Aircraft: Lancair IV-P. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Hammonton, N.J. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The Lancair pilot told a witness that he was going to fly to a nearby airport to visit a friend. He was aware that the nearby airport had occasional aerobatic activity near the runway, within an aerobatic box. The box was […]
aviation accidents
Loose nut leads to engine failure
Aircraft: Cessna 310. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Tupelo, Mississippi. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The airplane had just undergone an annual inspection, at which time the left engine’s number two cylinder was replaced. To facilitate the cylinder replacement, the B-nut attaching the fuel supply hose to the engine’s manifold valve was removed, then later reinstalled. A post-maintenance […]
Mountain takeoff goes bad
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: Atlanta, Idaho. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land at a mountain airport with an elevation of 5,500 feet MSL. He told investigators that he was unfamiliar with the airport, and he had not read the FAA’s published remarks for the airport in its Airport Facility […]
Crosswind compromises Allegro
Aircraft: Allegro 2000. Injuries: None. Location: Stonington, Maine. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land at a coastal airport when the plane encountered a strong right crosswind. It landed hard on the right main landing gear, which subsequently collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Probable cause: The […]
Distracted pilot goes off runway
Aircraft: Vans RV-12. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Windom, Nev. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot reported that he inadvertently did not secure the canopy latch after entering the cockpit. After takeoff, he noticed air entering the cockpit from the unsecured canopy. He stated that he was distracted with attempting to secure the canopy and the airplane […]
Spatial disorientation kills one
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Provincetown, Mass. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The non-instrument-rated pilot took off on a dark night from an airport located at the tip of a peninsula. Analysis of GPS data showed that he turned the airplane toward the destination course before it had reached an altitude of 100 […]
Poor fuel management for Beech pilot
Aircraft: Beech A36. Injuries: 3 Minor. Location: Napa, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was on final approach about 1.5 miles from the runway when the engine suddenly lost power. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful and the pilot made a gear-up landing on a nearby highway. During the landing, the airplane hit a […]
Poor approach for Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna T210M. Injuries: None. Location: Kremmling, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: During the approach to runway 27, the pilot maintained the airspeed between 100 and 110 knots to compensate for the gusting wind. He reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 190° at 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots. Upon […]
Stearman compromised by density altitude
Aircraft: Boeing PT-17. Injuries: 2 Serious. Location: Fabens, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: During the takeoff roll, the pilot noticed the engine was developing 100 to 200 rpm less than expected. He continued with the takeoff. During the climb, he was unable to maintain a safe airspeed. When the plane was about 100 feet above the […]