Aircraft: Piper Cherokee Arrow. Injuries: None. Location: New Smyrna, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was preparing for his initial flight instructor check ride with a CFI on board. He performed a 180° power-off approach and landing. During the landing, he flared the airplane about 10 feet above the runway and it landed hard. After […]
NTSB
Poor planning results in poor performance
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Mexico, Mo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot and his wife were departing from a 2,600-foot grass runway with a quartering right tailwind. The grass on the runway was between 6 and 10 inches high. The airplane took off about 1,900 feet down the runway, veered to […]
Crosswind crimps Bellanca
Aircraft: Bellanca Super Viking. Injuries: None. Location: Branson, Mo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land. At the time the wind was from the south at 8 to 10 knots with gusts to 20 knots. As he approached for landing on runway 12, he crabbed the airplane into the wind and slipped it […]
Poor visbility, poor decisions
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Goble, Ore. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: A CFI and pilot receiving instruction were on a flight in an area of light rain, fog, and overcast ceilings. The airplane entered a hilly area during a steady rain. There were low ceilings and dense ground fog that extended to above tree […]
Bad water landing kills one
Aircraft: Sportsman 2+2. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Kimerling, Mo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The float-equipped airplane was observed flying low over the lake, then appeared to make an attempt to land on the water. Witnesses said the engine sounded as if it was operating normally but that the airplane never leveled off before it touched down. […]
Unusual mid-air captures national attention
The NTSB and FAA are investigating a skydiving/plane crash Saturday afternoon in Mulberry, Florida, according to a report at 970WFLA.com. The crash captured national attention with the skydiver appearing on the national morning television newscasts.
Tailwind approach leads to crash
Aircraft: Quicksilver MX Sprint II Injuries: None. Location: Willits, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: It was the student pilot’s first solo flight in the airplane. He was attempting to land on a private dirt strip when the airplane encountered a tailwind, which caused the airplane to lose altitude and crash into trees some 20 feet short […]
Landing stall for Piper
Aircraft: Piper Super Cub. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Fort Collins, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land at a private landing strip on his property. The flag near the landing location indicated a calm wind. The pilot said that the airplane encountered some turbulence and wind gusts during the approach. He attempted […]
Low-altitude stall kills one
Aircraft: Bellanca Citabria. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Brockton, Mont. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: Witnesses said the airplane made two low-altitude, 360° turns, climbed rapidly, then descended into the ground. They reported that the engine sounded normal throughout the accident sequence. The post-accident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have […]