On Sept. 28, 2024, a Cirrus SR22 crashed at First Flight Airport (KFFA) near the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Sadly, the aircraft’s pilot and all four passengers perished in the accident.
aviation accidents
Plane bent when hits construction vehicles
The pilot did not ensure adequate clearance from construction vehicles during taxi.
Champion crashes after headset obstructs controls
The pilot’s failure to properly secure the rear seat headset, resulting in an obstruction of the airplane’s rudder controls.
First flight ends in crash
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing resulting in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and hard landing.
Test flight ends in crash
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover. Contributing to the accident was the partial loss of engine power due to improper management of the fuel system.
Mechanic error leads to in-flight engine failure
Improper installation of the crankshaft drive gear by maintenance personnel, who failed to install all required hardware, resulting in an in-flight engine failure.
Pilot loses control during pattern work
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control after takeoff, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Human Factors: Even a little crash can be deadly
More often than not, it’s the little things that kill you. For instance, of all the myriad hazards of flying the bush in Alaska, death by pond taxi in the state’s third-largest city would seem so low on the list of possibilities as to be nearly impossible. And yet…
Light glare, dirty windscreen lead to impact with ditch
The pilot’s decision to continue the taxi without visual reference to the surface, due to his vision being impaired by darkness and glare, which resulted in the airplane’s departure from the paved surface and impact with a ditch. Contributing was the flight instructor’s inadequate monitoring of the pilot.