Probable Cause: Maintenance personnel’s improper servicing of the magneto, which resulted in its accelerated wear, failure, and the total loss of engine power.
aviation accidents
Human Factors: Déjà vu all over again
People just aren’t getting the memo: The quickest way to kill yourself in an airplane is to pressure yourself to fly beyond your capabilities — whether those capabilities are weather, equipment, certification, experience, or simply how much energy you have left over from the day before.
Compromised oil pressure line fitting proves fatal for two
An in-flight fire due to a compromised oil pressure line fitting, which resulted in a collision with terrain during a subsequent emergency landing.
Post-maintenance peril
New research, which examined more than 20,000 GA accidents, shows a 33.8% higher risk in the first hour of flight following an inspection. Even after that critical first hour, the risk remains elevated for at least 31 hours, according to researchers.
Formation flight ends in crash
The pilot of the Ryan Navion’s failure to maintain visual sight of and clearance from another airplane during a formation flight, which resulted in a mid-air collision.
Soldiers rescue Florida general aviation pilot
The scene was devastating. The plane’s nose crumpled, its wings folded over the cockpit. For a moment, they feared the worst. Then, they saw a hand gripping the edge of the fuselage. The pilot was alive.
Pilot continues takeoff after wing hits runway
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during a takeoff attempt, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, runway excursion, and collision with trees.
VFR into IMC fatal for Virginia pilot
Probable Cause: The pilot’s continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in controlled flight into terrain.
Repeated attempts to start engine end in fire
Probable Cause: The engine fire that began for undetermined reasons following numerous engine start attempts.