Probable cause: The pilot’s improper decision to operate an airplane without recent flight training and his inadvertent application of left electric rudder trim before flight and a subsequent loss of airplane control.
Formation flight ends badly
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance and visual lookout while taxiing, which resulted in his airplane colliding with the stationary airplane.
Stinson hits corn stalks after forced landing
Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to take off from an unimproved bean field with insufficient length for the airplane to clear adjacent corn stalks.
Broken wire leads to forced landing
Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to a lack of ignition resulting from a broken alternator wire.
Pilot dies after plane plunges into lake
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the lake during a low-level maneuver.
Pilot doesn’t extend landing gear in time
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear with sufficient time to allow the landing gear to fully extend and the flight instructor’s failure to visually check to see if the right main landing gear were extended.
Pilot flies into wires
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid transmission wires.
Sky diving plane lands on highway on ramp
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to attain a proper glidepath on approach for landing, which resulted in an impact with a guard rail and post. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to ensure that sufficient fuel was onboard for nonlevel flight, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Maintenance error leads to oil leak
Probable cause: The failure of the engine’s front bearing seal due to maintenance personnel’s installation of an improperly sized crankshaft seal, which resulted in oil starvation and a forced landing.