Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a charted and illuminated television/radio tower.
aviation accidents
Pilot’s misidentification of airport fatal mistake
Probable cause: The pilot’s controlled flight into terrain after misidentifying the destination airport during a period of restricted visibility due to weather.
Carb icing brings plane down into farmer’s field
Probable cause: The delayed application of carburetor heat by the pilot which led to accumulation of carburetor ice, eventual loss of engine power, and the subsequent forced landing in high vegetation.
Loose fuel cap leads to fuel exhaustion
Probable cause: A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot’s failure to ensure that the left-wing fuel cap was secure before flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to monitor fuel levels while in flight.
Pictures of the Day: Stearman vs. wild pig
Lee Taylor of Diamondhead, Mississippi, sent in these two photos, with the story behind them: “I had gone out to take pictures of what was going to be a beautiful sunset. After I got there, a good friend took off in his Stearman to see the sunset from the air. As he returned and started his approach […]
Inadequate maintenance proves fatal for pilot
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate maintenance of the airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation when organic debris restricted available fuel to the carburetor, and the pilot’s impairment due to the ingestion of alcohol, which affected his ability to safely operate the airplane following the loss of engine power.
Stearman crashes after bolt breaks off in brakes
Probable cause: The failed retaining bolt and cracked backing plate, which resulted in a shift of the brake lining to contact the brake drum and a subsequent wheel lock when the brakes were applied.
YouTube star Cory Robin screwed up
We don’t have to be flying from river sandbars to succumb to pressure and distraction. This can happen to any of us.
Fuel exhaustion leads to forced landing
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.









