Turbulence wrinkles Debonair

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 10, 2012

This April 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Beech Debonair. Injuries: None. Location: Burbank, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial

What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, the airplane was in a 15° banked turn and descending through 5,000 feet when it encountered turbulence. The tail started to flutter. Continue Reading »

Lack of experience leads to crash

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 9, 2012

This April 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Maule MX7. Injuries: None. Location: Greenville, N.C. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot, who received his tailwheel endorsement the day before the accident, had five hours of flight time in the accident airplane, with most of his experience being on turf runways.

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Aerobatic airplane malfunctions

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 8, 2012

This April 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Rocket F1. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Borrego Springs, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The pilot, age 58, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He was practicing aerobatics in preparation for a local aerobatic competition.

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Cessna pilot loses control in crosswind

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 5, 2012

This April 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: New Hudson, Mich. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land in a crosswind. He did not adequately compensate for the crosswind Continue Reading »

Piper breaks gear on landing

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 4, 2012

This April 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: None. Location: Three Rivers, Mich. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The student pilot was practicing touch and go landings with his flight instructor. During a touch down, the airplane veered to the left. The flight instructor attempted to correct to the right.

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Complacent pilot misses runway

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 3, 2012

This April 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Cessna 210. Injuries: None. Location: Truckee, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: During the approach to the destination airport, the pilot obtained an airport condition report from airport personnel indicating that there was ice with a layer of snow blanketing the runway surface. The pilot aligned the airplane for landing and flared over what he thought was the normal touchdown point.

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First flight, last flight for pilot

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 2, 2012

This April 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Kolb Mark3X. Injuries: 1 Fatal Location: Charleston, S.C. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The accident flight was the first flight for the airplane. A review of the pilot’s records revealed that he did not have any flight time in the accident airplane make and model, nor had he ever logged any flight time in a tailwheel-equipped airplane.

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Bearing failure brings down Beech

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | April 1, 2012

 This April 2010 accident reports is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Dayton, Ohio. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The 50-year-old private pilot had just taken off when the engine of the Bonanza failed. The pilot turned back toward the runway.

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Lack of fuel, sun-glare contribute to fatal accident

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | March 22, 2012

This March 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Beech K35 Bonanza. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Boulder City, Nev. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The 45-year-old private pilot, who had about 300 hours in the Bonanza, was on a cross-country flight to an airport that he had previously visited several times. He contacted airport personnel 15 miles short of his intended destination, stating that he was low on fuel and that he needed to land immediately.

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Warbird crashes on landing

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | March 21, 2012

This March 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: North American P-51D. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Chandler, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The 54-year-old pilot had logged about 4,890 hours, including 49.5 hours in the P-51. According to witnesses, the airplane made several low passes over the runway before the pilot elected to land. The airplane bounced several times after touchdown followed by the nose pitching up 20°.

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