Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator

Historical safety data and incident record for the Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator aircraft.

Safety Rating

9.7/10

Total Incidents

15

Total Fatalities

38

Incident History

Colombian Air Force - Fuerza Aérea Colombiana

Tena Napo

The crew was supposed to fly from Tres Esquinas to Puerto Leguízamo but as the flight was illegal, they departed the Colombian Airspace for Ecuador. En route, an unexpected situation forced the crew to attempt an emergency landing by the Rio Pusuno, east of the city of Tena. All three occupants escaped and were arrested while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. A load of cocaine was found on board.

November 28, 1972 3 Fatalities

M. J. Herman

Searchlight Nevada

The twin engine airplane was engaged in a drug smuggling flight from San Luis, Mexico, carrying marijuana. While approaching Searchlight by night, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck power cables 2,5 miles short of runway. After impact, the airplane lost height and crashed in flames. All three occupants were killed.

January 9, 1955 3 Fatalities

United States Navy - USN

Mt Cajon California

The aircraft was completing a flight from Monterey to Norton AFB in San Bernardino, carrying a crew of two and a sailor passenger, fireman of the USS Badoeng Strait. While cruising by night at an altitude of 5,000 feet, the airplane hit the slope of Mt Cajon located south of Cajon Pass. The wreckage was found four days later, on January 13. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants have been killed. Crew: Lt Marshall Hand, pilot, Lt Lasley K. Lacewell Jr., copilot. Passenger: Haskel Lewis Reichbach.

United States Air Force - USAF

Fredonia Kansas

An engine failed in flight, forcing the crew to reduce his altitude and attempting an emergency landing. The twin engine aircraft belly landed in a field located nine miles south of Fredonia. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

United States Navy - USN

South Korea All South Korea

While cruising in poor weather conditions from Pyongtaek to Sokcho, the twin engine aircraft was hit by antiaircraft fire. Both pilots decided to abandon the aircraft and baled out. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed while both crew members were uninjured.

July 19, 1951 1 Fatalities

United States Air Force - USAF

Pohang North Gyeongsang (<U+ACBD><U+C0C1><U+BD81><U+B3C4>)

The twin engine aircraft was standing by at the holding point for takeoff when it was hit by a USN Chance Vought F4U Corsair registered 121834. Its pilot was performing a local training mission. The Navigator was destroyed and one of its pilot was killed while four other occupants were injured. The pilot of the Corsair survived. Crew: 1st Lt A. C. Adcock, Mr. John Doyal, 1st Lt Marion M. Jones, † Maj Roy Keith, 1st Lt Carl F. Raab Jr.

United States Air Force - USAF

Daegu Daegu (<U+B300><U+AD6C>)

Crash landed for unknown reason. There were no casualties.

November 18, 1950 4 Fatalities

United States Navy - USN

Santa Ana Mountain (Orange County) California

The twin engine aircraft departed Tucson, Arizona, with a stop in El Centro, California, on a routine training flight bound for MCAS El Toro in Orange County, CA with four men on board. The weather in Southern California included heavy overcast with rain and strong winds in the vicinity of the El Toro base. The pilot was initially cleared to make an instrument approach, but was then directed into a holding pattern because of a technical problem with the GCA landing system. After a few minutes the El Toro controller cleared 29649 to land, as the GCA problem had been fixed, but the pilot of the SNB-5 did not respond. It was then recognized that the aircraft had crashed and search & rescue protocols were initiated. Three days later, the wreckage was spotted by a Civil Air Patrol pilot on the west flank of the Santa Ana Mountains at 4,000 feet MSL, the altitude the pilot had been directed to hold by the controller prior to being cleared to land. Weather and technical problems contributed to this tragic accident. The crew, flying in the clouds did not see the mountain and died instantaneously upon impact. Crew: M/Sgt William H. Follmer, pilot, 1st Lt Willard M. Grubbs, pilot, T/Sgt Keith M. Ferguson, copilot, Sgt Milton E. Johanson. Source & photo: http://www.aircraftwrecks.com/monuments/snb-5.htm

United States Air Force - USAF

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Crash landed for unknown reason.

June 23, 1947 8 Fatalities

Colombian Air Force - Fuerza Aérea Colombiana

Roncesvalles Tolima

The twin engine aircraft left Cali at 0827LT on a routine flight to Bogotá-Techo Airport. Some 45 minutes into the flight, the crew encountered icing conditions and the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a mountainous area located near the village of Roncesvalles, about 50 km southwest of Ibagué. All eight occupants were killed.

June 19, 1947 4 Fatalities

Lineas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional - LATN

Quyquyhó Paraguarí

The twin engine aircraft left Asunción Airport at 1750LT with two officers and two pilots on board. About thirty minutes into the flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in an uninhabited area located near Quyquyhó. The pilot was killed and his body was found in the wreckage. However, no trace of the three other occupants was found. It is believed that they may have abandon the aircraft and bail out, but as their bodies were never found, they were considered as deceased.

February 21, 1946 2 Fatalities

Colombian Air Force - Fuerza Aérea Colombiana

Yolombó Antioquia

The twin engine aircraft left Puerto López, Antioquia, at 1650LT bound for Bogota-Techo Airfield. Crashed in unknown circumstances in Yalombó, killing both crew members.

January 24, 1944 4 Fatalities

United States Army Air Forces - USAAF

Farmersville Texas

En route, in unknown circumstances, a Lockheed C-60A LodeStar registered 42-32203 with 6 people on board collided with the USAF Beechcraft AT-7 registered 43-33303. Right after impact, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a prairie. All 10 occupants in both aircraft were killed. The reason of the occurrence is unknown.

November 18, 1942 4 Fatalities

United States Army Air Forces - USAAF

Mt Mendel California

During a training mission, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Mendel located in the Darwin Glacier, northeast of Fresno. SAR operations were conducted but suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft was found. The wreckage was eventually located on November 24, 1947, and the body of a crew member was found in October 2005.

May 16, 1941 5 Fatalities

United States Army Air Corps - USAAC

Carbon Hill Ohio

The crew was on his way from Louisville to Pittsburgh when the twin engine aircraft hit a hill located in Carbon Hill, OH. The five crew members were killed.

Safety Profile

Reliability

Reliable

This rating is based on historical incident data and may not reflect current operational safety.

Primary Operators (by incidents)

United States Air Force - USAF4
Colombian Air Force - Fuerza Aérea Colombiana3
United States Navy - USN3
United States Army Air Forces - USAAF2
Lineas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional - LATN1
M. J. Herman1
United States Army Air Corps - USAAC1