aviation accidents

The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in impact with a knoll and a subsequent ground-loop.

The passenger’s inadvertent application of the brakes during landing, which resulted in a nose-over.

Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during the initial climb in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent flight experience.

Probable cause: The passenger’s improper decision to hold her cell phone outside the helicopter, which resulted in it departing the helicopter and striking the tail rotor.

Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid the airplane on the runway while landing and the pilot receiving instruction’s and flight instructor’s failure to properly scan the approach before pulling onto the runway during takeoff.

Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to attain a sufficient climb rate during initial climb in high-density altitude conditions with the airplane near its forward center of gravity and maximum gross weight limits, which resulted in an impact with trees.

Probable cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack following a loss of the left engine power shortly after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident was the loss of left engine power due most likely to a fuel system issue that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

Probable cause: The pilot’s improper preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.