The non-instrument rated pilot’s decision to commence the flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s self-induced pressure to initiate the flight.
Aircraft
Picture of the Day: Over the fog
Andreas Kleeb submitted this photo and note: “After takeoff from the foggy Buochs Airport (LSZC) in a right turn to the famous St. Moritz mountain airfield Samedan Airport (LSZS) in the Swiss Alps.”
Eberhart: Somebody else’s airplanes
Formed in 1918 to make airplane parts, Eberhart gained a U.S. Army Air Service contract to rebuild British S.E. 5A biplane fighters and French SPAD S.XIII biplanes.
Largest solar array at a Washington GA airport in the works
The project, priced at $668,000, will feature a solar array totaling 87.5kW of DC power, which will be installed through a combination of solar-covered car canopies and rooftop solar arrays on the airport’s terminal building. It will be the state’s largest general aviation solar array, according to airport officials.
EAA events, activities added to ForeFlight
“Adding EAA’s more than 14,000 annual aviation events makes the ForeFlight database even more comprehensive for the thousands of pilots who rely on it for flight information,” said Ren Scott, EAA’s director of business development. “ForeFlight has always been an excellent source of flight planning and safety, but with EAA’s information it will add more reasons to fly and destinations to discover.”
Maintenance error proves fatal for two
Maintenance personnel’s failure to follow the avionics installation guidance for the oil pressure sensor, which resulted in the high-cycle fatigue failure of a line, oil starvation, and the subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to perform an adequate preflight inspection of the airplane.
Picture of the Day: Cessna sun rays
Matthew Baker submitted this photo and note: “A Cessna making a turn to final in a cloudy sunset.”
Questions from the Cockpit: Sailplane vs. glider
Kenny, a flight instructor in Florida, asks: What’s the difference between a sailplane and a glider?
How does being hot and thirsty affect my flying?
In the newest video in the FAA’s Pilot Minute series, Federal Air Surgeon Susan Northrup, MD, covers the physiological impacts of dehydration on flying, and offers several suggestions for mitigation.