Since this crash, and the others mentioned above on 21 October 2004 by Shenzi Rubani, single turbine engined aircraft have continued to go down due to engine failure. I have not made any special effort to find out how many. Last year in just US territory, Business & Commercial Aviation magazine mentioned two C208s that went down due to engine failure in Texas and Puerto Rico. In both cases the pilots were able to execute a successful forced landing.
This year at least two more have gone down. In late January another Cessna C208 Caravan went down with engine failure. It crashed in severe IMC over mountains near Port Alberni, British Columbia on a flight from Tofino to Vancouver. Three occupants were killed, including a three year old, and five survived. In early February yet another C208 went down with engine failure in Tasmania. It was on floats and managed to make a successful forced landing on a hydro-electricity lake. According to the posts this last incident puts the failure rate for the PT6 engine used in the single engine Caravan and the single engine Pilatus PC12 below the reliability level officially required by some countries for single engine flight in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) or at night! It will be interesting to see if those countries that have permitted single engine passenger carrying in IMC and at night now do an about turn.
PC12s have also gone down due to engine failure. Readers should refer to the thread “Pilatus PC-12’s” on the Biz Jets & GA Forum. I put my views there on 27 December 2004. The recent safe return to Lusaka after a major engine failure of the C421 carrying the ex-President of Zambia shows the value of having a second engine. Single turbine (as well as piston) engined aircraft should not be permitted to carry fare paying passengers in IMC, at night or over water or inhospitable terrain. In any case, many corporate policies and life and health insurers forbid employees from travelling in single-engined aircraft. Operators of singles are already excluding themselves from carrying these customers.