OK, it’s not general aviation, but have you ever wondered what would happen if the airliner you were flying on crashed? Does bracing really help or is it a myth? Where is the best place to sit? And are planes designed so that you could survive?
In the premiere episode of Curiousity, airing Sunday, Oct. 7 on Discovery Channel, an international team explore these questions by deliberately crashing a full-size passenger airplane into the remote desert along the U.S.-Mexico border.
This September 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: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Chatsworth, Ga. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: A private pilot and CFII filed an IFR flight plan. The pilot calculated a fuel burn rate of nine gallons per hour. Approximately two hours and 30 minutes after departure, the pilot canceled his IFR flight plan with the ATC without giving a reason and changed his destination airport. One minute later, he reported engine failure.
This September 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: Marlboro, Mass. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot said the 1,659-foot runway was the shortest runway he had ever attempted to land on.
This September 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: None. Location: Houston, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The airplane had just taken off and was at an altitude of 250 feet above ground when oil began to spray onto the windshield and the oil pressure dropped.
This September 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: Globe Swift. Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor. Location: Clyo, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were departing from a grass runway in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. According to the pilot, the engine lost power after takeoff.
This September 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: Palm Beach, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, the airplane was flying at an altitude of 1,200 feet, about 3/4-mile offshore when the engine started to sputter then lost power.
This September 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: 2 Fatal. Location: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was on a VFR cross-country flight. He did not have an instrument rating and there was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing for the flight.
This September 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 Malibu. Injuries: None. Location: Farmington, N.M. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was performing a practice ILS approach in bright daylight. When the airplane was three miles from the airport, he extended the landing gear and flaps. The airplane crossed the threshold of the runway and was just about to touch down when the pilot noticed that the landing gear green indicator lights did not appear to be illuminated.
This September 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 Archer. Injuries: None. Location: Montauk, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: As he approached the airport, the pilot requested airport advisories over the UNICOM frequency. He was advised that traffic was landing on runway 24, and the wind was reported at 310° at 9 knots. This would give aircraft landing on runway 24 a crosswind component of 70°.
This September 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: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Helena, Ga. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The commercial pilot, who was also a CFI, had logged 14,600 hours. His most recent logbook was not recovered, however his wife estimated that he had flown about 150 hours in the Cessna 182.
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