What happened
During the loading process for an air ambulance mission, the crew was placing a patient and various personal belongings into the aircraft. During this procedure, the aircraft tipped backward onto its tail, causing the tail bumper to strike the underside of the empennage. Following this incident, the pilot declined a mechanical inspection, noting that similar occurrences had happened previously.
After departing, the pilot contacted the tower to report that the elevator was jammed and indicated an intention to return for an emergency landing. While performing a maneuver on the base leg of the approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. Witnesses observed the plane crash with one wing positioned perpendicular to the ground. At the time of the accident, another aircraft was positioned for takeoff on the runway.
Findings
Investigations into the crash revealed that the aircraft cabin was configured with an oxygen bottle and a hospital stretcher positioned on the right side. There was no documented authorization for the installation of this stretcher, nor was there any official record regarding the weight and balance of the aircraft following its installation. The accident resulted in three fatalities.
- Aircraft type: unspecified
- Fatalities: three
- Primary issue: unauthorized equipment installation and lack of weight and balance documentation