Laser Aéreo Colombia Douglas DC-3

crashed in Colombia, 14 killed

09.03.2019/ 10:34 LT (15:34 UTC)
Colombia/ Finca La Bendicion, San Martin
  
The DC-3 aircraft with registration HK2494, operated by LASER, was prepared to make a non-scheduled passenger flight between Taraira Airport (SKTR) and the aerodrome Villavicencio (SKVV) in Colombia. The aircraft took off at 06:13 hours local time with a crew of three, eight passengers and 500 kgs of cargo. Adverse weather conditions were encountered en route and the crew decided divert to Miraflores (SKMF) where it landed at 07:39. There two more passengers boarded the flight for Villavicencio.

The aircraft (10) passengers and the crew rescheduled the flight to the Jorge Enrique Gonzales (ICAO: SKSJ) airfield in the city of San Jose del Guaviare, to refuel and continue their flight to (SKVV).
At 08:34 the aircraft took off from Miraflores and flew to San Jose del Guaviare (SKSJ) to refuel, where it landed at 09:14. The aircraft was fueled and the crew submitted a flight plan to Villavicencio with a total flight time of 45 minutes an altitude of 8,500 feet. Prior to departure one more passenger boarded the flight.
The aircraft took off at 09:55. At 10:15, when the aircraft was climbing through 8,100 feet and approximately 59NM (109 km) from Villavicencio, the flight reported engine problems and stated their intentions to divert to a nearby airstrip. Villavicencio ATC suggested La Rinconada Airstrip in the Municipality of San Martín, Meta, Colombia.
The aircraft lost altitude and last radio contact was at 10:32 when the crew radioed that they had a runway in sight, with no further information.
At 10:34 the aircraft hit the ground of a palm plantation with a high angle of descent and low speed. Flaps and undercarriage were retracted at the time of the accident. The aircraft slid across a gravel road and burst into flames.

All 14 occupants have perished, including the mayor of the municipality of Taraira - Vaupes Doris Lizeth Villegas Chara and her family. 2019 Colombia DC-3 crash (Wikipedia)

3 people aboard cargo jet that crashed

in Texas bay did not survive

23.02.2019/ 18:39 UTS
USA/ TX/ near Anahuac/ Trinity Bay

Photos on NTSB Flickr site

Atlas Air Flight 3591

Atlas Air flight 5Y3591, a Boeing 767-300 (N1217A) operated for Amazon Prime Air, was destroyed in a crash at Trinity Bay, near Anahuac, Texas, USA.

All three on board were killed.
The aircraft departed Miami International Airport, Florida at 11:33 hours local time (16:33 UTC) on a cargo flight to Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Texas, USA. The cruising altitude of FL400 was reached after 20 minutes. Descent towards Houston was commenced at 12:07 hours local time (18:07 UTC).
About 12:30 the pilots contacted the Houston terminal radar approach control (TRACON) arrival controller and reported descending for runway 26L; the airplane was at 17,800 ft with a ground speed 320 knots.
At 12:34, the airplane was descending through 13,800 ft, and the controller advised of an area of light to heavy precipitation along the flight route and that they could expect vectors around the weather. About 12:35, the flight was transferred to the Houston TRACON final controller, and the pilot reported they had received the Houston Automatic Terminal Information System weather broadcast. The controller told the pilots to expect vectors to runway 26L and asked if they wanted to go to the west or north of the weather.
Radar data indicated the airplane continued the descent through 12,000 ft with a ground speed of 290 knots, consistent with the arrival procedure. The pilots responded that they wanted to go to the west of the area of precipitation. The controller advised that to do so, they would need to descend to 3,000 ft expeditiously.
About 12:37, the controller instructed the pilots to turn to a heading of 270°. Radar data indicated the airplane turned, and the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data indicated a selected heading of 270°. The airplane was descending through 8,500 ft at this time.
About 12:38, the controller informed the pilots that they would be past the area of weather in about 18 miles, that they could expect a turn to the north for a base leg to the approach to runway 26L, and that weather was clear west of the precipitation area. The pilots responded, "sounds good" and "ok." At this time, radar and ADS-B returns indicated the airplane levelled briefly at 6,200 ft and then began a slight climb to 6,300 ft.
Also, about this time, the FDR data indicated that some small vertical accelerations consistent with the airplane entering turbulence. Shortly after, when the airplane’s indicated airspeed was steady about 230 knots, the engines increased to maximum thrust, and the airplane pitch increased to about 4° nose up. The airplane then pitched nose down over the next 18 seconds to about 49° in response to nose-down elevator deflection. The stall warning (stick shaker) did not activate.
FDR, radar, and ADS-B data indicated that the airplane entered a rapid descent on a heading of 270°, reaching an airspeed of about 430 knots. A security camera video captured the airplane in a steep, generally wings-level attitude until impact with the swamp. FDR data indicated that the airplane gradually pitched up to about 20 degrees nose down during the descent.
Preliminary investigation results suggest that the captain may have inadvertently activated the go around switch on the throttles as he was moving his hand to select flaps.

IAF chopper crashes in Valley, 7 killed

27.02.2019/ 10:05 AM LT
India/ Kashmir’s Budgam district/ near Garend Kalaan village

The Indian Air Force helicopter crashed into an open space in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday. The incident taking place around the time the Pakistan Air Force conducted strikes at multiple places inside Indian territory on the other side of the Pir Panchal mountains. The Pir Panchal mountains separate the Valley from Jammu’s Pir Panchal region. Eyewitness reported that a loud explosion was heard in the air before the chopper crashed in a trail of smoke, indicating a possible catastrophic external event contributed to the incident.
Investigators have found that an Indian air defence missile, was fired shortly before the crash of a Mi17 V5 helicopter at Budgam, near Srinagar on February 27, which resulted in the deaths of six air force personnel and a citizen on the ground. The Kashmiri youth 22-year-old Kifayat Hussain Ganaie, a brick kiln worker lost his life after he rushed towards the blazing chopper to rescue the pilots after it had crashed. The pilot Ninad Mandavgane (33), was cremated on the bank of Godavari river.

The investigators are examining the sequence of events which preceded the crash. The incident had occurred on the same day that India and Pakistan were locked in an air duel over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir. The helicopter had crashed at Budgam as it was approaching to land at Srinagar. The helicopter was downed by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) of IAF, fired from the Srinagar air base which assumed the helicopter to be a hostile platform.
Two officers, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Srinagar Air Base and the Senior Air Traffic Control Officer have been found blameworthy by a Court of Inquiry (CoI). The IAF could possibly order the two officers to face a General Court Martial which in turn is empowered to decide on the quantum of punishment, including criminal charges, if any.
The other three IAF personnel would face disciplinary proceedings that could range from loss of seniority to censure.
The IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, had earlier removed the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of the Srinagar air base — in a move to show that procedural lapses will not go “unpunished”.
The Russian-made copter had crashed at 10.05 am, around the same time as Indian and Pakistani fighter jets were engaging each other over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s jet was downed around 10.30 am.
The investigation indicated lapses that lead up to the accident. The Air Traffic Control had called back the helicopter as an air duel between Indian and Pakistani jets had escalated. This is being seen as a lapse as the helicopter should have been sent away to a safer zone instead of being called back to Srinagar. Also, as the copter was returning, it should have been made to land at the designated safe spot.
On ground, the missile system and air defence guns fire away at aircraft or helicopters which can’t be identified.
The crucial identification or the Friend or Foe (IFF) system on the Mi-17 helicopter was switched off, which was against procedures. The IFF is a system on board a helicopter or a plane that automatically transmits a unique identification signal.
That the IFF would remain mandatorily switched on was a decision taken last year after a near mid-air accident between a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet and a transport plane of the IAF. Though the IAF issued instructions that the IFF system should be switched on, the Srinagar air base had issued contradictory orders. The IAF controllers on ground who were live monitoring the Pakistan air space had not reported any intruding helicopter.

1 missing, 1 rescued after small cargo plane

crashes off Haulover Inlet

08.02.2019/ 12:16 EST
Atlantic Ocean about 32 miles east of

Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF), Miami, FL

Report: NTSB Identification: ERA19LA096

On February 8, 2019, at 12:16 EST, a General Dynamics Convair 340 (C-131B), N145GT, was destroyed during a ditching in the Atlantic Ocean about 32 miles east of Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF), Miami, Florida. The captain Robert Hopkins, 68, of Coconut Creek, was fatally injured, and the first officer Rolland Silva, 28, was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Conquest Air, Inc., as a cargo flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight departed Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN), Nassau, Bahamas, at 11:13. The accident occurred during a return trip to OPF. The cargo plane started to lose altitude at about 4,600 feet and some 10 minutes later - at 1,200 feet - it ditched into the ocean. It appeared the aircraft broke up after it hit the water during an attempted water landing. Investigators determined the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.