing 747) Flight Engineer Hiroaki Fujimura (Aged 42) Fujimura was born on February 2nd,1929. He was hired by Japan Air Lines on September 5th,1958 . He logged 12,010 Hours of Flight Time (Including 575 Hours in the Boeing 747) The Cabin crew ranged from aged 24-40 All crewmembers were Japanese with the exception of Captain Robinson and a Taiwanese flight attendant. At 9:14 PM, Captain Robinson contacts Air Traffic Controller John Kelekolio for clearance to land, Kelekolio approves the request, vectoring Flight 76 to land on Runway 8L. about five minutes later, Flight 76 is about to land on Runway 76. By then, Captain Robinson and First Officer Fukuda cleared the landing checklist. The plane lands around 4,600 feet mark of the runway however the Nose gear lands around 6,100 mark, Captain Robinson can't slow down the plane on time so he declares a go-around, however the nose gear doesn't pull up on time and the 747 overruns the runway, crashes into the edge lights, crashes into the parking lot and the plane breaks up. several cars are destroyed 25 passengers were killed in the crash, 8 were seated in the First Class Section, 12 were seated in Executive Class (6 in the Upstairs section, 6 in the Main Cabin section) and the remaining 5 were rows 8-9 of Economy Class (In a section near the first class area). 3 Flight Attendants seated in the Front of the plane were also killed. Out of the 229 survivors, 145 suffered injuries. 33 passengers and 10 crewmembers (Including all three cockpit crewmembers) suffered serious injuries. Out of those 33 passengers, 6 were seated in the First Class Section, 13 were seated in Executive Class (With 1 in the Upstairs Section) and the remaining 14 in Economy Class 96 passengers and 6 Flight Attendants suffered minor injuries. Out of the 96 passengers, 1 was seated in First Class, 5 were seated in Executive Class and the remining 90 passengers were in Economy 82 passengers and 2 Flight Attendants escaped without any injuries. Out of the 82 passengers, 1 was seated in Executive Class and 81 were seated in Economy Nationalities of crew and passengers (According to The Honolulu Advertiser) : Japan: 214 (195 passengers, 19 crewmembers) (28 killed, 186 survived) : Republic of China (Taiwan): 1 (Flight Attendant) (Survived) : United States: 29 (28 passengers, 1 Captain) (All Survived) : Unknown/Other Countries: 13 (All Passengers) (All Survived) First Officer Fukuda also said that he couldn't fully understand Captain Robinson's southern accent (Robinson was born in West Virginia) Captain James "Jim" Robinson died on February 26th,1981 in his home in Kailua, Hawaii from Lung Cancer. He was 70 years old First Officer Takashi Fukuda retired in 1994, he died on April 29th,2021 at age 88 from a Kidney Infection. He was almost a month short of his 89th birthday Flight Engineer Hiroaki Fujimura retired as a Captain in 1991. He died on March 17th,2020 at age 91 from COVID-19
Aerodynamic Stall/Spin, Strato HMX 920, N44BNG, fatal accident occurred October 4, 2020, at Los Injurus Airport, Los Injurus, USA: (View of wreckage) Location: Los Injurus, USA Date & Time: 10/04/2020, 0300 PDT Registration: N44BNG Aircraft: Strato HMX 920 Aircraft Damage: Destroyed Defining Event: Aerodynamic Stall/Spin Injuries: 1 (Fatal) Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal On October 4, 2020, at around 0300 Pacific Standard Time, a Strato HMX 920 aerobatic plane, N44BNG, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Los Injurus International Airport, Los Injurus, USA. The commercial rated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a VFR plan was filled for the flight that departed Los Injurus and was headed to the same airport. According to automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data that was transmitted from the airplane to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control (ATC), the flight departed runway 19 at Los Injurus and climbed to 5000 feet. At 0245:35, the flight entered a cruise descent and was progressively cleared down to 3,000 ft mean sea level (msl). According to ATC communications, the pilot was cleared for a straight visual approach to Los Injurus Airport, the approach controller stated, "Strato 4 Bravo November Golf, turn left, ah, left heading one eight zero, maintain three thousand feet. The pilot responded, "One eight zero, ah, we're cleared for the approach." The ADS-B data indicated the airplane entered a left turn and lined up with the runway. At 0259:49, the approach controller noted that the airplane was way too high for a safe landing and stated "Uhh November Golf, please go-around and maintain 3000 feet until provided." There was no further communication with the pilot. According to the ADS-B data, the airplane kept losing airspeed during the final approach and maintained a higher than usual altitude. The final ADS-B return point showed that the aircraft was at a heading of 130 and at a speed over 140 mph. One witness driving inside the airport's parking lot observed the airplane "high and slow" while on final approach, he reported that the airplane seemed to gain height and suddenly "dropped". He did witness the impact. Two ground airport personal reported seeing the airplane stall during an aborted approach, the airplane impacted the ground with the left wing and remained within the runway's threshold. The captain of a Cloud Air flight 9203 reported that the Strato was infront of him and appeared slow during the entire approach. The pilot reported that the air traffic controller told the Strato pilot to go-around and climb to 3000 feet. The pilot added that he observed the airplane stall with the left wing before disappearing out of the view. Flight 9203 initiated a go-around and eventually landed about thirty minutes later. According to the air traffic controller, he observed the aircraft very high and sluggish and commanded the pilot to go-around. He did not receive further transmissions from the pilot. According to FAA records, the 51-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on February 10, 2020, with no restrictions or limitations. On the application for his current medical certificate, the pilot reported having accumulated 3,534 total hours of flight experience and 96 hours within the previous 6 months. The pilot's flight history was established using his logbook. The final logbook entry was dated October 3, 2020, at which time he had accumulated 3,610.8 hours total flight time. The pilot had 3,610.8 hours total flight experience including the 1 hour accident flight. The pilot had flown 3,375 hours in single-engine airplanes and 235 hours multi-engine airplanes. He had logged 2,365 hours as pilot-in-command, all of which were flown in single-engine airplanes. Based on available information, the 1 hour accident flight was his only flight time during the previous 24 hours. The airframe of the single seat Strato HMX 920 is built of a tig-welded steel-tube construction. Wing, empennage and landing gear are manufactured of composite material. The airplane is powered by a Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A, 315 hp, 6 cylinder engine. The airplane was not equipped with flight recorders and it was required to do so. According to the Strato HMX 920 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH), the aerodynamic stall speed stall speed at 1.720 lbs / 780 kg (Vs) is 61 kts, the stall speed at 1.918 lbs / 870 kg (Vs) is 64 kts. The initial impact was in the runway threshold (figure 1). The initial impact was identified by a fragments from the left wing pushed down and preceded along the ground scar that was oriented on a 154° bearing. Both wings, landing gears, and the side engine covers had separated from the airplane and were located along the wreckage debris path. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, the he empennage remained attached to the fuselage. Flight control continuity for the elevator and rudder were confirmed from the forward cabin to each flight control surface. Flight control continuity to both wing control surfaces could not be confirmed due to impact damage; however, the observed cable separations near the wing root were consistent with overstress. The engine was impact damage and separated from its respective engine mounts. (figure 1) An autopsy was preformed on the pilot, his cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. - Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the visual straight in approach, his excessive and unnecessary pull up maneuver after the ATC go-around call, which resulted in the exceeding of the airplane's critical angle of attack, and subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin.
