Convair CV-440 Metropolitan

Douglas R. Taylor

On September 11, 2019, at 0239 eastern daylight time, a Convair 440 airplane, N24DR, impacted trees and terrain while on final approach to runway 25 at the Toledo Express Airport (TOL). The accident site was located about 1/2-mile from the runway arrival threshold in Monclova, Ohio. Both pilots were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Ferreteria E Implementos San Francisco under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 125 as a non-scheduled cargo flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was being operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from the Millington-Memphis Airport (NQA), Millington, Tennessee, at 2314 central daylight time and was destined for TOL. According to the operator, the flight crew initially departed Laredo International Airport (LRD) about 1838 central time the evening before the accident and arrived at NQA about 2210 central time. The airplane was refueled before departing on the accident flight. Preliminary air traffic control position data depicted the airplane proceeding direct to TOL after departure from NQA at a cruise altitude of 7,000 ft mean sea level. About 39 miles southwest of TOL, the airplane entered a cruise descent in preparation for approach and landing. The flight crew was subsequently cleared to land at 0235 when the airplane was about 5 miles southeast of TOL. The pilot acknowledged the landing clearance; however, no further communications were received. The airplane ultimately became established on final approach for runway 25 before radar contact was lost. No problems or anomalies were reported during the flight. The airplane struck trees beginning about 0.12-mile east of the accident site; about 0.65-mile northeast of the runway arrival threshold. The initial strikes were about 55 ft above ground level. Multiple tree breaks were observed along the flight path through the wooded area east of the accident site. A ground impact scar was located west of the wooded area and led to the accident site. The impact path was oriented on a westerly heading. The airplane came to rest in a parking lot about 0.50-mile from the threshold and near the extended centerline of the runway.

Fresh Air

The airplane, operated by Fresh Air, Inc., crashed into a lagoon about 1 mile east of the departure end of runway 10 at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico. The two pilots died, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1251 as a cargo flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight had departed from runway 10 at SJU destined for Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten. Shortly after takeoff, the first officer declared an emergency, and then the captain requested a left turn back to SJU and asked the local air traffic controllers if they could see smoke coming from the airplane (the two tower controllers noted in postaccident interviews that they did not see more smoke than usual coming from the airplane). The controllers cleared the flight to land on runway 28, but as the airplane began to align with the runway, it crashed into a nearby lagoon (Laguna La Torrecilla). Radar data shows that the airplane was heading south at an altitude of about 520 ft when it began a descending turn to the right to line up with runway 28. The airplane continued to bank to the right until radar contact was lost. The estimated airspeed at this point was only 88 knots, 9 knots below the published stall speed for level flight and close to the 87-knot air minimum control speed. However, minimum control speeds increase substantially for a turn into the inoperative engine as the accident crew did in the final seconds of the flight. As a result, the airplane was operating close to both stall and controllability limits when radar contact was lost. Pilots flying multiengine aircraft are generally trained to shut down the engine experiencing a problem and feather that propeller; thus, the flight crew likely intended to shut down the right engine by bringing the mixture control lever to the IDLE CUTOFF position and feathering the right propeller, as called out in the Engine Fire In Flight Checklist. This would have left the flight crew with the left engine operative to return to the airport. However, postaccident examinations revealed that the left propeller was found feathered at impact, with the left engine settings consistent with the engine at takeoff or climb setting. The right engine settings were generally consistent with the engine being shut down; however, the right propeller’s pitch was consistent with a high rotation/takeoff power setting. The accident airplane was not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder (nor was it required to be so equipped); hence, the investigation was unable to determine at what point in the accident sequence the flight crew shut down the right engine and at what point they feathered the left propeller, or why they would have done so. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed fire and thermal damage to the airframe on the airplane’s right wing rear spar, nacelle aft of the power section, and in the vicinity of the junction between the augmentor assemblies and the exhaust muffler assembly. While the investigation was unable to determine the exact location of the ignition source, it appears to have been aft of the engine in the vicinity of the junction between the augmentor assemblies and exhaust muffler assembly. The investigation identified no indication of a fire in the engine proper and no mechanical failures that would have prevented the normal operation of either engine.

Dodita Air Cargo

The copilot stated that the pre-flight and run-up before takeoff were performed with no discrepancies noted. After leveling off at 5,500 feet they noticed that the right engine cylinder head temperature and oil temperature was about 10 degrees above the normal parameter for that engine. Shortly after, both pilot's noticed a sharp decrease in the right engine mean effective pressure followed by vibration in the engine. The co-pilot looked at the right engine and informed the pilot that it was on fire around the front lower cylinders. Attempts by the pilot to extinguish the engine fire were unsuccessful. The pilot advised Air Traffic Control of their intention to ditch due to the right engine uncontrolled fire. The co-pilot, handed a life jacket to the pilot and then put his on. The pilot placed his life preserver to the side and did not put it on. While descending the co-pilot opened his side window, but the pilot did not. According to the co-pilot, shortly before ditching the pilot requested 10-degrees of flaps but the flaps did not move. Both pilots were at the controls of the airplane for the ditching. A review of maintenance records revealed that the right engine was installed on the airframe on May 14, 2003 at 45,660.5 hours total airframe time. A complete "C" Check was accomplished on June 15, 2004 at a total time of 45,741.8 hours with no discrepancies noted. The airplane ditched into the Caribbean Ocean 29 miles southeast of Beef Island, Virgin Islands, in an undetermined depth of water, neither the pilot or the airplane wreckage was recovered.

Salair

Before the ferry flight, the pilot (PIC) & inexperienced copilot noted the left & right, float-type, underwing, fuel gauges indicated about 3,900 & 4,050 lbs of fuel, respectively. After takeoff, they noted that the cockpit gauges showed an opposite fuel imbalance of 4,100 & 3,600 lbs in the left & right tanks. Due to this indication, the PIC crossfed fuel from the left tank to both engines for about 30 min to rectify the perceived fuel imbalance. Later as they approached the destination, the left tank was exhausted of fuel, & the left engine lost power, although the left gauge indicated about 500 lbs of fuel remaining in that tank. The PIC then crossfed fuel from the right tank to both engines, & left engine power was restored. ATC vectored the flight for an emergency ILS runway 3 approach. The PIC was distracted during the approach & maneuvered the airplane to re-intercept the localizer. About 500' agl in IMC, both engines lost power. During a forced landing at night, the airplane struck a raised berm & was damaged. No evidence of fuel was found in the left tank; 125 gal of fuel was found in the right tank. Unusable fuel was published as 3 gal. During an exam of the engines & fuel system components, no preimpact failure was found. Historical data from the manufacturer indicated that when the airplane had a low fuel state, unporting of fuel tank outlets could occur during certain maneuvers. This information was not in the Convair 340 flight manual, although unporting of the outlets on this flight was not verified.

Salair

The aircraft departed Santo Domingo-Las Américas Airport at 0822LT on a cargo flight to Aguadilla. Few minutes later, the crew informed ATC about technical problems and was cleared to return. In unclear circumstances, the aircraft crashed 88 minutes after its departure in an isolated area located in the region of La Romana. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Servicios Aéreos Santa Ana - SASA

After takeoff from San Borja-Capitán Germán Quiroga Guardia Airport, while in initial climb, the copilot reported an engine failure. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in an open field located near the airport and came to rest, broken in several parts. Four people were injured and a passenger was killed.

Gulf %26 Caribbean Cargo

Leased from Winemiller Aviation, the aircraft was completing a charter flight from Fort Lauderdale to Cap Haïtien on behalf of the Metro Nord Travel Club. On approach to Cap Haïtien, flaps and undercarriage were selected down when the hydraulic pressure dropped. The crew continued the approach and the emergency air brake was armed. Upon touchdown, both tyres on the left main gear burst after the brakes locked. The aircraft veered off runway to the left and eventually collided with a parked UH-60 helicopter. All 31 occupants were evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

CAMBA Transportes Aéreos - Comercializadora Aérea Mixta Boliviana

Six minutes after takeoff from Santa Rosa de Yacuma Airport, en route to La Paz, the flight engineer informed the captain that the left engine caught fire. The crew shut down the engine and feathered its propeller. The captain decided to attempt an emergency landing on an abandoned airfield located in El Triunfo, about 24 km north of Santa Rosa de Yacuma Airport. After landing, the aircraft rolled for about 100 metres when the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft veered to the left and rolled for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All three crew members escaped uninjured and the fire partially destroyed the left part of the aircraft.

Servicios Aéreos Santa Ana - SASA

While cruising at the altitude of 18,000 feet, the aircraft suffered a hydraulic failure. Some instruments failed and the crew elected to gain height to have a better visibility when shortly later, the right engine backfired and lost power. The captain decided to make an emergency landing but encountered local patches of fog. The aircraft eventually belly landed on a plateau and came to rest. All three crew members were rescued.

Cargo Three Panama - C3 Panama

After takeoff from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, while climbing, the crew declared an emergency and informed ATC about an engine failure. The crew was cleared to return when the aircraft lost height and crashed in a field located 3 km west of the airport. Both pilots were killed.