Aircraft: American Champion Super Decathalon. Injuries: None. Location: Leesburg, Va. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot went through the normal pre-flight inspection, then attempted to start the engine. He told investigators that he set the mixture full on rich, fuel pump turned on for about three seconds, then off, mixture full off, put the throttle full […]
aviation accidents
Mechanical failure for Glasair
Aircraft: Glasair III. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Falls of Rough, Kentucky Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to witnesses on the ground, the airplane took off and then circled back to make a fly-by over the runway. The witnesses said the engine sounded like it “over revved” and they saw what appeared to be a puff of […]
Big pilot, small cockpit a bad combo
Aircraft: Christian Eagle II. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Seward, Neb. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The flight instructor, who had 9,700 hours, was seated in the front seat giving instruction for an airplane check-out to the private pilot in the rear seat of the biplane, who had logged about 1,700 hours. The engine lost power on takeoff […]
Inadvertent spin kills 1
Aircraft: RV-6A. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: West Jordan, Utah. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The accident happened at the end of a four-hour flight. The pilot, who had an estimated 810 hours in the RV-6A, transmitted his intentions to join the traffic pattern at the airport. A short time later, an indiscernible distress transmission was made over […]
Night flight into clouds kills two
Aircraft: Cessna 182. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Stanley, Idaho. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The private pilot, who did not have an instrument rating, had logged 640 hours, including 520 in the 182. On the afternoon of the accident, he checked the weather, then took off. His passengers said the pilot received several in-flight weather updates and […]
Fuel starvation for Mooney
Aircraft: Mooney M20C. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Allen, Okla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was on a cross country flight with the fuel selector set to the left tank when the engine quit. He attempted to restore fuel to the engine by switching to the right tank, which contained fuel. The pilot said he was […]
Prop failure for RV
Aircraft: Vans RV-6A. Injuries: None. Location: Albany, Ore. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot noted that the propeller assembly had undergone maintenance by its manufacturer on three occasions prompted by his observation of hub grease seeping onto the shank portion of the blades. The pilot removed the propeller and hub assembly and returned it to the […]
Inadvertent braking breaks Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna 140A. Injuries: None. Location: Kent, Wash. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The CFI and his student were practicing landings in a tailwheel airplane in preparation for the student’s first solo. On the fourth landing, the student inadvertently applied brakes during the landing roll, which resulted in the airplane nosing over, causing substantial damage to the […]
Cirrus pilot overshoots
.Aircraft: Cirrus SR22. Injuries: None. Location: Fall City, Wash. Aircraft damage: Substantial What reportedly happened: According to the private pilot, during the initial climb to cruise flight the airplane began to lose power and the low engine oil light illuminated. He diverted to a nearby airport. The first approach to the runway terminated with a […]