Fuel contamination brings down Stinson

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 25, 2012

This January 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: Stinson 108. Injuries: None. Location: Bayport, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The airplane was in cruise flight at approximately 600 feet when the engine began to run rough. The pilot applied the carburetor heat and the roughness subsided briefly, then lost power again.

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Flight review ends in double fatality

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 24, 2012

This January 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: RV-8. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Sequim, Wash. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The purpose of the flight was to complete a flight review for the owner of the airplane. Both the pilot/aircraft owner and the CFI held ATP certificates.

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Go around goes bad for solo student

Janice Wood | Accident Reports | January 23, 2012

This January 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: Luscombe 8 Injuries: 1 Serious. Location: Springfield, Tenn. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: According to the CFI, he and the student pilot flew earlier in the day in preparation for the student’s first solo flight. The CFI reported that the student “was doing very well at landing the airplane” and did not have difficulty maintaining directional control.

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Inattentive pilot crashes

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 22, 2012

This January 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: 1 Minor. Location: Collegedale, Tenn. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot took off from a 4,700-foot asphalt runway at night. Although the weather was suitable for VFR flight, he reported that he lost sight of outside visual references after takeoff because of the darkness, and did not realize that the airplane was turning left.

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Engine failure blamed on contaminated fuel

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 19, 2012

This January 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: Czech Sportcruiser. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: La Quinta, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: Prior to the flight the pilot conducted a preflight inspection, which included taking samples of fuel from the fuel sump drains. No contamination was found. Continue Reading »

Plane stumbles on touch and go

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 18, 2012

This January 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 150. Injuries: None. Location: Taunton, Mass. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting a touch and go landing on a 3,500-foot runway. The touchdown was normal, and the pilot pushed the carburetor knob and throttle in to instigate the “go” part of the maneuver. Instead of producing full power, the engine stumbled. Continue Reading »

Blocked oil line leads to off-airport landing

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 17, 2012

This January 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 182. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: Reno, Nev. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot reported that during cruise flight he felt a “significant shake” in the airplane and noticed that the engine was losing power. He decided to make a precautionary landing to a nearby road. During the descent, the engine quit completely. Continue Reading »

Luscombe bent in bad landing

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 16, 2012

This January 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: Luscombe 8A. Injuries: None. Location: Madison, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot landed the tailwheel airplane on runway 14 and slowed to taxi speed in preparation to exit the runway. As the airplane neared the taxiway, it veered sharply to the right. The pilot corrected with left brake and full left rudder.

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Long landing ends in snowbank

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 15, 2012

This January 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 Archer. Injuries: None. Location: Great Barrington, Mass. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot initially reported that as the airplane approached runway 11, it touched down about one-third down the runway. He applied the brakes and noted that the pressure of the left brake was firmer than the right and this caused the airplane to go off the left side of the runway and into a snowbank.

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Pilot passes up closest airport after engine failure

Meg Godlewski | Accident Reports | January 12, 2012

This January 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 B60 Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Madison, Ala. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff and at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the right engine experienced catastrophic engine failure. The nearest suitable airport for landing was about 10 miles away. However, the pilot elected to return to the departure airport, which was 30 miles away. He reported that he was not able to maintain altitude. The airplane crashed and burned approximately three miles from the intended airport.

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